Glossary

Administrative Data

Information collected by government agencies or organizations as part of their regular operations, rather than through surveys or research studies. Examples include school enrollment records, program participation data, and employment or benefits records.

Census Tracts

Small geographic areas created by the U.S. Census Bureau to organize population data. They usually contain about 2,500–8,000 people and are designed to be relatively similar in size and population over time.

Childcare Slots

The number of children a childcare program is licensed or approved to serve at one time. Childcare slots represent the available spaces for children in childcare centers or homes and are often used to measure childcare supply in a community.

Confidence Interval

A range of values that is likely to include the true value of an estimated statistic. It shows how precise an estimate is: wider intervals mean more uncertainty, while narrower intervals mean more confidence in the estimate.

Dollars (for a particular year)

When data uses “dollars for a particular year,” it means all amounts have been adjusted so they reflect the value of money in that specific year. This helps make fair comparisons over time by accounting for inflation.

Full-time

In this report, analysts considered employees to be employed full-time if they reported working 35 hours or more per week.

Gender

A social and cultural concept that refers to roles, behaviors, and identities (such as woman, man, or nonbinary). Gender is how people understand and describe themselves and may or may not align with sex assigned at birth.

Gross Rent

The total amount a renter pays each month, including base rent plus utilities such as electricity, gas, and water (if the tenant pays them).

Group Quarters

Living arrangements where people reside in a shared setting that is owned or managed by an organization, rather than in a private household. Examples include college dormitories, nursing homes, group homes, correctional facilities, and shelters. People living in group quarters are counted separately from households in Census data.

High-quality Childcare

In this report, analysts defined childcare as “high quality” if it had at least a 4-star rating by the NCDHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education.

Household

All the people who occupy a housing unit (like an apartment or a single-family home), whether they are related or not. A household can consist of one person or many.

Household Race/Ethnicity

The race or ethnicity of the householder (the person identified as the “head of household”). This classification is used to describe households in demographic data.

Householder/Head of Household

The Census Bureau defines the householder as “the person, or one of the people, in whose name the home is owned, being bought, or rented.” If no one who fits this description lives in the household, anyone over the age of 15 can be considered the householder.

Citation: United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Householder. United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/glossary/?term=Householder

Inflation

A general increase in prices over time, which reduces the purchasing power of money. When inflation rises, the same amount of money buys fewer goods and services than it did before.

Labor Force

People aged 16 and older who are either working or actively looking for work.

Margin of Error

A number that shows how much an estimate might vary because it is based on a sample rather than a full count. A larger margin of error means less certainty about the estimate.

Median

The middle value in a set of numbers. Half of the values are above the median and half are below it. This is often used instead of the average because it is less affected by very high or very low numbers.

Proficient

Meeting or exceeding a defined standard of skill or knowledge—often used in education data to indicate that a student has demonstrated adequate understanding of the subject.

Qualitative Data

Information that describes experiences, opinions, or characteristics using words rather than numbers. Examples include interview responses, focus group discussions, and open-ended survey answers.

Race and Ethnicity

Ways of describing groups of people based on shared physical traits, cultural practices, or origins. In federal data, race and ethnicity are separate concepts, and a person can identify with one or multiple categories.

Ratio

A comparison of two numbers showing how much of one thing there is relative to another (e.g., a ratio of 2 to 1 means there are two of one item for every one of another).

Sex

A classification based on biological characteristics such as anatomy and chromosomes, and usually recorded at birth. In data, “sex” often reflects sex assigned at birth and may not align with a person’s gender identity.

Star Rating

A quality measure for childcare programs used in North Carolina (and some other states). Programs receive 1 to 5 stars based on factors like staff education, program standards, and environment. More stars indicate higher quality.

Survey Data

Information collected by asking a sample of people a set of questions, usually through questionnaires, interviews, or online forms. Survey data can include both numeric responses and written answers and are often used to understand behaviors, experiences, and opinions.

Year-round

In this report, analysts considered employees employed year-round if they reported working at least 50 weeks per year.