About the Panel

The RAND Corporation, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), the Council of Great City Schools, and Kitamba launched the American School District Panel (ASDP) in fall 2020. The ASDP is part of the American Educator Panels.

From 2020–2026, this team will conduct surveys approximately two times a year and publish district profiles based on in-depth interviews with ASDP members to dive more deeply into survey topics such as recovering from COVID-19 learning loss.

The ASDP effort is informed by an advisory committee of district, charter management organization (CMO), policy, and community leaders who provide input on survey and qualitative study topics. The ASDP surveys explore a range of district functions, such as curriculum and instruction, professional development supports, and services for students with disabilities. The research will examine district strategy, structure, policy, and practice, and will provide insight into how districts are changing to support school-level problem-solving.

Download data for free from the American Educator Panels data portal or explore interactive survey results via our data tool.

Contact us

If you have questions about the American School District Panel, contact asdp@rand.org.

Supporting organizations

The American School District Panel is supported by the following state organizations:

• Arizona School Administrators (AZSA)
• Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA)
• Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS)
• Educate Texas
• Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS)
• Kansas School Superintendents’ Association (KSSA)
• Kentucky Association of School Superintendents (KASS)
• Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA)
• Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA)
• Mid-Hudson School Study Council
• New England School Development Council (NESDEC)
• New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA)
• School Administrators of Iowa (SAI)
• SCOPE Education Services (New York)

Advisory committee

• Arthur L. Bettencourt Executive Director New England School Development Council (NESDEC)
• Sonja Brookins Santelises CEO Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland
• Alberto M. Carvalho Superintendent Los Angeles Unified Schools, California
• Sharon L. Contreras Chief Executive Officer The Innovation Project
• Cristina deJesus President and CEO Green Dot Public Schools, California
• John Edward Deasy Former Superintendent of Stockton Unified Schools, California
• Ray Hart Executive Director Council of the Great City Schools
• Pedro Martinez Chief Executive Officer Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
• D. Rico Munn Superintendent Aurora Public Schools, Colorado
• Morton Sherman Associate Executive Director AASA
• John White Former Louisiana State Superintendent of Education
• Gregory White President and CEO LEARN Charter School Network
• Lakisha Young Founder and CEO The Oakland REACH

How we recruit school districts into the ASDP

Who we recruit

The aim of the ASDP is to provide nationally representative estimates of school districts, with a significant participation of large urban districts serving a majority of African American, Hispanic, and/or low-income students. RAND therefore created the following strata from which to sample and recruit districts:

1. A national sample of school districts sampled with probability proportional to the square root of size (based on student enrollment); and
2. The U.S.-based district members of the Council of the Great City Schools

Survey results from participating ASDP members are weighted to national characteristics of school districts based on National Center for Education Statistics data.

How we recruit the panel

Prior to the Fall ASDP survey – typically in September of each year – RAND invites additional school districts to participate in the ASDP. After drawing the stratified sample, RAND contacts districts in several ways and through multiple contact points. RAND partners with several national- and state-level organizations, who we refer to as “trusted partners,” throughout the recruitment phase. Most local educational agencies (LEAs) receive an email from a trusted partner before receiving an invitation from RAND. The trusted partner email is sent to the superintendent to describe the ASDP, encourage participation, and let them know that they will soon receive an invitation to join the ASDP from RAND. Several days later, RAND sends a recruitment email to the LEA leader containing an invitation to join the ASDP and instructions on how to join the panel via an online portal.

The recruitment materials are sent via email. Several reminder emails are also sent in the weeks following (either from RAND or a trusted partner) to non-respondents. If additional responses are needed, RAND staff will make phone calls to the invitees to remind districts about the ASDP and encourage enrollment.