Best Federal Data Sources for Learning About Teachers

Data helps us answer questions about teachers with evidence. But different questions need different data. Several federal data sources collect information about teachers for very different purposes. Some programs ask teachers to report their own experiences. Others use administrative records to describe the workforce. A third group surveys teachers alongside many other professions.

This guide explains each type of data. It also shares examples of research programs that include teacher information. Therefore, you can decide which source best fits your needs.

Teacher Surveys as Federal Data Sources

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) runs most teacher surveys. It is one of 13 federal principal statistical agencies. NCES sits inside the US Department of Education. The Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA 2002) gives it a clear mandate. Under that law, NCES must collect, report, analyze, and share education statistics, including data on teaching.

These surveys ask questions that only teachers can answer. For example, only a teacher can describe the autonomy they hold. Similarly, only a teacher can report classroom challenges or how well their training prepared them.

Three major collections gather data directly from teachers. However, each one has different rules about who can complete the questionnaire. So your best source depends on which teachers you want to describe. Your chosen data must cover every type of teacher you care about.

National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)

The NTPS is the broadest of these federal data sources. Its most recent collection ran in the 2020-21 school year. It surveyed about 44,000 teachers in 13,000 sampled schools. The sample covers full-time and part-time teachers in public and private K-12 schools.

It also includes staff who teach regularly scheduled classes. For example, administrators and librarians may teach part-time and still count. Schools qualify if they enroll students in grades 1 to 12 or comparable ungraded levels. They must also have their own principal when they share a building.

Some schools fall outside the survey. Bureau of Indian Education schools are included, but several groups are not. Exclusions cover schools inside private homes and Department of Defense schools abroad. They also cover LEA special education offices, tutoring services, homeschool clearing houses, and adult learning facilities.

Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

TALIS adds an international view. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) sponsors it. OECD coordinates the collection across nearly 50 countries.

In the United States, the 2017-18 TALIS surveyed about 2,600 teachers in roughly 160 schools. The sample represents public and private classroom teachers in grades 7, 8, and 9. Researchers call these lower secondary grades, or ISCED Level 2. However, schools for special education students are excluded.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

NAEP focuses mainly on student achievement. But it also surveys teachers. Teachers of assessed students answer questions about the assessment subject. For example, in the 2019 science assessments, students’ science teachers completed a questionnaire. Both classroom teachers and departmentalized science teachers took part.

Keep one limit in mind. NAEP teacher samples describe the instructional context for students. They do not represent all teachers in the country. To describe every fourth-grade science teacher, you need a sample and weights built for that job. Other NCES studies work the same way. These include the Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies (ECLS) and High School and Beyond (HS&B).

How These Federal Data Sources Differ

All three studies survey K-12 teachers. Yet each describes a different population. NTPS data cover teachers across all grade levels and subject areas. TALIS focuses on lower secondary grades. NAEP and longitudinal programs survey teachers of assessed grades and subjects.

Each study also has several components, so you can dig deeper. For example, NTPS and TALIS both survey principals as well as teachers. Because of this, you can compare both views of the same school. A principal may report giving staff autonomy over curriculum. Then you can check whether teachers agree they control classroom decisions.

NAEP and longitudinal data link teacher answers to student assessment results. This connection reveals practices tied to student achievement. In 2019, for instance, 24 percent of fourth-grade students had teachers who spent under two hours a week on science. Those students scored 149 on average in science. Students whose teachers spent two to four hours scored 154. Students with at least four hours of weekly science scored 156.

These surveys go only to teachers. So they ask questions that other professions would never face. If you need that depth, broader workforce surveys will not help. For a related look at missing teacher data, read our post on LGBTQ+ representation in teaching.

Administrative Federal Data Sources on Teachers

Teachers complete surveys themselves. But data about teachers can come from other reporters. School districts and state education agencies supply much of it. These records come from administrative systems, databases, or automated searches.

Common Core of Data (CCD)

The Common Core of Data (CCD) covers all public elementary and secondary schools. It also covers local and state education agencies. Each school reports key details. These include school type, enrollment, grades offered, and student demographics.

