Dashboard Technical Guide

What is the Dashboard Technical Guide?

The California School Dashboard (Dashboard) Technical Guide is the key to accessing extensive information on each state and local indicator reported on the 2025 Dashboard. The guide includes calculation formulas and business rules used to produce the data for state indicators. It also details the local indicators that are self-reported directly onto the Dashboard by local educational agencies (LEAs).

Guide Topics

Start your learning journey by accessing the links below:

1. California's Accountability System and the Dashboard (DOCX)
   This initial section covers the following background on California’s accountability system and the general rules applied to produce the Dashboard state indicators:
   
   • California’s Integrated Accountability and Continuous Improvement System
   • Dashboard Overview
   • Who Gets a Dashboard
   • How Dashboard Colors are Determined
   • How Student Groups are Determined
   • LEA and School Type Definitions
   • District of Residence Rule for Students with Disabilities
   • What Data Are Used for the 2025 Dashboard?
   • General Business Rules (e.g., New Schools, Closed Schools, Rounding Rules)
2. Dashboard State Indicators
   The following "mini-guides" contain calculation formulas and business rules used to produce each state indicator. Note that each mini-guide is formatted in the same order for ease of use.
   
   • Academic: English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (DOCX)
   • Chronic Absenteeism (DOCX)
   • College/Career (DOCX)
   • English Learner Progress (DOCX)
   • Graduation Rate (DOCX)
   • Suspension Rate (DOCX)
   • Science (DOCX)
3. Dashboard Local Indicators (DOCX) - This Local Indicator mini-guide provides an explanation of local indicators, the performance standards for the local indicators, and links to additional information, such as the self-reflection tools for each local indicator.
4. Criteria for Identification within the System of Support
   
   • Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Assistance Criteria (DOCX)
   • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Assistance Criteria (DOCX)
5. Helpful Resources
   
   • Five-by-Five Colored Tables – This web page contains the Status and Change cut scores along with the five-by-five colored tables for each state indicator that are used to identify the exact performance color an LEA, school, and student group achieved.
   • Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) 1-Year Graduation Rate (DOCX) – This document includes information on the business rules used to calculate the DASS 1-year graduation rate.
   • Dashboard Communications Toolkit – Informative flyers, on-demand videos, and talking points that can be used to communicate the 2025 Dashboard to parents, educators, and communities.
   • California Dashboard and System of Support – Your direct entry to the Dashboard, supplementary reports, and supportive resources to help you navigate through California’s accountability system.

Archive

• 2024 Dashboard Technical Guide (Archived 21-Jul-2025)
• 2023 Dashboard Technical Guide (Archived 21-Jul-2025)
• 2022 Dashboard Technical Guide (Archived 21-Jul-2025)
• 2020 and 2021 Data Releases (Archived 21-Jul-2025)
  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the production of state indicators was suspended for the 2020 and 2021 Dashboards based on Senate Bill 98, Assembly Bill 130, and waiver approval by the U.S. Department of Education. Therefore, technical guides were not produced during these years. However, the California Department of Education (CDE) did release data for informational purposes, which can be accessed through the 2020 and 2021 Data Releases web page.
• 2019 Dashboard Technical Guide (PDF; Archived 21-Jul-2025)
• 2018 Dashboard Technical Guide (PDF; Archived 21-Jul-2025)