Education and Schools

* indicates a site containing maps/chart
• symbol represents a site we find particularly useful.

BOARD OF EDUCATION

U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/)
This is the U.S. Department of Education’s official website.  It’s a good place to start if you are researching federal legislation or need federal education data and statistics. This is the repository for national data-click on “Research” or “Statistics” to browse current holdings.  There’s also a link to the new “No Child Left Behind” website.

State Board of Education (http://www.statelocalgov.net/50states-education.cfm)
State BOE websites are a great place to research education issues in your state.  The recent national trend for pushing through education policies (progressive & conservative) bypasses federal jurisdiction by focusing on the state level.  State BOE websites have information about Board members, meeting agendas & notes, and links to local school districts.

KEYWORDS to look for when you are searching for specific information:

Type of information	Keywords
Information & Statistics	Reports, Statistics, Profiles, Report Cards
Who has power	Organizational Chart Structure
Policies	Meeting Agendas, Minutes, etc.

 

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ERIC (http://www.eric.ed.gov)
This site contains the largest collection of education materials available online!
ERIC is the Educational Resources Information Center, a federally-funded national information system that provides a variety of services and products on a broad range of education-related issues.

Chicago Public Schools Department of Research and Evaluation http://www.cps.edu/performance/Pages/Performance.aspx
Easy access to test scores and demographic reports for the Chicago public schools.

Great Schools.net (http://www.greatschools.net/)
GreatSchools.net provides information about public, private and charter K-12 schools in all 50 states and provides detailed school profiles for California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Washington.  The National School Guide provides basic information about virtually every K-12 school in the country.  State School Guides include in-depth school profiles, school search and sort tools, custom email newsletters and state-specific advice about navigating the public school system. Access is free!

InsideSchools.org (http://www.insideschools.org)
New York City Public School Information
InsideSchools.org is an authoritative, independent on-line guide offered by Advocates for Children of New York.  The site contains statistical profiles for every school in New York City.  To go directly to a school profile, just click on the grade level link that interests you.

• National Center for Educational Achievement (http://www.nc4ea.org/)
Analyzes trends in education using longitudinal data tracking from elementary to college.  Includes analysis of public school academic performance data and identification and study of high-performing schools for six states: Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.  For all other states the only information available is a brief overview of statewide testing standards, a summary of what data is currently collected, and what data still needs to be collected by the state.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (http://nces.ed.gov/)
“NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations.”  By clicking on the “Annual Reports” tab on the top of the page you can search several NCES sources, including: The Condition of Education, The Digest of Education Statistics, and Projections of Education Statistics.

QuickStats (http://nces.ed.gov/datalab)
A new data tool that makes several postsecondary education datasets easily accessible to the public.  QuickStats allows public access for data consumers — such as policy makers, legislative staff, journalists, students, and others — to answer questions using data collected by NCES.

GENERAL INFORMATION SOURCES

American Federation of Teachers (http://www.aft.org/)
This is the official site of the American Federation of Teachers.  You can see what position the AFT has taken on a variety of issues including privatization, vouchers, charter schools and many more.  The site covers a range of topics from teacher’s salaries to analyses of standards-based reform efforts in the 50 states.  Their “Publications” and “Press Center” sections contain useful information too.

Council of Great City Schools (http://www.cgcs.org/)
“The Nation’s Voice for Urban Education”–The Council of Great City Schools is a coalition of more than 60 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems.  Their website has a wealth of resources on urban education issues.  Check out the “Publications” section under the “Research” tab, which covers a wide variety of topics of interest to educators, students, and activists.  All reports can be accessed for free!

National Center for the Study of Privatization in Public Education (http://ncspe.org/)
The Center provides independent, non-partisan information on and analysis of privatization in education.  The Center’s program includes research, evaluation, conferences, publications, and dissemination on a full range of issues regarding privatization of education from pre-school to higher education, both national and international.

