necessary. this activity was called " prelist " in the 1990 census. geographic areas, usually with legally defined boundaries but often without elected officials, created to administer elections and other governmental functions. administrative areas include school districts, voting districts, zip codes, and nonfunctioning minor civil divisions ( mcds ) such as election precincts, election districts, and assessment districts. imputation method required when values for missing or inconsistent items cannot be derived from the existing response record. in these cases, the imputation must be based on other techniques such as using answers from other people in the household, other responding housing units, or people believed to have similar characteristics. such donors are reflected in a table referred to as an allocation matrix. american community survey ( acs ) alert this periodic electronic newsletter informs data users and other interested parties about news, events, data releases, congressional actions, and other developments associated with the acs. american community survey demonstration program the full set of testing, research, and development program activities that started in 1994 and continued until the acs was fully implemented in 2005. american community survey full implementation the period beginning in january 2005 during which the acs interviewing of its housing unit sample was conducted in every county and puerto rico municipio as well as all american indian and alaska native areas and hawaiian homelands. the full implementation initial sample size is approximately 3 million addresses each year, and includes group quarters ( gq ) facilities which were added beginning in january 2006. american community survey test sites the acs demonstration program expanded from an initial four test counties in 1996 to 36 test counties in 1999. when the term acs test site is used, it refers to data from these 36 counties. american factfinder ( aff ) an electronic system for access and dissemination of census bureau data on the internet. the system offers prepackaged data products and user - selected data tables and maps from census 2000, the 1990 census of population and housing, the 1997 and 2002 economic censuses, the population estimates program, annual economic surveys, and the acs. american indian area, alaska native area, hawaiian homeland ( aianahh ) a census bureau term referring to the following types of areas : federal and state american indian reservations, american indian off - reservation trust land areas ( individual or tribal ), oklahoma tribal statistical areas ( in 1990 tribal jurisdictional statistical area ), tribal designated statistical areas, state designated american indian statistical areas, alaska native regional corporations, alaska native village statistical areas, and hawaiian homelands. imputation method in which values for


, oklahoma tribal statistical areas ( in 1990 tribal jurisdictional statistical area ), tribal designated statistical areas, state designated american indian statistical areas, alaska native regional corporations, alaska native village statistical areas, and hawaiian homelands. imputation method in which values for a missing or inconsistent item can be derived from other responses from the sample housing unit or person. for example, a first name can be used to determine and assign the sex of a person. automated address unduplication an ongoing maf improvement activity completed twice a year ( coinciding with the delivery sequence file ( dsf ) refresh of the maf ) where, through automated means, pairs of city - style addresses are identified as identical based on house number, street name, five - digit zip code, and within structure identifier ( if one exists ). these addresses are linked for future operations to control duplication. automated clerical review the acs program run on raw mail return data to determine whether or not a case goes to failed - edit follow - up. the name reflects the fact that it was originally done clerically. the operator checks for missing content and for large households ( more than five members ) and for coverage inconsistencies. editing that is accomplished using software, as opposed to being done clerically. automated listing and mapping instrument ( almi ) software used primarily by census bureau field representatives for the purpose of locating an address or conducting an address listing operation. the almi combines data from the maf and the topologically integrated geographic encoding and referencing ( tiger® ) system database to provide users with electronic maps and associated addresses. almi functionality allows users to edit, add, delete, and verify addresses, streets, and other map features, view a list of addresses associated with a selected level of geography, and view and denote the location of housing units on the electronic map. automated review tool ( art ) a web - based computer application designed to help subject matter analysts quickly review and approve acs estimates. automated review tool ii ( art ii ) the next generation of the art. it is aimed at providing analysts with reports at a more detailed level than the previous version. tables that provide the most detailed estimates on all topics and geographic areas from the acs. base tables also include totals and subtotals. these tables form the data source for the " derived products. " base tables are also known as detailed tables. the base weight for an address is equal to the inverse of the probability with which the address was selected for the sample as determined by the


. these tables form the data source for the " derived products. " base tables are also known as detailed tables. the base weight for an address is equal to the inverse of the probability with which the address was selected for the sample as determined by the sample design. since these weights are based only on the initial probability of selection, they are known as a priori to the data collection phase. this is the weight for a housing unit before any adjustments are made. the base weight is also known as the unbiased weight. be counted enumeration and be counted questionnaire the be counted program provided a means for people who believed they were not counted to be included in census 2000. the census bureau placed be counted questionnaires at selected sites that were easily accessible to and frequented by large numbers of people. the questionnaires also were distributed by the questionnaire assistance centers and in response to requests received through telephone questionnaire assistance. an authoring application that produces an instrument used to collect data using computer - assisted telephone interviewing ( cati ) or computer - assisted personal interviewing ( capi ). a subdivision of a census tract ( or, prior to 2000, a block numbering area ), a block is the smallest geographic entity for which the census bureau tabulates decennial census data. many blocks correspond to individual city blocks bounded by streets, but blocks - especially in rural areas - may include many square miles and may have some boundaries that are not streets. the census bureau established blocks covering the entire nation for the first time in 1990. previous censuses back to 1940 had blocks established only for part of the nation. over 8 million blocks were identified for census 2000. a census 2000 field operation to ensure the currency and completeness of the maf within the mailout / mailback area. listers traveled in their assignment areas to collect and verify information to ensure that their address listing pages ( derived from the maf ) contained a mailing address for every living quarters. they especially looked for hidden housing units ( such as attics, basements, or garages converted into housing units ) and houses that appeared to be one unit but actually contained multiple housing units. they also updated and corrected their census bureau maps. a subdivision of a census tract ( or, prior to 2000, a block numbering area ), a block group is a cluster of blocks having the same first digit of their four - digit identifying number within a census tract. boundary and annexation survey ( bas ) an annual survey of all counties and statistically equivalent entities, all or selected incorporated


), a block group is a cluster of blocks having the same first digit of their four - digit identifying number within a census tract. boundary and annexation survey ( bas ) an annual survey of all counties and statistically equivalent entities, all or selected incorporated places and minor civil divisions, all or selected federally recognized american indian reservations and off - reservation trust lands, and alaska native regional corporations, to determine the location of legal limits and related information as of january 1 of the survey year. a tool used by field representatives that allows them to manage their interview assignments on their laptops. census 2000 supplementary survey ( c2ss ) the c2ss was an operational test conducted as part of the research program in census 2000, and used the acs questionnaire and methods to collect demographic, social, economic, and housing data from a national sample. this evaluation study gave the census bureau essential information about the operational feasibility of converting from the census long - form sample to the acs. census county division ( ccd ) a subdivision of a county that is a relatively permanent statistical area established cooperatively by the census bureau and state and local government authorities. used for presenting decennial census statistics in those states that do not have well - defined and stable minor civil divisions that serve as local governments. census designated place ( cdp ) a statistical entity that serves as a statistical counterpart of an incorporated place for the purpose of presenting census data for a concentration of population, housing, and commercial structures that is identifiable by name, but is not within an incorporated place. cdps usually are delineated cooperatively with state, puerto rico, island area, local, and tribal government officials, based on the census bureau guidelines. for census 2000, cdps did not have to meet a population threshold to quality for the tabulation of census data. a collective term referring to the types of geographic areas used by the census bureau in its data collection and tabulation operations, including their structure, designations, and relationships to one another. census information center ( cic ) the cic program is a cooperative activity between the census bureau and the national nonprofit organizations representing interests of racial and ethnic communities. the program objective is to make census information and data available to the participating organizations for analysis, policy planning, and for further dissemination through a network of regional and local affiliates. census sample data population and housing information collected only on the census long form for a sample of households. a small, relatively permanent statistical subdivision of a county delineated by a local committee of census data users for the purpose of presenting data. census


