Supporting the Development and Production of the Condition of Education Reports
How has U.S. education evolved over time? What are the characteristics of today’s students and teachers? How do outcomes differ across student subgroups, and how does the U.S. compare globally?
For two decades, AIR provided statistical, design, and production support for the congressionally mandated Condition of Education—published annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)—which provides a comprehensive look at key education topics from early childhood through postsecondary.
The report tracks trends and patterns and informs the public and policy makers about both strengths and areas for improvement in the U.S. education system. Each edition includes 30 to 50 indicators and features clear explanations and visualizations so that the data are easy to understand and engaging for a variety of audiences.
Our Impact
AIR managed the development and production of the Condition of Education and helped NCES fulfill its congressional mandate. The report primarily uses data tables from the Digest of Education Statistics as its source, which was also supported by AIR.
AIR also played a central role in reshaping the Condition of Education, driving major content, technical, and design innovations that strengthened the report’s relevance, rigor, and accessibility. These upgrades were critical because the Condition of Education is the nation’s flagship source on the state of U.S. schooling—used by policy makers, educators, researchers, and the public to make decisions that affect millions of students.
Ensuring the accuracy, timeliness, and usability of the report was crucial to establishing a sound evidence base for education policy and practice.
Highlights of AIR’s work include the following:
- Authoring indicators across diverse topics. AIR wrote most COE indicators each year, covering a range of education issues (e.g., early childhood care, students with disabilities, school safety, staffing, finances, international comparisons) and providing accurate, reliable data for decision makers.
- Creating relevant, compelling content. AIR updated the report by adding new topics based on current education issues and policy discussions. This made sure it stayed useful for schools, policy makers, and the public.
- The 2022 edition spotlighted education during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining homeschooling and postsecondary plans.
- The 2023 edition spotlighted teacher shortages, revealing rising vacancy rates in schools alongside declines in teacher preparation program enrollment.
- The 2022 edition spotlighted education during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining homeschooling and postsecondary plans.
- Pioneering new report formats. In 2021, NCES launched the Report on the Condition of Education—a concise, user-friendly synthesis of select indicators. AIR helped design and produce this new structure for communicating findings more effectively.
- This new format made complex data more approachable for policy makers and practitioners who need quick, actionable insights about education issues.
- This new format made complex data more approachable for policy makers and practitioners who need quick, actionable insights about education issues.
- Modernizing data visualization. AIR led the transition from static graphics to interactive, customizable visualizations that enhance user engagement as part of an overall modernization effort.
- Partnering with a small business, we developed a database-driven system that integrated seamlessly into report production.
- Between 2021 and 2024, AIR created more than 250 interactive figures, transforming how audiences—from educators to journalists—explore Condition of Education data and apply it to their work.
- Partnering with a small business, we developed a database-driven system that integrated seamlessly into report production.
