NELS:88 was launched in the spring of the 1987-1988 school year in the United States of America with an initial sample of 24,599 participating eighth graders, one parent of each student participant, two of their teachers, and their school principal. Students were tested in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. Two years later, in the spring of 1990, a subsample of base-year participants and nonparticipants was followed and resurveyed. Further follow-ups were conducted in 1992, 1994, and in 2000. The NELS:88 school and student residential data were also mapped to external sources.