Welcome
Welcome to the research guide for INTD 203: Social Foundations of American Education. This guide will provide you with resources to complete your history of a school project and other assignments.
Questions? Ask the Education Librarian!
Online Resources
The links below are general websites and resources that may have information on your school. This is where you will need to dig around and see what you find. Don't forget to look at online resources specific to your school (i.e. school or district website, school or district newsletter, Wikipedia "References" section, local newspaper, etc.). This takes time. If you get discouraged, please do not hesitate to reach out to your professor and/or the education librarian.
Key Resources
- New York State Report CardsSTART HERE!
- NYC Department of Education: Government ReportsDiversity Reports; Health Reports; School-Based Staff Demographics; School Food Reports; Special Education Reports; Student Applications, Admissions, and Offers; Student Transportation Reports; Students in Temporary Housing Reports; and more.
- NYC Department of Education: Information and Data OverviewTest Results; Graduation Results; Demographic Snapshot; End-of-Year Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Data; NYC School Survey Results; Principal Satisfaction Survey; School Quality Reports; and Quality Review Ratings.
- NYC Department of Education: School Performance OverviewPer individual school.
- U.S. News & World Report: Best High SchoolsFind information on more than 21,000 public high schools. See which schools received gold, silver or bronze medals.
- Explore Census DataEasy access to U.S. census data; coverage includes population, housing, economic, and geographic data. Begin with the Census Bureau (www.census.gov) for access to the Statistical Abstract of the United States as well as a wealth of other data.
School Data Websites
- The National Assessment of Educational ProgressThe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas
- NCES - Annual ReportsNational Center for Education Statistics - Condition of Education (an annual report)
- NCES - Build a TableNational Center for Education Statistics
- NCES - Fast FactsProvides users with concise information on a range of educational issues, from early childhood to adult learning.
- NCES: Search for a SchoolNational Center for Education Statistics
- ED.gov Data ExpressData about elementary & secondary schools in the U.S.
- 120 Years of American Education: A Statistical PortraitThis publication contains statistical trends of elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions. Text and charts describe historical shifts in educational attainment, enrollment, staff, degrees and finance.
- Historical Tables and ReportsProvides a variety of education statistics that analysts may find useful without consulting numerous research documents.
Online Yearbooks & Alumni Websites
- Alumni ClassFind classmates, reunions, yearbooks, and photos.
- Digital Public Library of AmericaDPLA includes millions of materials from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions across the country available to all in a one-stop discovery experience.
- Internet ArchiveSome items may be subject to Copyright.
Media
- New York Historic NewspapersThe New York Historic Newspapers project exists to digitize and make freely available for research significant runs of historic newspapers for every county in the state.
Potential Schools
Keep in mind: Your professor may have certain specifications. Please refer to the syllabus, assignment description, and/or your professor.
Oral History
"Oral history refers both to a method of recording and preserving oral testimony and to the product of that process. It begins with an audio or video recording of a first person account made by an interviewer with an interviewee (also referred to as narrator), both of whom have the conscious intention of creating a permanent record to contribute to an understanding of the past. A verbal document, the oral history, results from this process and is preserved and made available in different forms to other users, researchers, and the public. A critical approach to the oral testimony and interpretations are necessary in the use of oral history" (Oral History Association, 2009).
Websites on Creating Oral Histories
Oral History Examples
Other Sources
Research the school using other sources: You may run into items or content that is not accessible online (e.g. yearbooks, statistics, newsletters). In addition this material may not be archived in catalogs or databases. The best way to get your hands on this content is by physically visiting locations that collect archival materials. The following is a list of locations, and the best person to contact at these locations:
- Local High School - contact the HS librarian
- Local Library - meet with the special collections librarian or archivist
- County/Town Historical Society or Museum - contact a curator or archivist
- Local College (specifically the local history collection) - talk with the special collections librarian
- Perform a web search for school alumni sites - contact the website creator
- Search Facebook or Twitter for school pages or groups - contact the group or page owner
