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Research

Access and Terms of Availability

The State Archives is the final repository for many State government records. One of the Archives' primary responsibilities is to identify, preserve, and make available for research use the archival records of New York State government. Archival records are those records that have enduring legal, administrative, historical and educational, or other research value. Archival records no longer actively used by their creating agencies are transferred to the State Archives where their preservation and future accessibility are ensured.

Institutional Master File

The IMF data sets are rectangular flat files containing numeric and character data. The size of each file varies according to the reporting year. The 1967-1981 files are stored on two 2400 ft. magnetic tapes at 6250 bpi. The unit of analysis for all records within each file is the institution (the individual public or private school, BOCES, or District.)

Basic Educational Data System

The Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) was designed to collect, store, and disseminate information about New York State's elementary and secondary schools. The data in BEDS has been collected annually since 1967 and provides information on public and private schools, and school districts. In 1970, BEDS also began to collect data from the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

How to Use this Manual

This Users' Guide is designed to facilitate access to the information contained in the Basic Educational Data System's (BEDS) Institutional Master File. The Guide is divided into five sections to simplify use. Section I describes the primary functions of BEDS and its two main components: The Institutional Master File (IMF) and the Personnel Master File (PMF). Section II provides an outline of the technical specifications and informational content of the Institutional Master File.

Researching the Environment

The history of environmental affairs in New York State is the story of how New Yorkers have used natural resources and how they struggle to use soil, timber, water, air, and wildlife in ways that do not do irreparable damage.

Environmental policies developed in New York State have set national and international precedents:

Value of Enviromental History Records for Research

Within the Environmental History Virtual Research Collection you will find links to records and images that document the wide array of public and private perspectives on the acquisition, management, and use of the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.

States' Impact on Federal Education Policy Conference Proceedings

New Perspectives on Research and the Historical Record

Proceedings

Pre-Conference Paper

Spencer Foundation Program

The Spencer Fellows Program offered a unique opportunity for 10 rising scholars in education policy to both interact with senior experts in the field around the topic of states’ impact and enhance their awareness of the role and importance of archival materials and research to their scholarship.

To support this effort, the Spencer Foundation contributed funding for Spencer Fellows to take part in the conference, which brought together 120 education scholars, policymakers, teachers, advocates, journalists, and archivists. 

Patricia Sullivan

Patricia Sullivan has had an extensive career in K–12 and postsecondary education policy in Washington, D.C.  She currently is the deputy director for Educational Issues at the American Federation of Teachers.  Prior to that she was an independent consultant heading up her own firm, Sullivan Consulting Services, where she provided advice to a range of clients on both the workings of Washington and states education agencies.  During her career, Patricia has served as the director of the Center on Education Policy, the deputy director of the Coun

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