This handbook establishes current and consistent terms, definitions, and classification codes to maintain, collect, report, and exchange comparable information about students. The handbook is useful to public and private agencies and educational institutions, researchers, policy makers, and members of the public interested in student data. The definitions are consistent with current state and local practice, national standards movements, and federal reporting requirements as a consensus of what is considered "best practice" in data collection. The Handbook includes these chapters: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "The Handbook"; (3) "Building a Student Record System"; (4) "Data Elements and Definitions"; and (5) "Applications of the Handbook." Twelve appendixes present comprehensive lists of coding options, code designations, and the names of contributors to this edition. (SLD)