. census sample data population and housing information collected only on the census long form for a sample of households. a small, relatively permanent statistical subdivision of a county delineated by a local committee of census data users for the purpose of presenting data. census tract boundaries normally follow visible features, but may follow governmental unit boundaries and other nonvisible features ; they always nest within counties. designed to be relatively homogeneous units with respect to population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions at the time of establishment, census tracts average about 4, 000 inhabitants. an address that consists of a house number and street or road name ; for example, 201 main street. the address may or may not be used for the delivery of mail, and may include apartment numbers / designations or similar identifiers. the process of associating numeric codes with write - in strings. for example, the write - in associated with place of birth is turned into a three - digit code. coefficient of variation ( cv ) the ratio of the standard error ( square root of the variance ) to the value being estimated, usually expressed in terms of a percentage ( also known as the relative standard deviation ). the lower the cv, the higher the relative reliability of the estimate. cold deck values the values used to initialize matrices used for hot - deck allocation. reducing the amount of detail shown in a base table to comply with data release rules. community address updating system ( caus ) a post - census 2000 maf improvement program that provides a systematic methodology for enhancement and update of address and feature information. designed to provide a rural counterpart to the update of the city - style addresses received from the u. s. postal services delivery sequence file, caus identifies and conducts listing operations in selected geographic areas suspected of experiencing growth that is either not available from or appears to be incomplete in the u. s. postal services delivery sequence file. address and feature updates collected for caus are added to the maf and the tiger® system. comparison profiles are available from the acs for 1 - year estimates beginning in 2007. these tables are available for the united states, the 50 states, the district of columbia, and geographic areas with a population of more than 65, 000. the acs interview is classified as complete when all applicable questions have been answered on the mail form, or during a cati or capi interview. the interview may include responses of " don ' t know " and " refused " to specific questions. computer - assisted personal interviewing ( capi ) a method of


have been answered on the mail form, or during a cati or capi interview. the interview may include responses of " don ' t know " and " refused " to specific questions. computer - assisted personal interviewing ( capi ) a method of data collection in which the interviewer asks questions displayed on a laptop computer screen and enters the answers directly into a computer. computer - assisted telephone interviewing ( cati ) a method of data collection using telephone interviews in which the questions to be asked are displayed on a computer screen and responses are entered directly into a computer. the sample estimate and its standard error permit the construction of a confidence interval that represents the degree of uncertainty about the estimate. each acs estimate is accompanied by the upper and lower bounds of the 90 percent confidence interval, or the 90 percent margin of error, from which a confidence interval can be constructed. a 90 percent confidence interval can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent certainty that the interval defined by the upper and lower bounds contains the true value of the characteristic. the guarantee made by law ( title 13, united states code ) to individuals who provide census information, regarding nondisclosure of that information to others. congressional tool kit a collection of documents developed for members of congress that explain how and why the acs is conducted, its benefits, and how to obtain additional information. the tool kit originally was distributed as hard copies in 3 - ring binders and is now available as a series of online portable document format ( pdf ) files. consumer price index ( cpi ) the cpi program of the bureau of labor statistics produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services. a file which represents the current status of any case in sample in the acs. during the acs weighting process, the intercensal population and housing estimates are used as survey controls. weights are adjusted so that acs estimates conform to these controls. count question resolution ( cqr ) a process followed in census 2000 whereby state, local, and tribal government officials could ask the census bureau to verify the accuracy of the legal boundaries used for census 2000, the allocation of living quarters and their residents in relation to those boundaries, and the count of people recorded by the census bureau for specific living quarters. the joint distribution of two or more data characteristics, where each of the categories of one characteristic is repeated for each of the categories of the other characteristic ( s ). a cross - tabulation in a base table is denoted where " by " is used as the


distribution of two or more data characteristics, where each of the categories of one characteristic is repeated for each of the categories of the other characteristic ( s ). a cross - tabulation in a base table is denoted where " by " is used as the conjunction between characteristics ; for example, " age by sex " or " age by sex by race. " current population survey ( cps ) monthly sample survey of the u. s. population that provides employment and unemployment estimates as well as current data about other social and economic characteristics of the population. collected for the bureau of labor statistics by the census bureau. the concept used in the acs to determine who should be considered a resident of a sample address. everyone who is currently living or staying at a sample address is considered a resident of that address, except people staying there for two months or less. people who have established residence at the sample address and are away for only a short period of time are also considered to be current residents. the census bureau offers a wide variety of general purpose data products from the acs. these products are designed to meet the needs of the majority of data users and contain predefined sets of data for standard census geograpic areas, including both political and statistical geography. these products are available on the american factfinder and the acs web site. for users with data needs not met through the general purpose products, the census bureau offers " custom " tabulations on a cost - reimbursable basis, with the acs custom tabulation program. custom tabulations are created by tabulating data from acs microdata files. they vary in size, complexity, and cost depending on the needs of the sponsoring client. for users with data needs not met through the general purpose products, the census bureau offers " custom " tabulations on a cost - reimbursable basis, with the acs custom tabulation program. custom tabulations are created by tabulating data from acs microdata files. they vary in size, complexity, and cost depending on the needs of the sponsoring client. data capture file the repository for all data captured from mail return forms and by cati and capi blaise instruments. data collection mode one of three acs methods ( mail, telephone, personal visit ) of data collection. data products containing estimates of key demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics. data swapping is done by editing the source data or exchanging records for a sample of cases. a sample of households is selected and matched


personal visit ) of data collection. data products containing estimates of key demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics. data swapping is done by editing the source data or exchanging records for a sample of cases. a sample of households is selected and matched on a set of selected key variables with households in neighboring geographic areas that have similar characteristics. because the swap often occurs within a neighboring area, there is usually no effect on the marginal totals for the area or for totals that include data from multiple areas. de facto residence rules de facto means " in fact. " a de facto residence rule would define survey residents as all people living or staying at the sample address at the time of the interview without considering other factors such as the amount of time they will be staying there. such a rule would exclude people away from a regular residence even if they were away for only that one day. the acs is using a de facto residence rule when determining the residents of gq facilities eligible to be sampled and interviewed for the survey. delivery sequence file ( dsf ) a u. s. postal service ( usps ) computer file containing all mailing addresses serviced by the usps. the usps continuously updates the dsf as its letter carriers identify addresses for new delivery points and changes in the status of existing addresses. the census bureau uses the dsf as a source for maintaining and updating its maf. demographic area address listing ( daal ) a post - census 2000 program associated with coverage improvement operations, address list development, and automated listing for the caus and demographic household surveys. the program uses automated listing methods to update the inventory of living quarters, and also updates the street network in selected blocks. derived products are informational products based largely on estimates from the base tables. see base tables. disclosure avoidance ( da ) statistical methods used in the tabulation of data prior to releasing data products to ensure the confidentiality of responses. see confidentiality. disclosure review board ( drb ) a board comprised of census bureau staff who review and must approve all data products based on disclosure avoidance rules before they can be released to the public. to subject data to program logic to check for missing data and inconsistencies. edit management and messaging application ( emma ) an internet application used by acs subject - matter analysts to show the status of edit review and to relay analysts relevant comments. numerical values obtained from a statistical sample and assigned to a population parameter. data produced from the acs interviews are collected from samples of housing units. these data are used to produce estimates


to show the status of edit review and to relay analysts relevant comments. numerical values obtained from a statistical sample and assigned to a population parameter. data produced from the acs interviews are collected from samples of housing units. these data are used to produce estimates of the actual figures that would have been obtained by interviewing the entire population using the same methodology. research and evaluation conducted by census bureau staff and external experts to assess a broad set of topics including the feasibility and the quality of the data products produced by the acs. failed edit follow - up ( fefu ) data collection activity of mail response records designed to collect missing information. mail returns failing the automated clerical review edit are contacted by telephone. federal agency information program ( faip ) a long - term program of information and technical partnership with federal agencies. the faip is designed to establish a relationship with each agency that will identify the unique opportunities and challenges it faces in using acs data. the program targets assistance based on the needs and resources of each federal agency in order to help the agency make a smooth transition to using acs data. federal government unit ( fgu ) any of a variety of civil divisions ; places and is used for sampling. federal register notice published by the office of the federal register, national archives and records administration ( nara ), the federal register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. information describing proposed data collection must be posted on the federal register for public review and comment for a 30 - day period and must take place before the office of management and budget ( omb ) can provide final clearance for the data collection. federal - state cooperative program for population estimates ( fscpe ) fscpes are state level organizations, designated by their respective governors, to work cooperatively with the census bureau ' s population estimates program in the production of subnational population estimates and in making data broadly available to the public. field representative ( fr ) a census bureau employee who interviews people to obtain information for a census or survey. file transfer protocol ( ftp ) a process that allows a user to download large files and datasets from american factfinder. final outcome code a code assigned to a cati or capi case at the conclusion of the data collection which characterizes the status of the case, such as " completed occupied interview " or " respondent refusal noninterview. " first stage sample acs first stage sampling maintains five 20 percent partitions of the maf by


