INTRODUCTION TO CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DASHBOARD
Published March 2017 at www.caschooldashboard.org
WHAT IS THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DASHBOARD?
The California School Dashboard is a new website that parents/guardians, educators and the public can use to see how districts and schools are meeting the needs of California’s diverse student population based on multiple measures included in the new accountability system. The Dashboard will allow users to search by district or school and includes a set of easy-to-use reports showing district or school performance on 6 state indicators and 4 local indicators (6 for county offices of education) in different levels of detail. Key features included in the initial phase of the Dashboard are highlighted below.
Local educational agencies will be able to review their performance data during a private preview in February. The Dashboard’s design will continue to be refined based on user testing with a diverse range of stakeholders that will occur during the February preview period and beyond the March public launch.
Local educational agencies will be able to review their performance data during a private preview in February. The Dashboard’s design will continue to be refined based on user testing with a diverse range of stakeholders that will occur during the February preview period and beyond the March public launch.
Message from Our Superintendent, Cheryl Jordan:
The release of the California School Dashboard aligns with a value I have held since 1989, when I began my career as a teacher in Milpitas Unified School District: a quality education is defined by MORE than a single test score.
The previous accountability system, Academic Performance Index (API), was based on the results of annual standardized test scores, and nothing else. This number did not provide adequate information about strengths and growth needs because it was not a full-spectrum assessment portfolio.
California’s new state accountability tool is based on eight Local Control Funding Formula Priority Areas. In addition to data about achievement in math and English language arts, we now have data on how English learners and their language development, student suspension rates, school attendance, and details on how each of our students groups are developing based on these multiple measures. High schools will be measured on graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college and careers. In the future, the new accountability system may replace the need for the ACT and SAT for college entrance in the CA university and state college systems.
Click here to read more
The previous accountability system, Academic Performance Index (API), was based on the results of annual standardized test scores, and nothing else. This number did not provide adequate information about strengths and growth needs because it was not a full-spectrum assessment portfolio.
California’s new state accountability tool is based on eight Local Control Funding Formula Priority Areas. In addition to data about achievement in math and English language arts, we now have data on how English learners and their language development, student suspension rates, school attendance, and details on how each of our students groups are developing based on these multiple measures. High schools will be measured on graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college and careers. In the future, the new accountability system may replace the need for the ACT and SAT for college entrance in the CA university and state college systems.
Click here to read more
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STATE AND LOCAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS?
The state indicators are based on data that is collected consistently across the state and allow comparison of performance. State data is not available for the local indicators, so districts will measure and report on their progress through the Dashboard based on locally available information.
WHAT ARE THE STATE INDICATORS?
- Academic Indicator: Based on SBAC scale scores for student assessments on English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics for grades 3-8.
- Suspension Rates by grade span.
- English Learner Progress Indicator: Measures progress on English learners toward EL proficiency (CELDT scores) and incorporates data on reclassification rates.
- High School Graduation Rate: Based on a four-year cohort.
- College and Career Indicator: Grade 11 test scores on ELA and mathematics and other measures of college and career readiness.
WHAT ARE THE LOCAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS?
Districts receive one of three performance levels for the local indicators: Met, Not Met and Not Met for Two or More Years. Meeting the standard on the local indicators is based on whether the district collected and reported performance data that must be collected locally for each local indicator. For districts that have Met the standard for these indicators, the performance data is available in the Detailed Reports. The local indicators do not apply to schools because they are based on district-level information and cannot be analyzed for individual schools.
- Appropriately Assigned Teachers, Access to Curriculum-Aligned Instructional Materials and Safe, Clean and Functional School Facilities (Priority 1)
- Implementation of State Academic Standards (Priority 2)
- Parent Engagement (Priority 3)
- School Climate (Priority 6)
- Coordination of Services for Expelled Students – County Offices Only (Priority 9)
- Coordination of Services for Foster Youth – COE Only (Priority 10)
WHAT DO THE COLORS MEAN?
