There are two databases presented here: one compliled by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and downloaded from http://SchoolData.org (the NLSLSASD database) and an in-house database built by downloading data from individual state web sites (the ADI database).

AIR's NLSLSASD database has school level data which was aggregagted to the district level using weighted averages. The ADI database containes school level and district level data. For this database district level data had been aggregated by the individual states.

The NLSLSASD Database

The data were downloaded in CSV (comma separated value) format from http://SchoolData.org. CSV file sizes ranged from 235k for DC to 279M for CA. These files are well documented on the http://SchoolData.org site and are descibed briefly here.

The http://SchoolData.org database contains school level test results and number of test takers broken down by subject (17), student population (20 plus total), and grade (2-12) for 1998-2005. There are many different metrics for test result given including percent rank, NCE, and percent at or above various cut points.

The http://SchoolData.org field names are given in SMMBTGYY format. Where S gives the subject, MM the measure, B the student subgroup, T the test, G the grade, and YY the year. E.g.: MC1W0702 gives the percent of 7th grade White students meeting or exceeding cut point 1 in Math in 2002.

Each state defines their own cut points. So, for example, at or above cut point 1 translates to meeting the standard in OH while in SC it translates to excellent. To standardize these across states the measure CP was defined to indicate the cut point for percent passing. E.g.: MCPW0702 gives the percent of 7th grade White students passing Math in 2002.

In addition to the test results, fields from the common core of data (CCD) descibe the setting: LEANM (local agency name), SCHNAM (school name), LOCALE (city/rural/... indicator), CHARTR (charter school indicator), TITLEI, STITLI, MAGNET, MIGRNT, MEMBER, FRELCH, REDLCH, TOTFRL, AM, ASIAN, HISP, BLACK, WHITE.

The Database of State Databases

Data were download from state web site and translated into the http://SchoolData.org defined SMMBTGYY format. These data were combined with the CCD fields from the http://SchoolData.org database.

Open access to the databases is provide through sample queries, drop down menu queries, and powerful text queries.