of the data collection which characterizes the status of the case, such as " completed occupied interview " or " respondent refusal noninterview. " first stage sample acs first stage sampling maintains five 20 percent partitions of the maf by determining which addresses were in the first stage sample 4 years prior and excluding them. this ensures that no address is in sample more than once in any 5 - year period. the first phase sample is the universe from which the second phase sample is selected. estimates based on 5 years of acs data. these estimates are meant to reflect the characteristics of a geographic area over the entire 60 - month period and will be published for all geographic areas down to the census block group level. functioning governmental unit ( fgu ) a general purpose government that has the legal capacity to elect or appoint officials, raise revenues, provide surveys, and enter into contracts. the process whereby write - in answers to hispanic origin, race, ancestry, and language are categorized into codes. this is accomplished using an automated system approach, relying on a set of growing dictionaries of write - ins against which responses are computer matched. responses that are not found in the dictionaries are sent to subject matter experts who code them. these new responses are added to the computer dictionaries for subsequent use. the assignment of an address, structure, key geographic location, or business name to a location that is identified by one or more geographic codes. for living quarters, geocoding usually requires identification of a specific census block. geographic summary level a geographic summary level specifies the content and the hierarchical relationships of the geographic elements that are required to tabulate and summarize data. for example, the county summary level specifies the state - county hierarchy. thus, both the state code and the county code are required to uniquely identify a county in the united states or puerto rico. government printing office ( gpo ) a federal agency responsible for producing, procuring, and disseminating printed and electronic publications of the congress as well as the executive departments and establishments of the federal government. governmental unit measure of size ( gumos ) the smallest measure of size associated with a given block. it is used in the sample selection operation to determine the initial sampling rate at the block level. group quarters ( gq ) facilities a gq facility is a place where people live or stay that is normally owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and / or services for the residents. these services may include custodial or medical care, as well as


or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied as separate living quarters, or if vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live separately from any other individuals in the building and have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. for vacant units, the criteria of separateness and direct access are applied to the intended occupants whenever possible. when information is missing or inconsistent, the census bureau uses imputation methods to assign or allocate values. imputation relies on the statistical principle of " homogeneity, " or the tendency of households within a small geographic area to be similar in most characteristics. interactive voice recognition ( ivr ) an automated telephone application which allows the caller to hear prerecorded responses to frequently asked questions. the caller may proceed through the application by entering numbers from the telephone key pad or by speaking responses to select which messages he / she wants to hear. the caller may also elect to speak to an interviewer instead of listening to the recorded responses. official census bureau estimates of the population of the united states, states, metropolitan areas, cities and towns, and counties ; also official census bureau estimates of housing units ( hus ). these are codes assigned to a sample gq assignment in the gqfq system by a field representative when scheduling a personal visit to a sample acs gq facility, when additional research is needed to locate the gq facility, or when a return visit to the gq facility is needed to obtain additional survey information. interpolation is frequently used in calculating medians or quartiles based on interval data and in approximating standard errors from tables. linear interpolation is used to estimate values of a function between two known values. pareto interpolation is an alternative to linear interpolation. in pareto interpolation, the median is derived by interpolating between the logarithms of the upper and lower income limits of the median category. a process in which cati supervisors, for quality control purposes, listen to interviewers while they are conducting interviews with respondents to assure that the interviewer is following all interviewing procedures correctly. the interviewer is not told when the supervisor is listening, but is given feedback on his / her performance after the monitoring. the failure to obtain valid responses or responses consistent with other answers for individual data items. subgroups of the original tabulation universe, especially by race, hispanic origin, ancestry, and tribal groups. for


feedback on his / her performance after the monitoring. the failure to obtain valid responses or responses consistent with other answers for individual data items. subgroups of the original tabulation universe, especially by race, hispanic origin, ancestry, and tribal groups. for example, many acs base tables are iterated by 9 race and hispanic origin groups. joint economic edit an edit which looks at the combination of multiple variables related to a person ' s employment and income, thereby maximizing the information used for filling any missing related variables. an operation in which keyers use a software program to capture questionnaire responses by typing responses directly into the scanned image of a questionnaire displayed on their work station screen. an operation in which keyers use a software program to capture questionnaire responses from a hard - copy of the questionnaire. a geographic entity whose origin, boundary, name, and description result from charters, laws, treaties, or other administrative or governmental action, such as the united states, states, the district of columbia, puerto rico, the island areas, counties, cities, boroughs, towns, villages, townships, american indian reservations, alaska native villages, congressional districts, and school districts. the legal entities and their boundaries that the census bureau recognizes are those in existence on january 1 of each calendar year. a method of decennial census data collection in some of the more remote, sparsely populated areas of the united states and the island areas, where many of the households do not have mail delivery to city - style addresses. enumerators list the residential addresses within their assignment areas on blank address register pages, map spot the location of the residential structures on census bureau maps, and conduct an interview for each household. local update of census addresses ( luca ) a census 2000 program, established in response to requirements of public law 103 - 430, that provided an opportunity for local and tribal governments to review and update individual address information or block - by - block address counts from the maf and associated geographic information in the tiger® database. the goal was to improve the completeness and accuracy of both computer files. individuals working with the addresses had to sign a confidentiality agreement before a government could participate. also called the address list review program. the decennial census long - form questionnaire was used to survey a sample of the u. s. population. it contained the questions on the census short form and additional detailed questions relating to the social, economic, and housing characteristics of each individual and household. represents the low end of the 90 percent confidence interval of an estimate from


the u. s. population. it contained the questions on the census short form and additional detailed questions relating to the social, economic, and housing characteristics of each individual and household. represents the low end of the 90 percent confidence interval of an estimate from a sample survey. a 90 percent confidence interval can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent certainty that the true number falls between the upper and lower bounds. the address used by a living quarters, special place, business establishment, and the like for mail delivery by the usps. it can be a house number and street or road name, which may be followed by an apartment, unit, or trailer lot designation ; a building or apartment complex name and apartment designation ; a trailer park name and lot number ; a special place / gq facility name ; a post office box or drawer ; a rural route or highway contract route, which may include a box number ; or general delivery. a mailing address includes a post office name, state abbreviation, and zip code. a mailing address may serve more than one living quarters, establishment, and so on. a method of data collection in which the usps delivers addressed questionnaires to housing units. residents are asked to complete and mail the questionnaire to a specified data capture center. main phase sample the annual acs sample is chosen in two phases. during the first phase, referred to as the main phase, approximately 98 percent of the total acs sample is chosen. the main phase sample addresses are allocated to the 12 months of the sample year. the second phase, referred to as supplemental sample selection, is implemented to represent new construction. master address file ( maf ) the census bureau ' s official inventory on known living quarters ( housing units and gq facilities ) and selected nonresidential units ( public, private, and commercial ) in the united states. the file contains mailing and location address information, geocodes, and other attribute information about each living quarters. the census bureau continues to update the maf using the usps dsf and various automated, computer - assisted, clerical, and field operations. master address file geocoding office resolution ( mafgor ) an operation in which census staff try to find the location of addresses from the usps that did not match to the records in the tiger® database. staff use atlases, maps, city directories, and the like to locate these addresses and add their streets and address ranges to the tiger® database. master address file / tiger® reconciliation a post - census 2000 ma


in the tiger® database. staff use atlases, maps, city directories, and the like to locate these addresses and add their streets and address ranges to the tiger® database. master address file / tiger® reconciliation a post - census 2000 maf improvement activity where census staff reviewed and corrected map spot inconsistencies in over 1, 800 counties. over 75, 000 maf records in nonmailout / mailback blocks were corrected. the most common types of maf corrections were the assignment of map spots to maf records such that they are consistent with the tiger® database, and the identification and linkage of duplicate maf records. margin of error ( moe ) some acs products provide an moe instead of confidence intervals. an moe is the difference between an estimate and its upper or lower confidence bounds. confidence bounds can be created by adding the moe to the estimate ( for the upper bound ) and subtracting the moe from the estimate ( for the lower bound ). all published acs moes are based on a 90 percent confidence level. measure of size ( mos ) a generic term used to refer to the estimated size of a specific administrative or statistical area. it is used in the sample selection operation to determine the initial sampling rate at the block level. also referred to as " response error, " measurement error occurs when the response received differs from the " true " value as a result of the respondent, the interviewer, the questionnaire, the mode of collection, the respondents record - keeping system ( s ) or other similar factors. this measurement represents the middle value ( if n is odd ) or the average of the two middle values ( if n is even ) in an ordered list of data values. the median divides the total frequency distribution into two equal parts : one - half of the cases fall below the median and one - half of the cases exceed the median. medians in the acs are estimated using interpolation methods. information about the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data. metadata related to tables presented in american factfinder can be found by clicking on column headings or by clicking " help " and then " census data information. " minor civil division ( mcd ) a primary governmental and / or administrative subdivision of a county, such as a township, precinct, or magisterial district. mcds exist in 28 states and the district of columbia. in 20 states, all or many mcds are general - purpose governmental units : connecticut, illinois, indiana, kansas,


