Research Notes

Behind-the-scenes notes from a teacher who loves data and built this site as a hobby project to share what she’s learning.

This site started as a hobby project by a teacher who loves data and wanted to make it easier for families, educators, and community members to see what’s happening in education. These research notes are a peek behind the scenes. They explain where the data comes from, how I work with it, and what I’m still learning. The goal isn’t to publish perfect research. The goal is to share what I’m seeing as clearly and honestly as I can.

What this page is for

These notes are here for anyone who wants more detail about the charts and maps on this site. If you’ve ever wondered, “Where did this number come from?” or “How did you calculate that?”, this page is for you. I write these notes the way I would explain things to families at a school meeting or to students in class: plainly, step by step, and with room for questions.

How I find and use data

Most of the data on this site comes from public education and community sources, such as state agencies, federal datasets, and publicly available reports. I download the data, organize it into tables, and then build dashboards so people can explore it by county, district, or region. Sometimes I combine multiple sources (for example, population data and school data) to give more context.

Whenever possible, I link back to the original source so you can see the full dataset or report yourself. This project is meant to help you see the data more clearly, not to hide where it came from.

How I check for accuracy

As a teacher, I’m careful about how I use numbers that affect real students and families. Before I share a dashboard, I:

  • Check the original source to make sure I’m using the most recent version available.

  • Look for obvious errors or missing values, and note them when they matter.

  • Compare totals and rates to see if they make sense (for example, enrollments, percentages, or trends over time).

  • Add plain-language labels and notes so you don’t need a research background to understand what you’re seeing.

Even with all that, I know I can still miss things. That’s why I treat this site as a living project that can be updated and improved.

What these notes can’t do

These research notes are not the same as a formal report from a government agency or university research center. I don’t run complex statistical models, and I don’t claim that this site captures every detail of what’s happening in every school or community. Data can change over time, sources can be updated, and sometimes public datasets contain errors or gaps.

Think of this project as a starting point for questions and conversations, not the final word. If something looks surprising or confusing, that might be a prompt to dig deeper, ask your local school or agency, or compare with other sources.

How to read these notes hint

If you’re new to research or data, don’t worry. You don’t need to understand every term on this page. These notes are here so you can see how I’m working, where the data comes from, and what I’m still learning along the way.

Why I share my process

I share these notes because I believe people deserve to see not just the charts, but also the thinking behind them. So much of education data feels hidden or hard to understand. By opening up my process, I hope to make data feel a little less mysterious and a lot more human.

I’m a teacher who built this as a hobby because I care about students, families, and communities. If these notes help even one person feel more confident asking questions or understanding a dashboard, then the work is worth it.