þ Equity Alliance at ASU (http://www.equityallianceatasu.org/)
“Building on educational theory, cutting-edge research, and the momentum of the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), the National Center for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI), and NIUSI-LeadScape, the ambition of the Equity Alliance at ASU is to promote equity, access, and participation in education.”  This website is your portal to learning about equity, race, language and other diversity matters in education. Search the “Learning Carousel” section for timely and in-depth information about issues such as equity, inclusive education, school safety, and behavior.

Measure of America (www.measureofamerica.org/)
Provides easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools for understanding the distribution of well-being and opportunity in America and stimulating fact-based dialogue about issues we all care about: health, education, and living standards. The hallmark of this work is the American Human Development Index, an alternative to GDP and other money metrics that tells the story of how ordinary Americans are faring and empowers communities with a tool to track progress over time. The Index is comprised of health, education, and income indicators and allows for well-being rankings of the 50 states, 435 congressional districts, county groups within states, women and men, and racial and ethnic groups.

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) http://www.ncef.org/
NCEF’s site is a complete resource list of links, books, and journal articles on methods used by state and local governments and school districts to finance K-12 school construction, renovation and repair projects.  Their “News” section provides summaries of local, regional and national news about K-12 educational facilities and has links to full text articles when available.  The “Data & Statistics” section has links to reports that provide national and regional aggregate cost data on school construction.  The site is searchable and easy to navigate! Access is free.

National Education Association (NEA) (http://www.nea.org)
The National Education Association, based in Washington D.C., is “the nation’s leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education.”  NEA boasts a membership of over 2.7 million educators who work in every level of the educational field.  Their website is a useful resource for students and activists who work in the educational reform field.  For background information on a variety of topics ranging from rural education to technology in the schools, check out the “Issues and Action” section.

EDUCATION NEWS and JOURNALS

þ Education Week on the Web (http://www.edweek.org/)
Now you can access current education news from all 50 states!  You can search the archives and browse past issues of the publication too.  At top of the page, you can click on “state info” under the “Research Center (Data and Maps)” tab to narrow your search for news to a specific state.  Check out the “Research Center” section for the latest findings and trends in educational research.  You can also sign up to receive free e-newsletters on different educational topics.  Access is free!

Eduventures.com (http://www.eduventures.com)
“Eduventures, Inc. is the leading, independent research and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the coverage and service of corporate, postsecondary, and pre-K-12 learning markets.”  Click on “Research programs” to access the sites’ Research Alerts and Research Briefs. Recent Research Reports provide news and analysis covering trends in the pre-K-12, postsecondary, and corporate training markets.  The Research Briefs provide short, timely, and expert perspectives on the landscape and trends in the education industry.  Click on “News” to access current news about the education industry or on individual companies operating in the field.  Registration is required but free for limited access.  There is a subscription fee to access the entire site.

• Rethinking Schools Online-An Urban Educational Journal (http://www.rethinkingschools.org/)
Rethinking Schools is a progressive online publication with a strong emphasis on issues of equity, social justice, and the problems facing urban schools, particularly issues of race.  It is an activist publication, with articles written by and for teachers, parents, and students. Yet it also addresses key policy issues, such as vouchers and marketplace-oriented reforms, funding equity, and school-to-work. Founded in 1986 by activist teachers, Rethinking Schools is a nonprofit, independent publisher of educational materials.

POLICY and RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

• þ American Diploma Project Network (http://www.achieve.org/adp-network)
This thinktank is a strong backer of high school exit exams.  Formed in 2001, by four national education organizations – Achieve, Inc., The Education Trust, The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and The National Alliance of Business – came together to strategize about producing a standardized workforce for the new economy.  In other words, using the exit exam to track folks into “skilled” jobs or military service.  Their mode of operation is to create policies on the state level throughout the nation in order to bypass federal intervention.

Annenberg Institute for School Reform (http://www.annenberginstitute.org/)
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University is a national policy-research and reform support organization that promotes quality education for all children, especially in urban communities.  Focus is on developing and promoting the concept of “smart education systems”; that is, systems that coordinate educational supports and services wherever they occur – at school, at home, and in the community – in order to provide all children with equitable opportunities and high-quality learning experiences.