, such as a township, precinct, or magisterial district. mcds exist in 28 states and the district of columbia. in 20 states, all or many mcds are general - purpose governmental units : connecticut, illinois, indiana, kansas, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, vermont, and wisconsin. most of these mcds are legally designated as towns or townships. three - and five - year estimates based on multiple years of acs data. three year estimates will be published for geographic areas with a population of 20, 000 or more. five year estimates will be published for all geographic areas down to the census block group level. primary legal divisions of puerto rico. these are treated as county equivalents. a data product that includes easy - to - read descriptions for a particular geography. national processing center ( npc ) the permanent census bureau processing facility in jeffersonville, indiana. until 1998, it was called the data preparation division. a mailing address that does not use a house number and street or road name. this includes rural routes and highway contract routes, which may include a box number ; post office boxes and drawers ; and general delivery. a sample address which was eligible for an interview, but from which no survey data was obtained. error caused by survey failure to get a response to one or possibly all of the questions. nonresponse error is measured in the acs by survey response rates and item nonresponse rates. an operation whose objective is to obtain complete survey information from housing units for which the census bureau did not receive a completed questionnaire by mail. in the acs, telephone and personal visit methods are used for nonresponse follow - up. total survey error can be classified into two categories - sampling error and nonsampling error. errors that occur during data collection ( for example, nonresponse error, response error, and interviewer error ) or data capture fall under the category of nonsampling error. office of management and budget ( omb ) omb assists the president in the development and execution of policies and programs. omb has a hand in the development and resolution of all budget, policy, legislative, regulatory, procurement, e - government, and management issues on behalf of the president. omb is composed of divisions organized either by agency and program area or by functional responsibilities. however, the work of omb often requires a broad exposure


, legislative, regulatory, procurement, e - government, and management issues on behalf of the president. omb is composed of divisions organized either by agency and program area or by functional responsibilities. however, the work of omb often requires a broad exposure to issues and programs outside of the direct area of assigned responsibility. in accordance with the paperwork reduction act of 1995, the census bureau submits survey subjects, questions, and information related to sampling, data collection methods, and tabulation of survey data to omb for approval and clearance. operational response rates response rates for data collection operations conducted in the acs - mail, cati, capi, and fefu operations. optical mark recognition ( omr ) technology that uses a digital image of a completed questionnaire and computer software to read and interpret the marking of a response category and to convert that mark into an electronic response to the survey question. extent to which a frame includes units from the target population more than once, giving the unit multiple chances of selection, as well as the extent to which the frame includes units that are not members of the target population. an estimate based on information collected over a period of time. for acs the period is either 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years. an estimate based on one point in time. the decennial census longform estimates for census 2000 were based on information collected as of april 1, 2000. intercensal estimates used in weighting acs sample counts to ensure that acs estimates of total population and occupied housing units agree with official census bureau estimates. primary sampling unit ( psu ) the psu for the housing unit sample selection is the address. for the gq sample selection it is groups of ten expected interviews. for the small gq sample selection operation it is the gq facility. all residents of small gq facilities in sample are included in the person sample. error introduced in the postdata collection process of taking the responses from the questionnaire or instrument and turning those responses into published data. thus, processing error occurs during data capture, coding, editing, imputation, and tabulation. public use microdata area ( puma ) an area that defines the extent of territory for which the census bureau releases public use microdata sample ( pums ) records. public use microdata sample ( pums ) files computerized files that contain a sample of individual records, with identifying information removed, showing the population and housing characteristics of the units and people included on those forms. public use microdata sample


. public use microdata sample ( pums ) files computerized files that contain a sample of individual records, with identifying information removed, showing the population and housing characteristics of the units and people included on those forms. public use microdata sample ( pums ) management and messaging application ( pmma ) this system is the pums version of emma, and is used by analysts to communicate with the data processing team about their review of the pums files. puerto rico community survey ( prcs ) the counterpart to the acs that is conducted in puerto rico. quality assurance ( qa ) the systematic approach to building accuracy and completeness into a process. quality control ( qc ) various statistical methods that validate that products or operations meet specified standards. a measure of the quality of a particular return which is used when there are multiple returns for a particular sample unit. statistics that provide information about the quality of the acs data. the acs releases four different quality measures with the annual data release : 1 ) initial sample size and final interviews ; 2 ) coverage rates ; 3 ) response rates, and ; 4 ) item allocation rates for all collected variables. an iterative procedure whereby a series of ratio adjustments are performed and then repeated. each ratio adjustment corresponds to a dimension of the raking matrix. the goal of the procedure is to achieve a high degree of consistency between the weighted marginal totals and the control totals used in the ratio adjustment. the raking ratio estimator is also known as iterative proportional fitting. ranking tables are tables and related graphics that show the rank order of a key statistic or derived measure across various geographic areas, currently states, counties, and places. variables on data files that are the result of combining values from more than one variable. time interval to which survey responses refer. for example, many acs questions refer to the day of the interview ; others refer to the " past 12 months " or " last week. " regional office ( ro ) one of 12 permanent census bureau offices established for the management of all census and survey operations in specified areas. one of four key dimensions of survey quality. relevance is a qualitative assessment of the value contributed by the data. value is characterized by the degree to which the data serve to address the purposes for which they are produced and sought by users ( including mandate of the agency, legislated requirements, and so on. ) rural areas in alaska which are difficult to access. in these areas, all acs sample cases are interviewed using the personal visit mode.


are produced and sought by users ( including mandate of the agency, legislated requirements, and so on. ) rural areas in alaska which are difficult to access. in these areas, all acs sample cases are interviewed using the personal visit mode. field representatives attempt to conduct interviews for all cases in specific areas of remote alaska during a single visit. all sample cases in remote alaska are interviewed in either january through april or september through december. the series of rules that define who ( if anyone ) is considered to be a resident of a sample address for purposes of the survey or census. the person supplying survey or census information about his or her living quarters and its occupants. the respondents failure to provide the correct answer to a survey question for any reason, such as poor comprehension of the question meaning, low motivation to answer the question, inability to retrieve the necessary information, or an unwillingness to answer the question truthfully. the response options for a particular survey question shown on the paper questionnaire, read to the respondent in a cati interview or read or presented on a flashcard to the respondent in a capi interview. also referred to as measurement error, response error is any error that occurs during the data collection stage of a survey resulting in a deviation from the true value for a given survey question or questions. errors made by respondents, interviewer errors such as misreading a question or guiding the response to a particular category, and poorly designed data collection instruments or questionnaires all contribute to response error. a rolling sample design jointly selects k nonoverlapping probability samples, each of which constitutes 1 / f of the entire population. one sample is interviewed each time period until all of the sample has been interviewed after k periods. the first month of a samples 3 - month interview period. geographic and statistical entities eligible to be used in determining the sampling strata assignment. errors that occur because only part of the population is directly contacted. with any sample, differences are likely to exist between the characteristics of the sampled population and the larger group from which the sample was chosen. any list or device that, for purposes of sampling, delimits, identifies, and allows access to the sampling units, which contain elements of the sampled population. the frame may be a listing of persons, housing units, businesses, records, land segments, and so on. one sampling frame or a combination of frames may be used to cover the entire sampled population. proportion of the addresses in a geographical area, or residents of a gq facility, who are selected for


businesses, records, land segments, and so on. one sampling frame or a combination of frames may be used to cover the entire sampled population. proportion of the addresses in a geographical area, or residents of a gq facility, who are selected for interview in a particular time period. variation that occurs by chance because a sample is surveyed rather than the entire population. second stage sample the set of addresses selected from the first phase sample using a systematic sampling procedure. this procedure employs seven distinct sampling rates. selected population profiles ( spps ) an acs data product that provides certain characteristics for a specific race or ethnic group ( for example, alaska natives ) or other population subgroup ( for example, people aged 60 years and over ). spps are produced directly from the sample microdata ( that is, not a derived product ). the decennial census short - form questionnaire includes questions on sex, age / date of birth, relationship, hispanic origin, race, and tenure. estimates based on the set of acs interviews conducted from january through december of a given calendar year. these estimates will be published for geographic areas with a population of 65, 000 or more. population sizes of geographical areas that determine when data products will first be released for that area ; for example, areas with 65, 000 or greater populations will get single - year profiles in 2006 and every year thereafter ; areas with 20, 000 or greater populations will receive 3 - year data products in 2008 and every year thereafter. there are no population size thresholds applied to the 5 - year data products other than those imposed by the drb. small area income and poverty estimates ( saipe ) census bureau program that prepares mathematical model - based estimates of selected characteristics of the united states, states, and school districts. a federal census conducted at the request and expense of a local governmental agency to obtain a population count between decennial censuses. special place ( sp ) a special place is an entity that owns and / or manages one or more gq facilities. a special place can be in the same building or location as the gq facility or it can be at a different location than the gq facility it manages or oversees. special sworn status ( sss ) or special sworn status ( sss ) individual individuals with sss are defined as non - census bureau personnel who require access to census information or confidential data. an sss individual is bound by census bureau confidentiality requirements, as authorized by title 13, united states code. the standard error is a measure of the deviation of a


