Dashboard Resources

An extensive selection of resources relating to the California School Dashboard for parents, educators, and communities.

New for 2023

Dashboard Communications Toolkit
User-friendly resources relevant to the 2023 Dashboard.

Understanding the Dashboard

The following tabs serve as the point of access to a wide variety of resources specifically developed to support educators and community members better understand the Dashboard.

Dashboard Measures

The California School Dashboard displays the performance of districts, schools, and student groups on a specific set of state and local measures.

State measures are based on student data that are annually collected across the state and apply to all districts, schools, and student groups. To learn more about a state measure, select from the list below:

Local measures are based on data collected at the local level and apply to all districts and charter schools. To learn more about the local measures that are submitted by districts onto the Dashboard, visit the Local Indicators web page.

General Overview of the California School Dashboard

A perfect place to start for parents, educators, and community members who are interested in accessing a broad overview of the California School Dashboard. This page contains:

User-Friendly Flyers
Guide for Parents (and for Those New to the Dashboard)
Videos
Archived Materials

Flyers

Start your learning journey with these one-to-two-page flyers that help simplify the use and understanding of the Dashboard.

Getting to Know the California School Dashboard(PDF)
Getting to Know the Dashboard State Measures(PDF)
How Colors are Determined(PDF)
How to View Performance of a School or District on the Dashboard (Coming in October 2023)
Exploring the Equity Report (Coming in October 2023)
How to Compare Schools on the Dashboard (Coming in October 2023)
Reporting Current Year Data Only on the 2022 Dashboard (PDF)
Getting to Know the Local Measures(PDF)
Information on Local Measures for Parents(PDF)

Translated flyers are available on the Translations Tab.

Guide for Parents (and for Those New to the Dashboard)

2023 Parent Guide to the California School Dashboard (Coming November 2023)
An easy-to-understand guide developed for parents and anyone new to the Dashboard. This document contains an overview of the local and state measures and how performance is measured and reported on the Dashboard.

Translations of Parent Guide are available in the Translation tab.

Videos

Build your foundational knowledge of the Dashboard with these brief videos!

The California School Dashboard – Let the Conversation Begin (Video; 1:53)
This two-minute video explains why the California School Dashboard is the “ultimate conversation starter” and how it can lead to better planning and better results for our kids.
The California School Dashboard – My Dad (Video; 1:36)
In this animated video a student explains how her dad used the Dashboard to learn about her school and how it was performing on key state measures.
The California School Dashboard – Around the Dashboard in 90 Seconds (Video; 1:46)
This short video explains how the Dashboard helps us all understand how well our schools are doing – and where improvement is needed.
The California School Dashboard – Steering Our Schools to Success (Video; 1:41)
The video describes how the Dashboard helps all of us gain a better sense of what is happening in our schools. This information leads to more conversations and input, so school leaders can plan and make decisions that help all of our children succeed.

Spanish Translation of videos are available on the Translation tab.

Technical Information on the California School Dashboard

This page takes the guess work out of Dashboard state indicators by offering technical documents and user-friendly flyers that help enhance your knowledge on the calculation formulas and business rules used to produce each indicator. This page also contains instructions on how to check your data before it is used for the Dashboard and information on the state’s alternative schools. Select from one of the available resources below:

Flyers
Dashboard Technical Guide
Handbook Connecting CALPADS to the Dashboard
Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) Resources
Crosswalk Between the Dashboard and DataQuest

Flyers

Explaining the Dashboard rules in an easy-to-read summarized format.

2022 Dashboard Communications Toolkit
Flyers relevant to the 2022 Dashboard.
What Data Will Be Used for the 2022 Dashboard? (PDF)
This flyer identifies the data that will be used to calculate the state indicators for the 2022 Dashboard.
Changes to District of Residence Rule for Students with Disabilities (PDF)
Information on the District of Residence Rule for students with disabilities that is applied to all Dashboard state indicators.
Determining Charter School Performance Category (PDF)
Explains the criteria used to determine performance categories for the Renewal of Charter schools under Assembly Bill (AB) 1505 Legislation.
English Learner Students on the California School Dashboard (PDF)
Understand the different ways that each state indicator measures English Learners.

