How are Elementary School Students Faring in Your District?

Early Ed Watch readers hear a lot from us about early education policy – and close readers know that the primary grades, typically known as K-3, are just as important to us as any other point along the early childhood continuum. That’s why we want to make sure you know about a sister project here at New America that can tell you what is going on in elementary schools: The Federal Education Budget Project, an online tool for examining funding, demographic, and achievement data for every state and school district in the country.

<div>Student achievement data has been updated as well: The Budget Project now includes recently released 2009 scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress in both math and reading, enabling users to compare districts based on how many fourth graders did well enough to score at the “proficient” level. The website also features fourth-grade math and reading levels as measured by &nbsp;each states’ standardized tests under the No Child Left Behind Act. This means that <i>Early Ed Watch</i> readers can— in less than five clicks—find out what percentage of fourth graders in their districts are reading at grade level according to state tests. Or, take a look at how much IDEA Part B or Title I Part A funding an urban school district is receiving compared to other urban, suburban, or rural school districts in that state. Data on Medicaid reimbursements, stimulus funding, and student poverty are all among the other categories included in the Budget Project’s database.</div>    <div>Curious about how your district is doing? Check out the Federal Education Budget Project <a href="http://febp.newamerica.net/">here</a>.</div>