as non - census bureau personnel who require access to census information or confidential data. an sss individual is bound by census bureau confidentiality requirements, as authorized by title 13, united states code. the standard error is a measure of the deviation of a sample estimate from the average of all possible samples. state data center ( sdc ) a state agency or university facility identified by the governor of each state and state equivalent to participate in the census bureau ' s cooperative network for the dissemination of census data. defined and intended to provide nationally consistent definitions for collecting, tabulating, and publishing federal statistics for a set of geographic areas. the determination of whether the difference between two estimates is not likely to be from random chance ( sampling error ) alone. this determination is based on both the estimates themselves and their standard errors. for acs data, two estimates are " significantly different at the 90 percent level " if their difference is large enough to infer that there was a less than 10 percent chance that the difference came entirely from random variation. a grouping or classification that has a similar set of characteristics. refers to the sampling of a sample. the cases that are not completed by mail or through a telephone interview become eligible for capi interviewing. this winnowing of the sample is referred to as subsampling. data products organized by subject area that present an overview of the information that analysts most often receive requests for from data users. successive differences replication ( sdr ) a variance estimation methodology to be used for surveys with a systematic sample. the initial sampling weights are multiplied by sets of 80 predetermined factors, and then reprocessed through the weighting system to produce 80 new sets to replicate weights. the 80 replicate weights and the final production weights are used to estimate the variance of acs estimates. sufficient partial interview a sufficient partial interview means that the census bureau accepts an interview as final even if the respondent did not provide a valid response for all applicable items. summary file 3 ( sf 3 ) this file presents base tables on population and housing characteristics from census 2000 sample topics, such as income and education. it also includes population estimates for ancestry groups and selected characteristics for a limited number of race and hispanic or latino categories. summary file 4 ( sf 4 ) this file presents data similar to the information included on summary file 3. the data from census 2000 are shown down to the census tract level for 336 race, hispanic or latino, american indian and alaska native, and ancestry categories. the sample that is selected from new addresses ( primarily new construction )


included on summary file 3. the data from census 2000 are shown down to the census tract level for 336 race, hispanic or latino, american indian and alaska native, and ancestry categories. the sample that is selected from new addresses ( primarily new construction ) and allocated to the last 9 months of the sample year. this is done in january of the sample year. a data collection for a sample of a population. surveys are normally less expensive to conduct than censuses, hence, they may be taken more frequently and can provide an information update between censuses. survey of income and program participation ( sipp ) a longitudinal survey conducted by the census bureau that collects data periodically from the same respondents over the course of several years. the sipp produces data on income, taxes, assets, liabilities, and participation in government transfer programs. the four key elements of survey quality include relevance, accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility. survey response rates a measure of total response across all three modes of data collection, calculated as the ratio of the estimate of the interviewed units to the estimate of all units that should have been interviewed. the acs weights the survey response rate to reflect the sample design, including the subsampling for the capi. see data swapping. errors or inaccuracies occurring in data consistently in one direction, which can distort survey results. by definition, any systematic error in a survey will occur in all implementations of that same survey design. the month associated with a sample case which is used in producing estimates. also known as the interview month, it reflects the response month, which may or may not be the same as the sample month. the specific category of people, households, or housing units on which estimates are based ; for example, people aged 25 and over or occupied housing units. in the context of the acs language program, this refers to the identification of geographic areas warranting specific language tools. telephone questionnaire assistance ( tqa ) a process which allows respondents to call a toll - free telephone number to receive help when completing the survey questionnaire. this process also allows respondents to complete the survey over the telephone with an interviewer. data products that show the geographic patterns in statistical data. thematic maps are a complement to the ranking tables, and are a tool to visually display on a map the geographic variability of a key summary or derived measure. estimates based on 3 years of acs data. these estimates are meant to reflect the characteristics of a geographic area over the entire 36 - month period. these estimates will be


visually display on a map the geographic variability of a key summary or derived measure. estimates based on 3 years of acs data. these estimates are meant to reflect the characteristics of a geographic area over the entire 36 - month period. these estimates will be published for geographic areas with a population of 20, 000 or more. one of four key dimensions of survey quality. timeliness refers to both the length of time between data collection and the first availability of a product and to the frequency of the data collection. title 13 ( u. s. code ) the law under which the census bureau operates and that guarantees the confidentiality of census information and establishes penalties for disclosing this information. a disclosure avoidance practice whereby extremely low or high values are masked by replacing them with a value that represents everything above or below a certain value. topologically integrated geographic encoding and referencing ( tiger® ) system or database a digital ( computer - readable ) geographic database that automates the mapping and related geographic activities required to support the census bureau ' s census and survey programs. see census tract. a usps notification that a mailing piece could not be delivered to the designated address. the extent to which the sampling frame does not include members of the target population thus preventing those members from having any chance of selection into the sample. the failure to obtain the minimum required data from a unit in the sample. a sample address that is inadequate for delivery by the usps. a method of data collection used in census 2000 and other censuses, whereby enumerators canvassed assignment areas and delivered a census questionnaire to each housing unit. at the same time, enumerators updated the address listing pages and census bureau maps. the household was asked to complete and return the questionnaire by mail. this method was used primarily in areas where many homes do not receive mail at a city - style address ; that is, the majority of united states households not included in mailout / mailback areas. u / l was used for all of puerto rico in census 2000. represents the high end of the 90 percent confidence interval of an estimate from a sample survey. a 90 percent confidence interval can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent certainty that the true number falls between the upper and lower bounds. an area, sector, or residential development, such as a neighborhood, within a geographic area in puerto rico. urbanized area ( ua ) a densely settled territory that contains 50, 000 or more people. the census bureau delineates uas to provide a better separation of urban and


development, such as a neighborhood, within a geographic area in puerto rico. urbanized area ( ua ) a densely settled territory that contains 50, 000 or more people. the census bureau delineates uas to provide a better separation of urban and rural territory, population, and housing in the vicinity of large places. the concept used to define residence in the decennial census. the place where a person lives and sleeps most of the time. voluntary methods test a special test conducted at the request of congress in 2002 to measure the impact on the acs of changing the data collection authority from mandatory to voluntary. a control system which is used to track and assign cases to individual telephone interviewers. webcati evaluates the characteristics of each case ( for example, the date and time of the previous call ) and the skills needed for each case ( for example, the need for the case to be interviewed in spanish ), and delivers the case to the next available interviewer who possesses the matching skill. web data server ( wds ) a research tool for reporters, sdcs, cics, ros, and internal census bureau analysts. wds features a user - friendly interface that allows users to quickly access, visualize, and manipulate acs base tables. a series of survey adjustments. survey data are traditionally weighted to adjust for the sample design, the effects of nonresponse, and to correct for survey undercoverage error.


will the us face blackouts as electricity generation suffers in drought? well, its official – the u. s. government has acknowledged that the u. s. is in the worst drought in over 50 years, since december 1956, when about 58 percent of the contiguous u. s. was in moderate to extreme drought. according to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration national climatic data center ’ s “ state of the climate drought july 2012 ″ report, “ based on the palmer drought index, severe to extreme drought affected about 38 percent of the contiguous united states as of the end of july 2012, an increase of about 5 percent from last month … about 57 percent of the contiguous u. s. fell in the moderate to extreme drought categories ( based on the palmer drought index ) at the end of july … according to the weekly u. s. drought monitor, about 63 percent of the contiguous u. s. ( about 53 percent of the u. s. including alaska, hawaii, and puerto rico ) was classified as experiencing moderate to exceptional ( d1 - d4 ) drought at the end of july. ” much business writing on the effects of the drought have focused on its agricultural aspects. to give but one, the hottest, driest summer since 1936 scorching the midwest have diminished projected corn and soybean crop yields s in the u. s. for a third straight year to their lowest levels in nine years. accordingly, the price of a bushel of corn has jumped 62 percent since 15 june and soybeans gained 32 percent in the same period. but as consumers fret about the inevitable rise in food prices to come, the drought is unveiling another, darker threat to the american lifestyle, as it is now threatening u. s. electricity supplies. because virtually all power plants, whether they are nuclear, coal, or natural gas - fired, are completely dependent on water for cooling. hydroelectric plants require continuous water flow to operate their turbines. given the drought, many facilities are overheating and utilities are shutting them down or running their plants at lower capacity. few americans know ( or up to this point have cared ) that the country ’ s power plants account for about half of all the water used in the united states. for every gallon of residential water used in the average u. s. household, five times more is used to provide that home with electricity via hydropower turbines and fossil fuel power plants, roughly 40, 000 gallons each month. michael webber, associate director of the center for international energy and environmental policy at


