An interactive tool, the Transparency Index allows you to examine several states' K-12 education policies in relation to four transparency categories: Budgets, Expenditures, Audits, and Academics.
Each category is a combination of indicators listed in the spreadsheets below. Indicators are scored as "yes" (a state has/does the described product/action) or "no" (a state does not have/does not do the described product/action). In the spreadsheets, "no" scores are zeroes, and "yes" scores are numbers. Most indicators are worth 1.0 point, but some are worth less (.25); some indicators are worth more (2.0) based on their practical or policy significance. The chart below shows all of the "yes" indicators by category in the colored blocks and all of the "no" indicators (combined categories) in the gray blocks.
To view indicators by category or by "no" ratings for a specific state, click on the colored or gray block for that state, and the spreadsheets below will filter for that state. Hover over an indicator in the spreadsheet for more information, including the indicator's full name, description, and a reference to the rating's source. To return to the full spreadsheet, click on the selected block again to deselect it.
