PlainTeacher

Data Changelog

Real, dated changes to the data and methodology behind PlainTeacher - not a list of every site update, only ones that affect what a figure means or how it was calculated. See our corrections process for how a reported issue reaches this list.

- Salary estimate methodology corrected

Districts with a reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey) now use that real figure instead of an enrollment-derived 15:1-ratio estimate. The enrollment-ratio estimate is now used only as a documented fallback for districts with no reported headcount (see methodology).

- Absurd estimates removed for non-enrolling agencies

Roughly 967 specialized service agencies (county offices, regional cooperatives) were showing an inflated per-pupil/salary estimate because the flat enrollment-ratio formula does not fit their staffing model. These are now flagged as unreliable rather than displaying a misleading number.

- Per-pupil spending artifact corrected

Fixed a denominator artifact where a specialized agency's small directly-enrolled headcount produced an implausibly large per-pupil spending figure. These agencies now show total spending and enrollment instead of a per-pupil rate.

- Methodology re-verified against live NCES documentation

Confirmed the FY2022 F-33 vintage cited throughout the site is still the current Final release. A newer FY2023 dataset exists upstream but remains provisional (not yet Final) as of this check; we will not migrate to it until NCES publishes the Final version, to avoid re-doing the work on data that could still change.

- Site launched

Initial data load: NCES CCD F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey and Staff Universe Survey, FY2022 (2021-22 school year).

Don't see something you'd expect here? Not every internal fix is data-facing - this list covers changes that affect what a figure means or how it's calculated, not site design or performance work. If you believe a displayed figure is wrong, let us know.