u. s. household, five times more is used to provide that home with electricity via hydropower turbines and fossil fuel power plants, roughly 40, 000 gallons each month. michael webber, associate director of the center for international energy and environmental policy at the university of texas at austin, is under no such illusions, stating that the summer ’ s record high heat and drought have worked together to overtax the nationa¢a ‚ ¬a „ ¢s electrical grid, adding that families use more water to power their homes than they use from their tap. webber said, “ in summer you often get a double whammy. people want their air - conditioning and drought gets worse. you have more demand for electricity and less water available to produce it. that is what we are seeing in the midwest right now, power plants on the edge. ” in july u. s. nuclear - power production hit its lowest seasonal levels in nine years as drought and heat forced nuclear power plants from ohio to vermont to slow output. nuclear regulatory commission spokesman david mcintyre explained, “ heat is the main issue, because if the river is getting warmer the water going into the plant is warmer and makes it harder to cool. if the water gets too warm, you have to dial back production, ” mcintyre said. “ that ’ s for reactor safety, and also to regulate the temperature of discharge water, which affects aquatic life. ” nuclear is the thirstiest power source. according to the national energy technology laboratory ( netl ) in morgantown, west virginia, the average npp that generates 12. 2 million megawatt hours of electricity requires far more water to cool its turbines than other power plants. npps need 2725 liters of water per megawatt hour for cooling. coal or natural gas plants need, on average, only 1890 and 719 liters respectively to produce the same amount of energy. and oh, the national weather service climate prediction center in its 16 august “ u. s. seasonal drought outlook ” wrote, “ the drought outlook valid through the end of november 2012 indicates drought conditions will remain essentially unchanged in large sections of the central mississippi valley, the central and southwestern great plains, most of the high plains, the central rockies, the great basin, and parts of the far west … ” the lack of rain and the incessant heat, has also increased the need for irrigation water for farming, meaning increasing competition between the agricultural and power generation sectors for the same shrinking water “ pool. ” but, every cloud has a silver lining


” the lack of rain and the incessant heat, has also increased the need for irrigation water for farming, meaning increasing competition between the agricultural and power generation sectors for the same shrinking water “ pool. ” but, every cloud has a silver lining. california ’ s pacific gas and electric co. utility, commonly known as pg & e, that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two - thirds of california, from bakersfield almost to the oregon border, is on the case. pg & e has informed its customers that its “ diablo canyon ( nuclear ) power plant, the largest source of generation in the utility ’ s service area, is cooled by ocean water, not by rivers that could dry up. ” never mind the fact that by the time the diablo canyon npp was completed in 1973, engineers discovered that it was several miles away from the hosgri seismic fault, which had a 7. 1 magnitude earthquake on 4 november 1927. but ocean water as a coolant is not necessarily the answer either. on 12 august dominion resources ’ millstone npp, situated on connecticut ’ s niantic bay on long island sound, was forced to shut down one of two reactor units because seawater used to cool down the plant was too warm, averaging 1. 7 degrees above the nrc limit of 75 degrees fahrenheit. the millstone npp, which provides half of all power used in connecticut and 12 percent in new england, was only restarted twelve days later. the federal government is hardly known for its scaremongering tactics, but it would seem that mother nature is forcing americans to belatedly consider making some lifestyle changes, as the choice seems to be devolving into energy conservation, turning down the air conditioner and digging deeper into the wallet for food costs. it might also be time for serious national discussion about renewable energy, including wind and solar. if the sun stops shining, all bets are off. by. john c. k. daly of oilprice. comhome solar power, hydroelectric plants, national oceanic and atmospheric administration, palmer drought index short url : http : / / www. solarthermalmagazine. com /? p = 21120


cubesat thruster : engine of creation a worry about the proliferation of cubesat satellite launches is adding clutter to an already troublesome amount of earth - circling debris. if cubesats were deployed at higher orbits, they would take much longer to degrade, potentially creating space clutter. as more cubesats are launched farther from earth in the future, the resulting debris could become a costly problem. “ these satellites could stay in space forever as trash, ” says paulo lozano, an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the massachusetts institute of technology ( mit ). this trash could collide with other satellites. “ you could basically stop the space age with just a handful of collisions, ” he suggests. today, more than two dozen cubesats orbit earth – each slightly bigger than a rubik ’ s cube, and tip the scale at less than three pounds. but now, an ultra - small rocket thruster could soon power the smallest of satellites in space. as small as a penny, these thrusters run on jets of ion beams. the device, fabricated by lozano, is a flat, compact square — much like a computer chip — covered with 500 microscopic tips that, when stimulated with voltage, emit tiny beams of ions. together, the array of spiky tips creates a small puff of charged particles that can help propel a shoebox - sized satellite forward. lozano and his colleagues found that an array of 500 tips produces 50 micronewtons of force — an amount of thrust that, on earth, could only support a small shred of paper. but in zero - gravity space, this tiny force would be enough to propel a two - pound satellite. this new technology could enable cubesats to propel down to lower orbits to burn up, or even act as space garbage collectors, pulling retired satellites down to degrade in earth ’ s atmosphere. the mit researchers envision a small satellite with several microthrusters, possibly oriented in different directions. when the satellite needs to propel out of orbit, onboard solar panels would temporarily activate the thrusters. in the future, lozano predicts, microthrusters may even be used to power much larger satellites : flat panels lined with multiple thrusters could propel a satellite through space, switching directions much like a rudder, or the tail of a fish. “ just like solar panels you can aim at the sun, you can point the thrusters in any direction you want, and then thrust, ” lozano says.


empowering parents with the information they need — school report cards the movie " won ' t back down " has gotten people across the country talking about what we can do to give parents more options when it comes to their kids ' education. there are many ways that districts and states can empower parents – " won ' t back down " highlights one policy, parent trigger, that allows parents to petition to turn around their kids ' failing schools. if we want to get parents truly involved, however, we need to give them more information. parents need to understand what ' s happening at their children ' s schools and how well they are learning. that ' s why studentsfirst advocates for empowering parents with school report cards. annual school report cards provide parents with information about how their kids ' schools are performing in an easy - to - understand format, just like a student ' s academic report card. with school report cards, each school and district receives an a - f letter grade based on how well they are educating their students. school report cards can look at a variety of factors, such as student achievement and growth, achievement gaps among different groups of students, graduation and matriculation rates, and attendance. states such as florida and indiana have already started issuing school report cards. knowledge is power – the information included in school report cards will help give parents the information they need to be strong advocates for their kids and to make informed choices about schools. to learn more about school report cards, see " empowering parents with data : school report cards " below ( or you can download it here ). topics : empower parents


sentinel staff writer anastasia state recreation area, st. augustine thousands of years have washed over this slender sandbar of a barrier island called anastasia. but only recently has man written his history on this coastline. as you stand along the park ' s barren, wind - swept beach, squinting inland over light - washed marshes held apart from the sea by heaped dunes of sugar sand, you can feel the primal pull of the waves. it is this great ocean - - nipping like a frothing emerald - gray wolf against anastasia ' s eastern flank - - that has shaped both the natural and manmade history of the land on which you stand. the timucuas must have known the allure of the water well. the indians were the first inhabitants, fishing in inland lagoons, hunting in maritime woodlands, hunkering down along the shore of what one day would be known as the atlantic ocean. then, in the early 1500s, according to local legend, don juan ponce de leon was delivered here on the atlantic ' s rolling back. when he sighted this land, he named it " la florida " and claimed it for spain. during the next 50 years, the spanish attempted to establish a settlement in the wild territory. they failed many times. but the french didn ' t. in 1564 they established fort caroline, a garrison at the mouth of the st. johns river. in response, spain ' s king phillip ii called upon pedro menendez de aviles, the country ' s most experienced admiral, to colonize the territory and drive out the interlopers. at the northern tip of anastasia, at st. augustine inlet, you can gaze across the water at the mainland and imagine menendez coming ashore there on the feast day of st. augustine in 1565. he set about establishing a settlement on the matanzas river at the timucuan village of seloy. he named his settlement in the saint ' s honor. the timucuas were friendly at first, but in 1566, they tired of the spaniards and drove them out. the spanish resettled on anastasia. eventually, in the 1570s, the settlement moved back to the mainland. many bloody skirmishes marked st. augustine ' s infancy, and anastasia was a quiet witness. shortly after its establishment, the french sent soldiers south from fort caroline to attack st. augustine, but a hurricane blew their ship south of present - day daytona beach, where it wrecked. as the french sailed, menendez marched north and attacked the french outpost