Dashboard Technical Guide

The 2022 Dashboard Technical Guide is your key to unlocking how the state indicators are calculated. This guide covers an extensive review of each state indicator by covering calculation formulas, business rules, student examples, and general information about California’s accountability system. The guide also provides self-reflection tools adopted by the State Board of Education that are used by local educational agencies (LEAs) to report their progress through the Dashboard. Detailed information on the rules used to determine schools and LEAs eligible for support are also covered.

Handbook: Connecting California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) to the Dashboard

The 2022–23 Handbook (DOCX) is a user-friendly tool filled with print screens to help you pinpoint and navigate through specific CALPADS Reports that relate to Dashboard state indicators. Download the handbook to confirm your CALPADS data before it is used for the Dashboard!

Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) Resources

Schools that serve high-risk students are eligible to participate in the DASS program, which applies modified measures to select state indicators. For information and resources on the DASS program for alternative schools, please refer to the DASS web page.

Crosswalk Between the Dashboard and DataQuest

Data Crosswalk for the California School Dashboard and DataQuest (DOCX)
A short overview of the differences in the way that data are produced for DataQuest and the California School Dashboard.

Data Files

Downloadable data files and associated record layouts pertaining to the data released on the California School Dashboard.

Dashboard State Indicators

Academic Indicators

Chronic Absenteeism Rate Indicator

College/Career Indicator

English Learner Progress Indicator

Graduation Rate Indicator

Suspension Rate Indicator

Dashboard Local Indicators

Local Indicators

Enrollment

Dashboard Tools for Educators

Communications, customizable templates, and presentations to support local educational agencies and schools walk-through the California School Dashboard with their staff and communities. Select one of the following tools:

Communications
Presentations
Talking Points and Customizable Letters
Archived Tools

Communications

Dashboard Communications Toolkit
User-friendly resources relevant to the 2023 Dashboard.

Presentations

Access the Webinars and PowerPoint Presentations web page to get the latest PowerPoint presentations used in trainings and webinars on the Dashboard and accountability.

Talking Points and Customizable Letters

California's Accountability and Continuous Improvement System: Key Points
California's Accountability and Continuous Improvement System: Key Points (DOCX)

Template Letter for LEAs
Template Letter for LEAs (DOCX)

A Site Administrator's Guide: Talking to Parents About the California School Dashboard (PPTX)
A customizable slide deck for site admins to use when providing information about the Dashboard.

Archived Tools

Presentation materials, flyers, and videos used for prior Dashboard releases can be accessed through the Dashboard Archived Tools for Educators web page.

Translations

To better serve our diverse communities across the state, specific California School Dashboard materials have been translated to help bring the Dashboard closer to home. Select one of the links below to access these materials:

Videos
Parent Guide
Flyers
District Resources

Videos

Build a foundational knowledge of the Dashboard with these brief videos

Bienvenido al Dashboard Escolar de California. Que comience la conversaciónes (Video; 2:12)
El tablero de la escuela de California es el lugar donde puede obtener más información y más. El Tablero nos ayuda a todos (padres, familias, estudiantes, maestros) a ver qué tan bien están nuestras escuelas y estudiantes y dónde se necesita mejorar.

Tablero Escolar de California - Mi Papá (Video; 1:50)
Un anuncio animado narrado por una chica que habla sobre su padre y cómo aprendió sobre su escuela a través del nuevo Dashboard Escolar.

Tablero Escolar de California - Un Vistazo al Dashboard en 90 Segundos (Video; 2:01)
El Dashboard está diseñado para ayudarnos a comprender qué tan bien se están desempeñando en nuestras escuelas y dónde se necesita mejorar.

Tablero Escolar de California - Dirigiendo Nuestras Escuelas Al Éxito (Video; 2:01)
El Dashboard Escolar de California nos ayuda a todos a tener una mejor idea de lo que está sucediendo en nuestras escuelas.

El California School Dashboard Video para los Padres (Video; 3:41)

Guide for Parents (and for Those New to the Dashboard)

Translations Available here

Flyers

Translated in the top seven languages, these one-to-two page documents provide a simple explanation of the Dashboard.