The datasets and resources listed below are all updated annually and free to download and/or use. They are designed to be accessible not only to researchers, but also to policymakers, parents, journalists, and other stakeholders. Analyses of measures in both datasets can also be found in our annual reports and research briefs.
State Indicators Database
The SID is a dataset of roughly 125 state-by-state school funding measures for each state between 1993 and 2018 (not all variables are available in every year). It includes variables for assessing, between and within states (by district poverty level): the adequacy of spending levels; the fairness of state and local spending and revenue (whether poorer districts receive more resources); state “fiscal effort” (how much of states’ economic capacity is devoted to education); resource allocation (e.g., teacher pays, staffing ratios); and more.
- Download the SID User’s Guide: a list of all the variables in the database, along with descriptions of the measures and other information (including sources and methods)
- Download the full SID dataset in Excel format
- Download the full SID dataset in Stata format
- Use our online data visualization tools: view one-page state profiles or visualize key SID measures (effort, adequacy, progressivity, and teacher pay competitiveness)
District Cost Database
The DCD is a district-level dataset that allows users to assessing the adequacy of spending in roughly 12,000 public school districts. For each district, users can assess spending adequacy by comparing: 1) actual per-pupil spending; and 2) the estimated per-pupil spending level required for that district to achieve national average test scores. (Note that the same basic measures, but for entire states, are included in our state database, above.) The DCD also includes a small group of variables measuring district characteristics, such as testing outcomes, enrollment, and Census poverty rates, that users can compare with adequacy. The database currently includes data for 2018 only (the 2017-18 school year).
- Download the DCD user’s guide: A list of all variables in the District Cost Database, along with a brief description of the measures and methods
- Download the full DCD dataset in Excel format
- Download the full DCD dataset in Stata format
- Use our DCD online visualization tool: select a district to display a profile of spending adequacy and other measures in that district
The data sources for all of our measures are listed in the user’s guides. We recommend that users review this documentation and data use agreements contained therein.
NEW DISTRICT ADEQUACY DATABASE AND RESEARCH BRIEF
Latest Annual Report
The Adequacy and Fairness of State School Finance Systems
The third edition of our annual report presenting findings on effort, adequacy, and progressivity in state school finance systems. Published January 2021. Read the report.
Latest Research Briefs
BRIEF: The Adequacy of School District Spending in the U.S.
Key findings on the adequacy of school district spending from our new District Cost Database for the 2017-18 school year. Published March 2021. Read the report.