after its establishment, the french sent soldiers south from fort caroline to attack st. augustine, but a hurricane blew their ship south of present - day daytona beach, where it wrecked. as the french sailed, menendez marched north and attacked the french outpost, which was easily vanquished. meanwhile, the shipwrecked french troops walked north toward st. augustine in two groups, eventually arriving at a broad inlet that separated them from south anastasia island. the french surrendered, and the spanish transported them across the inlet to anastasia, where most of the french soldiers were executed when they refused to convert to catholism. thus the inlet and river gained their names : matanzas - - " massacre. " the fledgling st. augustine was repeatedly attacked by the british. in 1672, work began on a huge fortress that would help to defend the city. the massive castillo de san marcos, now a national monument, rose on the bay, enfolded in the arms of anastasia island to the south and a slim mainland peninsula to the north. anastasia gave up her backbone for the fort ' s creation. timucuas and, later, enslaved africans, toiled in quarries on the island, chiseling the building blocks of the fort from massive formations of coquina, a limestone formed from crushed shells. anastasia island felt no pain as the stone was extracted. she dozed, as she does now, rocked into a timeless slumber by the rhythm of the slapping waves that both mold and erode her shoreline. nature still at work when you stand on the east coast of anastasia in the state park - - north of st. augustine beach, where the shore is unmarred by the high - rise condos and resorts found elsewhere in the state - - it is quite something to behold. indeed, the coastline of the island smacks of a florida that hasn ' t yet succumbed to the supersizing of many other coastal communities. the state park is at the island ' s northeast end, preserving a four - mile stretch of beach and a tidal lagoon. winds leave etch - a - sketch squiggles in the sand of steep, undulating sand dunes, a ready medium for mother nature ' s artistic hand. oaks have been shaped into full - size bonsais. they bend like hunched, weathered mariners with their backs to the wind and limbs outstretched, as if reaching for the mainland. inland, a shaded nature trail climbs and falls over the remnants of dunes more than 100, 000 years old. seashells crunch under


bend like hunched, weathered mariners with their backs to the wind and limbs outstretched, as if reaching for the mainland. inland, a shaded nature trail climbs and falls over the remnants of dunes more than 100, 000 years old. seashells crunch under foot as you tread through a tangle of maritime forest of yaupon holly, southern red cedar, laurel oak, sabal palms and saw palmetto. this strip of seashore is in constant flux, thanks to the constant pushing and pulling of sand by the sea ' s waves. the beach ' s history actually is a short one. much of it developed after 1940, when the army corps of engineers dredged a new inlet north of it. conch island and bird island joined like siamese twins, and salt run, a saltwater marshland between ancient dunes and more modern ones, lengthened. the area became the state ' s domain in 1949. there is little human activity on the beach on a blustery day in early spring. surfers in black wetsuits bob in the water offshore like seals, occasionally rising on their boards for a short ride on a modest curl. earnest beachcombers are out under the churning gray sky, eyes searching the sand for a gift from poseidon. there are jellies here along with bivalves, washed up in gelatin death, attracting flies. gulls pay little heed to the bounty brought in on the waves. instead, they flock around visitors like dogs under a dinner table, begging for tidbits. the dunes are heaped to a height of 10 feet and more, growing around a skeleton of picket fences. signs planted in the dunes warn beachgoers not to walk on the dunes, but pocking their sides are small, shifted - sand craters - - evidence of man ' s ignorant disregard of the fragile dunes ecosystem. seafood, of course northwest of the state park ' s entrance and the coquina quarries, the bridge of lions spans the matanzas river between mainland and the island. here is davis shores, a residential area that bears the moniker of dave davis ' dream - gone - bust. in the mid - 1920s, davis, best known for developing davis islands in tampa, had planned a 1, 500 - acre luxury resort. in preparation, he mowed down most of the land ' s vegetation. but the florida land bust that preceded the depression descended, turning davis ' dream sour. instead of a plush resort and golf course, a quiet neighborhood, composed mostly of modest ranch - style


out of sight of the other. one good storm and anastasia might well one day be divided in two. roll on into slow - paced crescent beach, where sea and marsh hold land in a tight girdle. stand on a dune, and you can gaze out to the atlantic, then glance over your shoulder to see the rippled water of the matanzas river. since the 1890s, the place has been the beach getaway of choice for inland residents from hastings, palatka and gainesville. it even lured marjorie kinnan rawlings, the author of cross creek, who in 1939 dipped into the earnings from her acclaimed book, the yearling, to purchase a rambling house perched on a dune above the frothing atlantic. she could have lived anywhere, but she picked anastasia and the dwelling a friend dubbed " crawlings - by - the - sea " for its plentiful spiders. here she wrote cross creek and was visited by such literary luminaries as robert frost, zora neale hurston and dylan thomas. ernest hemingway stayed several times as a guest of rawlings when he passed through on his way north from key west. in 1953, rawlings died in the long, narrow house by the sea, which, she confided to a friend in a letter, would sometimes get on her nerves. apparently she occasionally needed the quiet reassurance of inland forests, like that found near her home in cross creek. that rawling ' s beach house still stands in beige anonymity on a one - lane road paralleling a1a is a testament to one woman ' s commitment to saving an important literary landmark. the late mary elizabeth streeter, a retired professor of children ' s literature from indianapolis, bought the sagging house in the early ' 80s for more than $ 300, 000, and put at least that amount toward its renovation. her children now own it. back when rawlings occupied the house, crescent beach was a blink of an eye on a1a. now several convenience stores dot the highway, and a stoplight does a slow wind - propelled waltz above the intersection of a1a and s. r. 206. the place these days is more populated with condos than cracker beach houses, but it nonetheless retains a certain charm. that ' s probably because its residents, regardless of the modernity of their dwellings, want to keep the pace slow. when the state proposed a project in 1997 that would four - lane a1a from st. augustine beach south to s. r. 206,


s probably because its residents, regardless of the modernity of their dwellings, want to keep the pace slow. when the state proposed a project in 1997 that would four - lane a1a from st. augustine beach south to s. r. 206, residents protested and st. johns county commission voted to ask the state to kill the plan. the excitement most days is no bigger than seeing steve spurrier, former gators football coach and crescent beach resident, out for a jog. at the island ' s southern extreme is the fort matanzas national monument. the fort, actually on rattlesnake island to the west, was built in 1740 to protect matanzas inlet. as you take the ferry across the river and through the marshes, you can turn your face back into the salty wind and gaze east to the very tip of anastasia and imagine the fate of the hapless french soldiers who died here on the stark - white dunes. the sea, of course, erased signs of the conflict from the dunes long ago, but anastasia will forever wear the ugly scar of its history. ghosts may walk the sand, though they leave no tell - tale, shifting footprints on the dunes. be still and you can almost feel their presence on the wind that ruffles anastasia ' s fringe of sea oats, mingling with the long, forlorn cries of gulls that circle overhead. copyright © 2013, orlando sentinel


a ( food ) forest takes root in a ( food ) desert how do you make a food desert bloom? the range of solutions to these urban areas without ready access to fresh food has included full - service grocery stores, farmers markets, and even small urban farms. all of these answers, of course, require someone ( usually from outside the community ) to make produce available. what if there was a way for food desert residents to just gather their own fresh food? residents of syracuse, new york ’ s south side are focusing on just that question, and attempting to answer it with the establishment of a permaculture - based forest garden outside of the new rahma free health clinic. different from other forms of gardening, a forest garden, or food forest, is established with perennial plants that support one another. a seven - layer, multi - tiered system ensures that the whole system gets what it needs in terms of nutrients and water, and sustains itself over the long term. this particular forest garden is being designed and built by the alchemical nursery, a local permaculture organization ; you can take a look at the plans they ’ ve developed for the space. the location of the forest garden is no accident : it ’ s designed to support the clinic in advocating for healthy lifestyles within this impoverished community. but the food grown won ’ t be limited to clinic patients – any member of the community can come to the garden ( once established ) to pick berries and other edibles. of course, such an effort requires some funding ( though not a ton ), so the involved organizations have launched a crowdfunding project on indiegogo. they ’ ve got 17 days left to raise just over $ 1000 ; if you ’ re inspired by the work they ’ re doing, consider kicking in a few bucks. got experience with permaculture or urban food deserts? let us know what you think of this effort. more from sustainablog : image credit : screen capture from rahma forest garden trailer video