Parents, administrators, and legislators use CCD to understand schools. They also use it to spot where support is needed. Researchers rely on it too. It helps them build representative samples for school and teacher surveys.

On staffing, the CCD reports full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers at each school. This number lets policymakers compare funding, enrollment, and the workforce. It pairs well with school finance data when you study district spending.

EEO-5 Staff Information Report

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) collects the Elementary and Secondary Staff Information Report. Most people call it the EEO-5. Public school systems above a minimum size must file it. They report aggregate employee demographics by role, including race, ethnicity, and sex.

These collections serve legal and policy needs. For the EEO-5, they support compliance with section 709(c) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Other federal data sources also collect data on teachers’ sex. Still, these sources are not redundant, because they serve different purposes. For example, the NTPS covers private schools and public districts of every size. It samples schools, and response is voluntary. It also gathers rich detail on teacher roles. That detail includes the classes they teach and their years of experience.

Population Surveys That Include Teachers

Sometimes you want to compare teachers with other professions. NCES surveys go deep on education topics. However, other federal studies have their own focus areas.

Current Population Survey and American Community Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS) focuses on the labor force. It collects extensive data on income sources. The NTPS asks teachers for their base salary in a school year. It also asks about supplemental income during the same year. Examples include pension, merit pay, coaching pay, or a second job. Teachers also report summer income inside and outside their district.

The CPS works in a similar way. It asks about every job a person holds. Beyond that, it covers income from dividends, rent, or social security.

So which source wins for income analysis? That depends on your question. The CPS and the American Community Survey (ACS) include many professions. Therefore, they let you compare income across jobs, gender, and education level. The NTPS instead splits school salary into categories. It separates base pay from extra duty pay, which other surveys skip.

Question wording also shapes your results. For example, a teacher may teach summer school for the same district. Would they call it part of their main job or a second job? Would they report annual salary based on the school year? Cognitive interviews with teachers could answer these questions. Such research would make NTPS and CPS comparisons more reliable.

Health and Victimization Surveys

Other studies focus on specific life outcomes. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) covers respondent health. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) covers victimization. You can compare these data by geography, demographics, and employment.

But these surveys have a clear limit. They cannot link teacher responses to school context or employment details. For example, you cannot see free lunch eligibility or in-field teaching status. Even so, they show the broader landscape across professions. They also allow deep analysis of topics that education surveys barely touch.

Why So Many Federal Data Sources Exist

Each collection has its own reason to exist. They focus on different populations. They answer different research questions. They support different policy analysis and meet different statutory requirements. In short, they serve different purposes.

Still, there is room to work together. Agencies could expand and integrate samples. They could also synthesize questionnaires or coordinate data collection. This idea is not new. A joint NAEP and NTPS pilot study explored it before, and it deserves another look.

The timing matters now. Many NCES programs have been paused, ended, or reduced in scope. So comparing the goals, methods, and challenges of teacher collections could help. Smart integration could restart a teacher survey program that is leaner and more useful. You can read more about this in our post on the next chapter at NCES.

However, that future will not help you choose a data source today.

Which Federal Data Source Is Best for You

As always, it depends. But a few questions will narrow your options fast.

Start With Topic and Population

First, check whether the study covers your topic and population. If you need health outcomes, look at health-focused studies. If you want to compare professions, pick data that includes many professions.

Define What You Mean by Teacher

Next, write down your own definition of a teacher. Then check which studies include those teachers. Are you studying people whose main job is teaching? Or do you want any school staff who teach classes? Also ask one more question. Does the study produce estimates for your group, or can weights describe your target population?

Think About Timing and Tradeoffs

Timing matters too. NCES surveys like NTPS and TALIS run periodically. Each one goes through careful data processing. So the newest available data may be several years old. If a more recent source answers a similar question, it may serve you better.

There are many questions we can ask about teachers. No single source answers all of them. Therefore, knowing how these federal data sources differ helps you choose with confidence.

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