California School Dashboard
California's New Accountability System - California School Dashboard
The California School Dashboard (Dashboard) is an online tool that shows how local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools are performing on state and local indicators that are included in California’s school accountability system. Built on the foundations of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) state law, the Dashboard is one of several shifts that have occurred in California’s K-12 education system within the past decade that raise the bar for student learning and promote equity for all students.
Why was the Dashboard created?
The Dashboard website was created to give parents and the public a complete picture of what is happening in our schools and districts and to identify those that need extra support. The Dashboard is a component of the LCFF law passed in 2013 that changed how California provides funding to public schools and holds LEAs accountable for student performance. The same law also required the California State Board of Education to adopt a new accountability tool that reflects performance in different priority areas, which are now known as the state and local indicators on the Dashboard.
What are the state indicators?
State indicators are based on data collected consistently across the state from LEAs through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement System (CALPADS) and testing vendors. The Dashboard is updated annually. The state indicators are:
- Academic (English Language Arts and Mathematics)
- English Learner Progress
- Chronic Absenteeism
- Graduation Rate
- Suspension Rate
- College/Career
How is performance calculated?
LEAs and schools receive one of five color-coded performance levels on the state indicators. From highest to lowest, the five performance levels are: Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.
How does the Dashboard display performance?
Performance is based on two factors:
- Current year data for the measure (Status)
- Difference between current year and prior year data (Change)
Current year data levels are displayed in the left column, while the levels for the difference between current year and prior year data are displayed in the top row in the five-by-five table. The Performance Level (color) is determined at the point at which these two levels intersect.