of the bible | | a timeline is an easy way to visualize the timing and order of the stories and major events in the bible. you can also use a timeline to emphasize that the events recorded in the bible are true and really | | use a bible drill to reinforce a topic from a story. | creation clothes pins | | use this matching game to remind the preschoolers of all that god created. | | preschoolers will love coloring with these creation crayons that you can make. | | write a story and use the black and white coloring pages to illustrate the book. tape butcher paper on wall. children use markers, colors, magazine pictures, stickers, etc. to create a picture that tells a story or illustrates a bible truth. the | | jesus called the apostles, sermon on the level place, the good samaritan, jesus taught about prayer, recreate the last | ask the whiz kid - part i | | the children learn about sin, forgiveness, and demonstrating faith by responding to real life situations. | what is sin and | | what is sin and how does it affect a person ' s relationship with god? what is forgiveness? | | what is more important - to have your sins forgiven or to have your body | ask the whiz kid - part ii | | the children think about who jesus is by responding to real life | building blocks 101 | | use this demonstration to help the children understand the strength of a church or a life which has jesus christ as | signs of success | | children rank the success of six adults to learn that the value of a person should be based on an eternal life with god and not material assets. | get well card | | let the children choose markers, colors, pens, construction paper, etc. to use in designing a get well card for a friend. | | set up a doctor station and let the younger students play with ace bandages, play stethoscopes, crutches, or whatever you have. | the healing power of | | discuss childhood ailments and their cures to teach about faith, trust, and jesus ' power over sickness. place 2 " masking tape on the child ' s wrist, sticky side out. take a nature walk and let the children create their nature bracelets by sticking grass, pebbles, leaves, flowers, etc. to the bracelet. collect leaves, large blades of grass, flat rocks, small sticks, etc. select a leaf, blade of grass or whatever and lay it flat


create their nature bracelets by sticking grass, pebbles, leaves, flowers, etc. to the bracelet. collect leaves, large blades of grass, flat rocks, small sticks, etc. select a leaf, blade of grass or whatever and lay it flat on the table. cover it with white paper and rub the top of the paper with | nature scavenger hunt divide the children into several groups. give each group a sack and a list of nature items to collect. the list could include a rock, green leaf, brown leaf, flower, etc. | measure and weigh the class. | | record the height and weight of each child on a giraffe measuring chart. | | take the kids outside and pick up litter on the church grounds. call from jesus | | see if the children can identify whose behavior indicates they have responded to the call from jesus. | | make a fishing pole and let the children catch paper fish. | | use this activity to help the children understand what a tax collector did and why tax collectors were disliked. | time for prayer | | encourage the children to follow the example of jesus and pray before making big decisions or doing something important. let each child tell about the activities planned for the coming week. | what do i do? | | these situations help the children understand what jesus meant when he said to love your enemies. | | learn the importance of following the right people. | what is god like? | | use this activity to help the children understand the qualities of | put on the armor of | | younger students can learn the nature of jesus and why he can be | put god ' s armor to work | | the children can actively demonstrate why a person can trust jesus when facing a difficult situation. | put your fears in a box | | trusting in jesus can help when you are afraid. | read the story from a scroll | | use butcher paper and dowels to make a scroll. use the bible to copy the story on the scroll. let the children take turns reading the story from the scroll. | make a scroll | | each student can make a scroll using straws and letter size paper. the children can write the memory verse or bible truth on the scroll. | don ' t judge a snack by | | choices should not be based solely on appearances. | the suffering and humiliation of | | use visual aids to teach that jesus suffered real pain and is responsible for the death of jesus? | | discover that all sinners are responsible for the death of jesus. and its consequences


based solely on appearances. | the suffering and humiliation of | | use visual aids to teach that jesus suffered real pain and is responsible for the death of jesus? | | discover that all sinners are responsible for the death of jesus. and its consequences | | jesus died to give us eternal life because even the smallest sins make us unacceptable to god. | | children can agree to bear each other ' s punishment for a week at a time. | the resurrection egg hunt | | use this activity to reinforce the fact that jesus rose from the dead. | go to work for god | | children learn the different kinds of things they can do to help god bring people into his kingdom. | top 5 countdown in prayer | | use this game to help the children understand there are no limits to prayer. a person can pray whenever, wherever, and for whatever there is a reason to pray. use this activity to help the children understand that they should love others regardless of where they live, what they do, the language they speak, | search for the | | use these activities to help the children understand the joy god has when a person separated from god returns to | | use this activity to help the children understand what they should do when a person turns from god. the children can also think about how god acts towards a sinner who asks for forgiveness and wants to return to god. | the world vs. the kingdom of god | | use this activity to help the children understand how the requirements for entry into god ' s kingdom differ from the standards sometimes imposed by the world. | | use this activity to help the children understand that jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the old testament prophets. | smell the nard. | | bring a sample of nard ( also called spikenard or nardostachys jatamansi ) and let the children smell the perfume mary used to anoint jesus. | | what is temptation and how can it be resisted? | the definition of sin | | identify which sins make a person unacceptable to god. | the impact of | | learn that sin affects more than just the sinner. if nobody ' s watching | | use this activity to help the children understand that god always knows what is on our minds and in our hearts. | | use this activity to help the children understand that the more a person lives a sinful life, the easier it is to sin, and the more a person tries to please god, the easier it gets to please god. | | cain was a farmer. abel


activity to help the children understand that the more a person lives a sinful life, the easier it is to sin, and the more a person tries to please god, the easier it gets to please god. | | cain was a farmer. abel was a shepherd. teach the children about other jobs mentioned in the bible by having a career day. | draw the ark. | | ask the children to read genesis 6 : 14 - 16 and use markers, colors and their imagination to draw the ark noah built. | | use a us jefferson 5¢ coin, a us kennedy 50¢ coin, a us sacagawea golden dollar, a container of coffee and a child to teach the children about the units of weight used during biblical times such as the shekel or the talent. child ' s weight in talents | | do the children in your class know how many talents they weigh? use a scale and this conversion chart to discover their weight in talents, minas, shekels, pims, bekas, | bible story activities - weights | | activities to help children visualize weights mentioned in the bible. includes the weight of rebekah ' s ring and bracelets, david ' s crown, goliath ' s armor and spear, the gold and silver david set aside for the building of the temple and others. | | the children experience what it is like to be the only person resisting temptation. | ask the whiz kid - part iii | | the children learn about favoritism and jealousy by responding to real life situations. | | help the children understand that god can use any person to do his work, regardless of that | ways to serve the children think about different ways they can serve god. | | these greek words are taken from james 1 : 22 and mean " doers of the word ". teach the children to say these words and encourage them to use the words as a special greeting for anyone they meet. since no one will understand what they are saying, the children will then have to explain that the words mean a person must do what the bible says. | don ' t play favorites | | this activity will help the children learn through experience that playing favorites is not the thing god wants us to do. | | god placed a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of the covenant he made with noah. ask the children to make up signs which can remind them of some of god ' s other | the promise maker | | a person ' s promises reflect his or her character. help the children


for parents and teachers, bullying can be a worrying, complicated issue to resolve. child bullying has been known to lead to injury and even death. for many people, one of the biggest questions about child bullying is why it happens in the first place. so why do kids bully one another, and how can you stop it? social problems. many kids can turn to bullying as a way to solve other problems they are having. for children, it is normally easier to bully somebody than it is to work a problem out. at a young age, children are less likely to be able to manage their emotions or to learn how to solve problems the right way. bullying often becomes a much easier way out, and is not necessarily a conscious decision. following an example. bullying often occurs when a youngster is being bullied by others already or when behavior at home sets an example. children who live with an abusive parent, for example, may not know any other means of getting their way than being aggressive and demonstrating bullying behaviors. if this is all that a child sees, he or she is unlikely to behave differently. gang mentality. older children may become bullies because of peer pressure. peer groups attack other kids verbally and emotionally, often because they are confused or uncertain of their own identities, and they feel the need to establish authority. gang mentality occurs because other children see this behavior and decide that if they do not want to become victims of this themselves, they need to join the bullies. how to respond. bullying is a complex problem and needs to be carefully managed by parents. it is worth bearing in mind that bullying seldom occurs as a one - time event, so parents cannot expect resolution to be reached with a single action. maintaining an open dialogue with your kids is critical, in terms of identifying if your child is being bullied or if your child is a bully. setting the right example at home, in terms of conduct, is critical. remember that the smallest of things can be taken by a child as permission to behave in this way. what to do if your child is bullied. if you believe your child is being bullied, you must take action. try to address the issue through proper channels. talk to the school and give the personnel the opportunity to address the problem. in very severe cases, you may consider involving the police, but try to do so with the school ' s support. remember that the parents of the bully may well be unreceptive to any contact that you have with them, so think carefully about