As in 1988, the current status of education is presented in the form of indicators measuring education's "health" and showing major trends and developments. These indicators derive from studies carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and from surveys conducted within and outside the Federal Government. This report comprises two volumes, the first addressing elementary and secondary education and the second postsecondary education. (A third volume, "1989 Education Indicators," includes the text, tables, and graphs from the first two volumes and supplies technical supporting data, supplemental information, and data sources.) Indicators for elementary and secondary education have been grouped under the headings of outcomes, resources, and context. Outcome indicators are presented for student performance in general, for high school performance by race and ethnicity, and for economic outcomes (unemployment rates of high school graduates and dropouts). Resource indicators cover both fiscal and human resources. Context indicators include student characteristics, aspects of the learning environment, perceptions of teachers and the general public, and competency requirements for high school graduation and teacher certification. New indicators have been added for (1) science performance; (2) international comparisons of math and science proficiency; (3) the racial and ethnic composition of elementary and secondary education; and (4) the number of credits required by states for high school graduation. Narrative discussions and charts depict each indicator; 30 supporting tables are appended. (MLH)