The Broad Foundation (http://www.broadfoundation.org)
The Broad Foundation is the $400 million neo-liberal philanthropic vehicle for Los Angeles housing development and investments billionaire, Eli Broad (& wife Edythe), to take on K-12 education issues and develop a future standardized workforce of “knowledge workers.”  The Foundation supports reforming urban public schools through entrepreneurial CEO-trained leadership, mayoral takeovers.  The Broad Fdtn sees the main value of education in its output of skilled workers, hence the focus on standardized testing.  The Fdtn’s three flagship initiatives are The Broad Prize for Urban Education, The Broad Center for Superintendents (nonprofit executive development center established by the Foundation and former Michigan Governor, John Engler), and The Broad Institute for School boards.

The Brown Center on Education Policy (http://www.brookings.edu/brown.aspx)
“The Brown Center on Education Policy conducts research on topics in American education, with a special focus on efforts to improve academic achievement in elementary and secondary schools.”  Click on the “Publications” and “Research & Commentary” tabs near the top of the page to access the Center’s current and archived research reports and articles.  There is a heavy emphasis on vouchers, urban school reform, and charter schools.

Civil Rights Project/ Proyecto Derechos Civiles (http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/)
Education research and policy advocacy to advance a civil rights agenda.  They’ve begun several initiatives related to immigration and language policy.  The Civil Rights Project has commissioned or produced many studies on K-12 education and higher education, in particular about impacts on communities of color.  All of this can be found under the “Research” tab at the top.

Heartland Institute (http://www.heartland.org/)
This site holds a wealth of information on education reform, including more than 7,000 downloadable policy analyses from over 300 think tanks.  You can also access back issues of School Reform News.  Despite the pro-market school reform bias, there is much valuable information hidden in this site.

Francis Xavier Shen (http://www.fxshen.com/)
Shen is a Ph.D. candidate in Government & Social Policy at Harvard University.  His personal website has papers on education reform, school takeovers (mayoral & state), and charter schools.

CALIFORNIA-SPECIFIC SOURCES

Data Quest (http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/)
A wonderful site put out by the California Department of Education that allows you to create your own reports about API, enrollment, graduates, dropouts, course enrollments, staffing, English Learners, and Stanford 9 test data.  Very easy to use. Has subject and level search fields. Access is free!

• þ Education Data Partnership (Ed-Data) (http://www.ed-data.k12.ca.us/)
A very useful source put out by the Alameda County Office of Education, the California Department of Education, EdSource, and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). The site contains a wealth of financial, demographic, and performance data on California’s K-12 public schools. You can request data by state, county, district, or school. The site also has a good “Education Issues and Background” section that gives helpful background info on education issues pertinent to youth activists, parents, and students alike. The data is current and updated regularly. Access is completely free of charge!

EdVoice (http://www.edvoice.org/)
Keep updated on legislative activity in Sacramento! EdVoice is a “statewide grassroots network focused on passing legislation that will reshape California’s public education policy.”  The EdVoice site provides easy to understand information on key education issues and a step-by-step guide to impacting the decision making process. You can register to receive free e-mail updates on crucial reforms, information on other legislation and budget issues.

EDUCATION-RELATED ISSUES

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (http://objector.org/)
Their “Military Out of Our Schools” Campaign works with local members of communities nationwide, to restrict recruiter’s access to schools and gain equal access to talk about the realities of military life and present alternatives to military service.  They’ve got posters, fact sheets, educational materials, activist tools and AWOL! Youth for Peace & Revolution-a by-youth, for-youth anti-militarist ‘zine from the Student Coalition Resisting Enlistment and Militarism. *Due to the economy, they must temporarily close this office.  Although they cannot provide military counseling at this time, they have provided a hotline website for other contacts: GI Rights Hotline

National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (http://www.nnomy.org/)
This group organizes conferences to stop the militarization of schools and young people. Logon and find a counter-recruitment group that works nationally and by state.

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Fair Test (http://www.fairtest.org/)
Online home of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, an advocacy organization working to end the abuses, misuses and flaws of standardized testing and ensure that evaluation of students and workers is fair, open, and educationally sound.

Updated March 2012.  Please send website corrections to datacenter[at]datacenter.org.