Science Indicator

This indicator, reported on the California School Dashboard, applies to districts and schools with students in grade five, grade eight, and in high school (grades 10, 11, and 12).

What is this Indicator?

The Science indicator is one of several state indicators that the California Department of Education (CDE) reports on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) and reflects how well students are meeting grade-level standards for science by reporting the average Science Points (SPs). SPs translate the science assessment scales to a range from zero, as the lowest possible score, to 100 points as the highest possible score.

The Science Indicator will have status, change, and be reported with colors on the 2025 Dashboard for the first time. However, the Science indicator will not be used for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) accountability nor Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) support determinations and is for informational purposes only on the 2025 Dashboard.

This indicator is reported on the Dashboard for any local educational agency (LEA) and school who test students on the California Science Test (CAST) and California Alternative Assessments in Science (CAA for Science) in grades five and eight and high school (grades 10, 11, or 12).

LEAs and schools are required to test at least 95 percent of all students and student groups in science. If a LEA, school, or student group does not meet the 95 percent participation rate, the number of students needed to meet the participation rate must be factored into the results. See the Resources section below for more information.

Additional Reports

Designed for educators, the School Dashboard Additional Report offers information and data beyond what is reported on the Dashboard, including summarized views across all state indicators. The Science Indicator has two additional reports:

2025 Five-by-Five Science Placement Report
2024 Participation Rate Report

Resources

General Information about the Indicator

Science Indicator flyer(PDF)

Technical Information about the Indicator

2025 Dashboard Technical Guide - The technical guide is the key to unlocking how state indicators are calculated on the Dashboard. The technical guide is broken up into multiple "mini-guides" for ease of access and provides explanations on the calculation formulas and business rules.
Information on the Participation Rate (PDF) - Access this flyer to learn how the participation rate requirement impacts the Academic- English Language Arts (ELA) and Academic - Mathematics Indicators. The Science Indicator will use a similar participation rate methodology beginning in 2025.
- Translated Versions of the Information on the Participation Rate Flyer can be found on the Translations Tab of the Dashboard Resources web page.
District of Residence Rule (PDF) - The District of Special Education Accountability rule is applied to all state indicators. Download this flyer to learn more.
Crosswalk Between the California School Dashboard and DataQuest (PDF) - This document provides a short overview of the differences in the way that data are produced for the Dashboard and DataQuest.
Downloadable Data Files: Science Indicator - Access statewide LEA, school, and student group Dashboard science results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Science Indicator FAQs web page addresses the common questions received on this state indicator.

Additional Information about the Dashboard

Connect to the Dashboard Measures tab on the Dashboard Resources web page to learn about other state indicators reported on the Dashboard.
View the 2025 Dashboard Communication Toolkit to access the latest information about the Dashboard.
Resources for parents, educators, and those new to the Dashboard are available on the Dashboard Resources web page.
Five-by-Five Colored Tables – Access the Status cut scores, Change cut scores, and Performance Levels (or colors) for each state indicator.
You can access information about the California's statewide student assessment system by clicking on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).

Next Steps

Differentiated Assistance Determination: The SBE will consider full state indicator status for the Science Indicator, beginning with the 2026 Dashboard. Full state indicator status adds the Indicator to state and/or federal support determination criteria.