Research Guides: COM 120: Public Discourse Spring 2025: Education

Researching K-12 Schools

Public schools in the United States are organized into districts, which are overseen by state and federal agencies. Here are some ideas of places to search.

Consult your district or school's website; many schools post data. You can also search the staff directories for contact information.
See if your school has an online newspaper to search. You can also search for articles about your school in your local paper. Use the information in the News Sources tab for instructions on how to do this.
Minnesota Department of Education contains some data about local districts. If your district is outside of Minnesota, see if your state or country has a similar state agency.
United States Department of Education houses all kinds of information about education in the United States, including laws, regulations and data

For all education-related topics, you should also search the ERIC database (linked below), which will connect you with a wealth of education-related scholarship.

ERIC

Major index to literature in education. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, it provides full citations and abstracts for journal articles, books, curricula, government documents, dissertations, and research reports. ERIC citations date from 1966 to the present, and full text is available for many research reports.

Researching College & Universities

Like Gustavus, most colleges & universities will have a wealth of information available online. You'll need to do some digging, but here are examples of information sources at Gustavus. You will find most (if not all) of the same kinds of organizations and structures at other institutions. I've listed examples of college publications (newspaper, yearbook, alumni magazine) and relevant campus offices.

Gustavian (yearbook) (1904-2015)

Searchable full text and pdf page images of the Gustavus Adolphus College yearbook. Yearbooks from 1904 to 2015 are digitally archived here. This site also searches older issues of the Gustavian newspaper.

Gustavian (yearbook) - Oversize LD 2091 .G62 G65 [year]
Holdings from 1917-present (not all years available). Copies also held in the College Archives. Volumes from 1904-2015 also available digitally.

Gustavian Weekly (newspaper) (1891-May 2021)

Searchable full text and pdf page images of the Gustavus Adolphus College newspaper. Issues from January 1891 through May 2021 are digitally archived here. This site also searches the Gustavian yearbook (1904-2015). More recent print editions of the newspaper are retained in both the library and archives.

Gustavus Quarterly
The Quarterly provides news and information to the alumni and friends of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Currently, editions are published in February, May, August, and November. Information includes generally a message from the president, coverage of sports, general news, and a longer article. A partial index exists within the College Archives.
Gustavus Quarterly online access
Access a selection of past issues of the Gustavus Quarterly online.
College & Lutheran Church Archives
Gustavus Adolphus College campus records, manuscript collections, student theses, college newspapers, yearbooks, and photographs are just some of the unique resources found in the College Archives. The Lutheran Church Archives houses records of largely Swedish-American church bodies in Minnesota, including photographs, congregational histories, biographical information and microfilmed church records. Many of the campus newspapers and photographs are digitized and available via the archives website.
• Location(s): Library, 3rd floor
Archives Digital Collections
Contains digital materials related to the College Archives, including campus newspapers, photographs, audio recordings, and posters.
Dean of Students Office
A great resource to find contacts and information about various programs & offices related to student life