Resource Allocation and District Action Reports (RADAR)

Spend smarter and meet your district goals

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on certain data during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. Therefore, take particular care when using data or making comparisons over multiple school years. If you have questions, please contact data@doe.mass.edu.

• Download RADAR Benchmarking — Updated December 2020

• RADAR Benchmarking Online: beta version — June 2020
  The RADAR team is looking for testing and feedback on the online version of RADAR that’s more interactive. Please complete our 5-minute survey!

• Download RADAR Special Education — Updated September 2021

• Download District Comparison Indicators — Updated July 2020
  See a variety of data indicators for all districts: sort and filter for comparisons

• Download District and Town Data — Updated December 2020
  This tool allows user to select districts and/or towns for a comprehensive data picture, including DOR data for towns

• Student Sending and Receiving Report — June 2020
  Where do students enrolled in my district come from? Where do students residing in my city/town go to school?

• Resource Reallocation to District Priorities: Nine MA Districts' Experiences

Join the growing number of districts using RADAR—a suite of innovative Excel-based reports for a new approach to resource decisions.

• Compare your spending and staffing to other districts
• Visualize district trends over 5 years
• Investigate staffing levels, per pupil spending, special education, and more

Getting Started With RADAR Benchmarking and RADAR Special Education

• Download the Excel file
• Use the Home tab: select your district
• Select up to 10 comparison districts
• Look at each report:
  

  RADAR Benchmarking

  • Home
  • State Context
  • Change Over 5 Years
  • Change Over 5 Years with Guiding Questions
  • Per Pupil Expenditures
  • Staffing per 100 Students
  • District Class Size

  RADAR Special Education

  • Home
  • District Program Trends
  • Special Education Enrollment
  • Special Education Staff
  • ID for Services
  • Placement Trajectories

  
  

RADAR Change Over 5 Years with Guiding Questions is now included in RADAR Benchmarking

Use District Comparison Indicators

(All districts' data for about 25 indicators)

Choose comparison districts for RADAR, budgeting, or planning:

• Download the Excel file
• Read the Instructions and examples
• Use filtering and sorting to find districts that are similar to yours in relevant indicators

Help and Information

• RADAR Introduction Slides

• RADAR in One Page

• RADAR Reports Tutorial
  • Overview of RADAR
  • Quick Views of Reports
  • RADAR in Practice: Exploring a Resources Question
  • Selecting Comparison Districts

Recent Updates

• September 2021
  • RADAR Special Education
  
  
• December 2020
  • The spring 2020 administration of MCAS was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports will continue to show MCAS 2019 results.
  
  
• July 2020
  • Final update of FY19 finance data to RADAR Benchmarking, District Comparisons, District Town Data
  • Errors fixed in District Town Data, RADAR Benchmarking
  
  
• May 2020
  • RADAR Benchmarking
  • RADAR Special Education
  • District Comparison Indicators:
    • Updated with 2020 enrollment, staffing, class sizes, special education placements and trajectories
    • Updated with 2019 school finance
  • District and Town Data (Excel tool) — Posted May 2020
  • Student Sending and Receiving (online report) — To be posted May 2020
  
  
• November 2019
  • RADAR Special Education now available online
  • RADAR Benchmarking:
    • District Class Size added
    • Special Education Enrollment and Staff reports moved to RADAR Special Education
    • 2019 performance data; final 2018 finance data
  
  

Updates Calendar

Related Tools and Data

• DARTs
• School Finance Reports
• Profiles
• Planning for Success
• 'How Do We Know' Initiative

Contact the RADAR team with comments or requests: radar@doe.mass.edu

Last Updated: September 30, 2021