Hidden Clues in School Exams & Educational Records

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(This page's most recent update is December 2025)

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School exams, student evaluations, and educational records are rarely consulted by genealogists, yet they contain rich personal details about children, families, neighborhoods, and communities. These records were created by teachers, school boards, state departments of education, and local districts to document academic performance, attendance, progression, and special circumstances. For genealogists, they reveal information not found in censuses or vital records — including ages, guardianship, migration clues, family occupations, and even personality traits. This Quicksheet highlights the types of school-related records that survive and how to extract hidden clues from them.

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Genealogy QuickSheets – Frequently Asked Questions

Quicksheets are also known as Quick Reference Guides. They are generally a one or two page PDF that is downloadable. A few QuickSheets are as large as a five page PDF.
Every QuickSheet is in a specific post on The Ancestor Hunt website. Just bring up the post, and at the bottom of the page is a big brown Download button that allows you to view and/or download the PDF when clicked.
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