English Language Arts and Mathematics Indicators

These indicators, reported on the California School Dashboard, applies to LEAs and schools with students in grades 3–8 and 11.

What are these Indicators?

The Academic Indicators consist of two content areas: English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. These indicators represent two of several state indicators that the California Department of Education (CDE) reports on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) and reflect how well students are meeting grade-level standards by reporting the average distance from proficient (DFP).

These indicators are reported on the Dashboard for any local educational agency (LEA) and school who test students on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments and California Alternative Assessments (CAA) in grades three through eight and grade eleven.

LEAs and schools are required to test at least 95 percent of all students and student groups in ELA and mathematics. 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.

New for 2026 Dashboard

At the State Board of Education (SBE) on March 11, 2026, the SBE took action that modified the way that Accountability Windows operate for the 2026 Dashboard. The Accountability testing window for the ELA, and Math Indicators begins when the first student logs on to the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments or the California Alternate Assessments for ELA, and Math. The Accountability testing window ends with the end of the LEA testing window.

Additional Reports

Designed for educators, the School Dashboard Additional Reports offer information and data beyond what are reported on the Dashboard, including summarized views across all state indicators. Several reports specific to this indicator are the:

Five-by-Five English Language Arts Placement Report
Five-by-Five Mathematics Placement Report
Academic Participation Rate Report

Resources

General Information about the Indicator

Academic Indicator flyer (PDF)

Technical Information about the Indicator

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 federal participation rate requirement impacts the Academic Indicators.
- Translated Versions of the Participation Rate Flyer can be found on the Translation tab of the Dashboard Resources Web page.
District of Residence Rule (PDF) -The District of Special Education Accountability rule for students with disabilities is applied to all state indicators. Download this flyer to learn more.
Crosswalk Between the California School Dashboard and DataQuest(DOCX) -This document provides a short overview of the differences in the way that data are produced for the Dashboard and DataQuest.
Downloadable Data Files: Academic Indicators - Access statewide LEA, school, and student group Dashboard ELA and mathematics indicator and participation rate results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Academic Indicators 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 Dashboard Communication Toolkit to enhance your knowledge about the Dashboard.
Resources for parents, educators, and those new to the Dashboard are available on the Dashboard Resources web page.
Dashboard Performance Levels and Categories – Information on the California School Dashboard's Accountability determinations, inclusive of the five color-coded Performance Levels as well as the Performance Categories used to measure growth.