In this episode of ITR Live, Chris Hagenow is joined by David Hoyt, Executive Director of School Board for Academic Excellence, to announce the launch of IowaReportCard.org, a powerful new data transparency tool built to assess the performance and spending of public schools across Iowa.
Chris and David walk through how the report card platform gives parents, taxpayers, and school board members the information they need to make informed decisions about student outcomes, district spending, graduation rates, literacy scores, ACT results, and instructional vs. non-instructional expenses. Built on the successful model of ITR Local, this new tool aims to make school-level accountability just as accessible and visual as city and county budget transparency.
They explore how districts vary—rural vs. suburban, high-growth vs. high-need—and why having a common, accessible data platform allows users to compare apples to apples across the state. Hoyt explains that this may be the most user-friendly and comprehensive school performance tool in the nation, noting its usefulness for school board candidates, current officials, and any citizen looking to improve education outcomes without blindly increasing spending.
The episode also addresses common education myths—like the assumption that more spending guarantees better results—and reveals real Iowa examples where high performance comes from tight, efficient budgets. The conversation ends with a discussion on future education reforms, including the Science of Reading, and the need for public schools to adopt best practices from charter and ESA-participating schools.
