How to read the numbers

What the data can—and cannot—say

SchoolReality translates reported federal data without turning it into a score, grade, or judgment about a school.

We use the matching school year

Civil-rights figures come from the 2021–22 Civil Rights Data Collection. School identity, grade level, location, and coordinates come from NCES files for that same year. Newer directory information is shown separately and only to help identify a school’s current status.

Missing does not mean zero

A blank answer, a suppressed figure, and a reported zero mean different things. We keep those distinctions and say “not reported” when the source does not support a number.

Rates and staffing ratios

Students per staff FTE divides K–12 enrollment by reported staff FTE. We do not calculate that ratio when staffing is zero or missing. Outcome rates use a compatible student count; an impossible result is flagged for review rather than forced into a plausible range.

Small numbers need extra care

The public-use files make small random adjustments to student counts to protect privacy. That means small counts and calculated rates are approximate. A difference of one or two students should not carry a broad conclusion.

Comparisons are context, not rankings

We say “higher” or “lower,” never “better” or “worse.” Similar-school comparisons account for state, grade level, community type, charter status, and enrollment size, and are shown only when enough comparable schools are available.

Community reviews are personal perspectives

Reviews can surface questions that a dataset cannot answer, but they are not verified school records and may not represent the wider community. When we link to an outside review platform, its rating, comments, moderation, and ordering remain that platform’s responsibility. We do not copy forum posts or turn individual comments into facts about a school.

Practical links have a verification status

A website supplied by the current NCES directory is labeled as an official school website. Lunch-menu, PTA/PTO, and social-media links remain clearly labeled web searches until the destination can be matched to an official school, district, or parent-organization source.