About the Annual Education Report (AER)

Annual Education Reports (AERs) are an annual report required to be compiled and posted by districts and schools for compliance with state and federal law. AERs contain a cover letter (using a template provided from this page) and link to the district or school's AER data on MI School Data. AERs contain detailed data on state-provided school accountability , student assessment results, national assessment (from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP), educator qualifications, school improvement funds and strategies, and civil rights information. AERs generated from MI School Data are prepopulated with the required information for the state, ISD, district, and school-level reports.

Embargoed 2025-26 Annual Education Reports are NOW AVAILABLE on MI School Data for logged in users to review!

Accessing AERs

To view AERs, visit www.mischooldata.org and navigate to the “K-12 Grade” menu along the top of the page, next selecting the “School Accountability” submenu, and then clicking “Annual Education Report.” The AER pages on MI School Data provide allow local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools to capture the link to their required, compiled school performance report from the most recent school year. A PDF download option is also available for sharing report, however linking is preferred. When used as designed, cover letter templates and data generated from the MI School Data AER pages meet state and federal requirements for annual education reporting to parents and communities.

AER Requirements for 2025-26

Districts and schools may post AER cover letters with AER data linked from MI School Data according to the timeline below. In addition to publicly posting AERs, they must be communicated to parents and communities. Please see the updates presentation below for overview information on the AER including updates to the report for this year. Also available below is an extensive list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on AER.

• Presentation on AER Updates
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Annual Education Reports

Timeline for the 2025-26 AER

Below is a timeline for actions and requirements related to this year's AER for districts and schools.

AER Cover Letters

Cover letter template links are provided below. These serve as the compiled report header for your LEA or school Annual Education Report. Download the appropriate entity level template letter below, complete required fields, and provide required additional information if applicable. 

• District Cover Letter: This letter is appropriate only for local educational agencies (LEAs) that have more than one school. If your LEA only has one school, you need not use the district AER nor the district cover letter, instead use the school AER and school cover letter template below.
  • Click here to download the District template in English
  • Click here to download the District template in Spanish
  • Click here to download the District template in Arabic

• School Cover Letter: Each school must prepare a cover letter to their own AER. 
  • Click here to download the School template in English
  • Click here to download the School template in Spanish
  • Click here to download the School template in Arabic

Steps for LEAs and Schools to Complete the AER Process

1. Download and fill out the appropriate entity level cover letter template(s) linked above using district letterhead. Translated versions are also available in Spanish and Arabic.
2. Visit the AER on MI School Data: "K-12 Grade" → “School Accountability”→ “Annual Education Report” and use the report year and location settings to set the AER to your desired information. Click the "Share" button in the top right corner to create a unique link for your report to be included in your AER cover letter. The 2025-26 AER requires users to be logged in to access until the report is public on January 12, 2026.
3. Disseminate the AER to parents and communities on or after January 12, 2026 and by February 20, 2026.

Help and Support

• Data-related questions on AERs can be directed to MDE School Accountability at: MDE-Accountability@michigan.gov or 877-560-8378.
• MI School Data report functionality questions or technical difficulties can be directed to: CEPI@michigan.gov or 517-335-0505.
• Compliance-related questions on AERs can be directed to the Office of Educational Supports (OES) at: MDE-OES@michigan.gov.