As depicted in the Dashboard and illustrated in the images below, schools and districts receive one of five color-coded performance levels on the state indicators. The overall performance level that districts and schools receive is based on how current performance (Status) compares to past performance (Change), which provides a more complete picture of performance than a point-in-time snapshot.
The color and amount of fill (e.g., Green always has four segments filled, Red always has only one segment filled) are two ways of showing the performance level. This ensures that individuals who are color blind can distinguish the images and that the reports are useful if they are printed in black-and-white or photocopied. Additional caveats include:
- Where data is not available, it is reported as not applicable (N/A).
- Districts and schools do not receive a performance level for any indicator if they have fewer than 30 students in the relevant grade spans. This will be reported as an asterisk (*) and applies for all student performance and individual student groups.
WHAT REPORTS ARE INCLUDED?
Users can choose from four different reports by selecting tabs underneath the demographic information. The information in each report is summarized below.
Equity Report: This report shows the performance level of all students on the state indicators. This provides a simple overview of overall performance and whether any student groups are experiencing challenges on the state indicators.
Equity Report: This report shows the performance level of all students on the state indicators. This provides a simple overview of overall performance and whether any student groups are experiencing challenges on the state indicators.
Status and Change Report: This report shows the performance level for each state indicator and the current performance (Status) and difference from past performance (Change) that resulted that in that performance. It shows the data for Status and Change, in addition to the color-coded performance level.
Detailed Reports: This tab includes reports that show the year-by-year data for the state indicators and additional state data that is relevant to the state indicators. For districts, it also shows the locally collected data about progress on the local indicators. Users will see the data organized into three groupings: one focused on academic performance, one focused on academic engagement, and one focused on school conditions and climate. The groupings reinforce the relationships among the indicators and will make the information more digestible.
Student Group Report: This report shows the performance of all students and each student group on the state indicators. Users can also choose to highlight only the student groups in the Blue and Green performance levels, the Yellow performance level, or the Orange and Red performance levels.
From any of these reports, users can also view reports showing performance of all student groups on a single indicator by clicking on that indicator. They can also select on any student group to access a single student group’s performance on all indicators.
Detailed Reports: This tab includes reports that show the year-by-year data for the state indicators and additional state data that is relevant to the state indicators. For districts, it also shows the locally collected data about progress on the local indicators. Users will see the data organized into three groupings: one focused on academic performance, one focused on academic engagement, and one focused on school conditions and climate. The groupings reinforce the relationships among the indicators and will make the information more digestible.
Student Group Report: This report shows the performance of all students and each student group on the state indicators. Users can also choose to highlight only the student groups in the Blue and Green performance levels, the Yellow performance level, or the Orange and Red performance levels.
From any of these reports, users can also view reports showing performance of all student groups on a single indicator by clicking on that indicator. They can also select on any student group to access a single student group’s performance on all indicators.
HOW IS THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM DIFFERENT AND IMPROVED OVER THE API?
Many things contribute to a quality education for our students. Different forms of data provide different information about what’s working and what isn’t. To help schools improve, the new school accountability system defines a quality education more broadly than a single test score as used in the former Academic Performance Index (API).
Also, equity is at the heart of the new accountability system, with an increased focus on addressing disparities among student groups across the concise set of measures. A more complete picture of student success will help school communities target resources where they are most needed. The Dashboard highlights whether there are disparities among student groups on any measure.
Also, equity is at the heart of the new accountability system, with an increased focus on addressing disparities among student groups across the concise set of measures. A more complete picture of student success will help school communities target resources where they are most needed. The Dashboard highlights whether there are disparities among student groups on any measure.
HOW WILL THE NEW SYSTEM SUPPORT LOCAL DECISION MAKING?
The new accountability system provides districts and schools the information they need to make the best local decisions about educating children. The Dashboard will help parents, educators and the public understand how schools and districts are performing on the concise set of measures that contribute to student success and identify strengths and areas where improvement efforts should focus.
