Methodology

The School Pulse Panel is a dynamic monthly survey and content may change based on what is learned over time from schools and districts. The content will encompass broad domains, each with a series of measurement items addressing a specific research question. Topics covered may include the following:

2023–24 Domains and Research Questions

  • Staffing vacancies and their impact on school operations
  • Summer and after-school program offerings
  • Tutoring program offerings
  • Food services
  • Mental health needs and services provided by schools
  • School transportation operations and utilization
  • Learning recovery efforts
  • Student and teacher absences and their impact on learning

2021–22 Domains and Research Questions

  • Instruction mode offered and enrollment counts for subgroups receiving each type of instruction mode for the 2021–22 school year
  • Instructional program offering during the summer of 2021
  • Mitigation strategies used to reduce risk of spread of COVID-19
  • Use of technology, computer devices, and internet access
  • Special education and mental health services provided
  • Staffing and staff perceptions of established policies
  • Impact of pandemic on school lunch programs

Download the surveys for a complete view of the questions.

MONTH SY 2021–22 SY 2022–23 SY 2023–24
August — August 2022 August 2023
September September 2021 September 2022 September 2023
October — October 2022 October 2023
November — November 2022 November 2023
December — December 2022 December 2023
January January 2022 — January 2024
February February 2022 — February 2024
March March 2022 — March 2024
April April 2022 — —
May May 2022 — —
June June 2022 — —

— No survey administered in month indicated.

Reporting Groups

Results on this dashboard are disaggregated by the following reporting groups.

Region: Defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, the reported region categories are Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Information is from the 2021–22 Common Core of Data (CCD).

Locale: Reported as the following mutually exclusive categories: city, suburb, town, and rural. Information is from the 2021–22 Common Core of Data (CCD).

School level: Reported as the following mutually exclusive categories: elementary, middle/other, and high/secondary. Information is from the 2021–22 Common Core of Data (CCD).

School size: The school size is based on student enrollment information. Reported categories are 0–299, 300–499, 500–999, and greater than or equal to 1000. Information is from the 2021–22 Common Core of Data (CCD).

Poverty: The Income-to-Poverty ratio (IPR) for the neighborhood surrounding the school location is used to distinguish schools in high- and low-poverty neighborhoods. The IPR estimates come from NCES's EDGE School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates. The IPR is the percentage of family income that is above or below the federal poverty threshold set for the family's size and structure and is calculated for the neighborhood surrounding the school building. It ranges from 0 to 999, where lower IPR values indicate a greater degree of poverty. A family with income at the poverty threshold has an IPR value of 100. In this analysis, IPR values of 200 or lower represent schools in high-poverty neighborhoods; IPR values greater than 200 represent schools in low-poverty neighborhoods.

Race/ethnicity: The school race/ethnicity demographics are reported as mutually exclusive categories by the percentage of students who are not Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, or Two or More Races. Information is from the 2021–22 Common Core of Data (CCD).

Technical Documentation

2023–24 Source and Accuracy statements

Technical documentation on the SPP data collection: