Data Sources & Methodology

Last updated: March 2026

Overview

K12Scan compiles publicly available K-12 school directory data from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) and the Urban Institute Education Data API into a structured, searchable resource. We standardize school names, locations, grade spans, and district associations to create a consistent browsing experience across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Primary Data Sources

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD)

The Common Core of Data is the U.S. Department of Education's primary database on public elementary and secondary education. It includes a comprehensive list of all public schools, school districts, and state education agencies in the United States. The CCD collects fiscal and non-fiscal data about every public school, public school district, and state education agency annually.

Urban Institute Education Data API

The Education Data Portal by the Urban Institute provides a unified API that harmonizes education datasets from multiple federal sources. We use this API to access CCD directory data, enrollment figures, and school characteristics in a structured format.

How We Process the Data

  • Name standardization: We normalize school and district names for consistent presentation while preserving official designations.
  • Location matching: We link schools to states, districts, cities, and counties for multi-level browsing.
  • Grade span normalization: We standardize grade designations (PK, KG, 01-12) to enable filtering by school level.
  • Deduplication: We identify and merge duplicate records that may appear across data releases.
  • Aggregation: We calculate district-level, city-level, county-level, and state-level statistics from individual school records.

Update Frequency

The NCES releases CCD data annually, typically with a 1-2 year lag from the school year it represents. Our current data reflects the 2022-2023 school year. We update our database when new data releases become available and refresh aggregated statistics weekly.

What K12Scan Does NOT Do

  • We do not rank schools. K12Scan presents directory data without quality judgments or rankings.
  • We do not provide test score ratings. While we may display available test score data, we do not assign grades or ratings to schools.
  • We do not recommend schools. Our tool is for exploration and research, not enrollment recommendations.
  • We do not verify data in real time. Information may be outdated if a school has closed, merged, or changed status since the last data release.

Limitations

  • Reporting lag: Federal data is typically 1-2 years behind the current school year.
  • Closed or merged schools: Some records may represent schools that have since closed, consolidated, or changed names.
  • Charter and alternative classifications: The distinction between charter, magnet, and traditional public schools may vary by state reporting standards.
  • Private school coverage: Private school data (from the NCES Private School Universe Survey) may have lower coverage rates than public school data.
  • Demographic data: Race/ethnicity and gender enrollment data depends on school-level reporting and may not be available for all schools.

Questions?

If you have questions about our data sources or notice an error in a school profile, please contact us. We take data accuracy seriously and will investigate any reported issues.