Jamison White

No exact definition of what constitutes a “school” exists. This lack of standardization can be problematic when accounting for schools in data systems and maintaining consistent data across time because federal and state educational agencies use different definitions for schools.

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics creates unique identification numbers (NCES IDs) for every school in order to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive account of schools in the nation.