The American Community Survey (ACS) is a monthly household survey being developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to provide data users with annual estimates of household, social, and economic characteristics for geographies and populations of at least 65,000 people. In addition, the ACS will provide annually updated multi-year estimates for geographies down to the block group. Pending congressional approval and funding, the ACS will replace the Census 2010 long form sample.

Since data from the ACS are eventually expected to replace data traditionally collected during the decennial census it is important to evaluate the validity and reliability of the American Community Survey data prior to full implementation in 2005. The purpose of this study is to perform a detailed comparison of the school enrollment data collected from the Census 2000 sample with data collected from the 2000 American Community Survey. The first phase of analysis compares total enrollment estimates and estimates of enrollment by type of school, grade, and age at the national level and for 21 ACS test sites. The second phase of analysis examines differences in data collection and methodology across the two surveys and discusses how these differences may impact the survey estimates. The final phase of analysis uses logistic regression to further study the effects of survey mode and timing on the likelihood of school enrollment, controlling for individual and household background characteristics.