The Thomas Fordham Institute is an ideologically conservative nonprofit education policy think tank. The institute supports and publishes research on education policy in the US. https://fordhaminstitute.org/

National Center for Education Statistics  (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education‘s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States. https://nces.ed.gov

The Milken Institute has tracked economic performance of US metros for two decades using job, wage and salary, and high-tech gross domestic product (GDP) indicators. Metros are ranked on performance, with indicators helping to identify drivers behind success or failure. https://milkeninstitute.org/reports/best-performing-cities-2020

National League of Cities conducts research and gathers successful practices to help cities continue to innovate, strengthen their economies, and create vibrant neighborhoods where people love to live.  http://www.nlc.org

The Urban Institute is a Washington D.C.-based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to “open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions”. The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and private donors. https://www.urban.org