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Local Indicator Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions and answers regarding the local indicators on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard).

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1. What are the local indicators?

State data is not available for some priority areas identified in the Local Control Funding Formula statute. For these priority areas, the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved the local indicators, which are based on information that a local educational agency (LEA) collects locally. The local indicators address the following state priorities:

  • Basic Services and Conditions; Appropriate Teacher Assignment, Sufficient Instructional Materials and Facilities in Good Repair (Priority 1)
  • Implementation of State Academic Standards (Priority 2)
  • Parent and Family Engagement (Priority 3)
  • School Climate, as measured by a local climate survey (Priority 6)
  • Access to a Broad Course of Study (Priority 7)
  • Coordination of Services for Expelled Youth (Priority 9) – County offices of education only
  • Coordination of Services for Foster Youth (Priority 10) – County offices of education only
2. Who do the local indicators apply to?

Local indicators apply to all LEAs, including charter schools.

3. Do local indicators apply to schools?

No. Local indicators apply only to LEAs, which includes charter schools (including those that are Dashboard Alternative School Status). If an LEA is made up of only one school (e.g., charter schools and single school districts), the local indicators will appear on the LEA's/school's report. If an LEA has more than one school, the local indicators will appear on the LEA reports but not the school reports.

4. Are there any differences for charter schools in completing local indicators?

Consistent with statute, indicators, including local indicators, apply to charter schools for state accountability purposes only if the underlying charter petition includes goals for each of the related state priorities that apply to the grade levels served and the nature of the charter school program. In these instances, a charter school may complete the relevant local indicator(s) in the following way:

  • In the narrative box within the relevant self-reflection tool, provide a brief explanation for why the local indicator does not apply to the charter school, based on the underlying charter petition.
  • Select Submit.

This will ensure that the charter school is not reported as "Not Met" on the Dashboard.

5. What are the SBE-adopted performance standards for local indicators?

For each local indicator, the SBE adopted performance standards that require an LEA to:

  1. Annually measure its progress in meeting the requirements of the specific Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) priority; and
  2. Report the results as part of a non-consent item at a public meeting of the local governing board/body in conjunction with the adoption of the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). As a reminder, the LCAP must be adopted on or before July 1st of each year; and
  3. Report the results to the public through the Dashboard utilizing the SBE-adopted self-reflection tools for each local indicator.
6. Where can the SBE-adopted self-reflection tools be found?

The SBE-adopted local indicator self-reflection tools can be accessed from the Local Indicators webpage.

Please note that statute provides the SBE with authority to revise self-reflection tools. If a revision is made to a self-reflection tool, the revised tool will be added to the Local Indicators webpage.

7. What is reflected on the Dashboard when an LEA meets all three of the SBE-adopted local indicator performance standards?

An LEA that meets all three of the SBE-adopted performance standards will receive a performance rating of "Standard Met".

8. What does it mean to "report the local indicator results as part of a non-consent item at a public meeting of the local governing board/body in conjunction with the adoption of the LCAP"?

To meet this performance standard, an LEA must report the data that it collected and analyzed to its governing board using the SBE-adopted self-reflection tool. This report must be presented as part of a non-consent item at the same meeting at which the LEA adopts its LCAP for the coming year. As a reminder, LEAs are required to adopt the LCAP on or before July 1st of each year.

9. What happens if an LEA does not report its local indicator data to the local governing board/body in conjunction with the adoption of its LCAP on or before July 1st?

When an LEA does not report its local indicator data to its local governing board/body in conjunction with the adoption of its LCAP on or before July 1st, the LEA will receive a performance rating of “Standard Not Met” or “Standard Not Met for Two or More Years”, as applicable.

10. What is reflected on the Dashboard when an LEA does not meet one or more of the SBE-adopted local indicator performance standards?

When an LEA does not complete one or more of the SBE-adopted performance standards within the applicable deadline, the LEA receives a performance rating “Standard Not Met” or “Standard Not Met for Two or More Years”, as applicable.

11. What happens if an LEA fails to report local indicator results to the Dashboard within the reporting window established by the California Department of Education (CDE)?

LEAs that do not report local indicator data to the Dashboard within the reporting window established by the CDE, will receive a performance rating of “Standard Not Met” or “Standard Not Met for Two or More Years”, as applicable.

12. What happens if an LEA does not certify certificated staff assignment data as part of the annual California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Fall 2 data submission?

If an LEA does not certify its certificated staff assignment data, and therefore has no Appropriately Assigned Teachers data displayed on the Dashboard, it will receive a performance rating of “Standard Not Met” or “Standard Not Met for Two or More Years,” as applicable.

For more information, please see the Information about the Teaching Assignment Monitoring Outcome (AMO) Report webpage.

13. What happens if an LEA receives a performance rating of "Not Met for Two or More Years"?

Earning a performance level of “Not Met for Two or More Years” may be a factor in being eligible for differentiated assistance.

14. When does the reporting window open for an LEA to report its local indicator data to the Dashboard?

Moving forward, the reporting window for local indicators will occur during summer in conjunction with the LCAP adoption cycle.

The CDE will notify LEAs when the reporting window opens via the LCFF listserv. To subscribe to the LCFF listserv, send a blank message to join-LCFF-list@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

15. How do LEAs submit their local data to the Dashboard?

Prior to reporting in the Dashboard, each LEA must designate a Dashboard Coordinator (maximum two approved Dashboard Coordinators per LEA) by submitting the registration form on the CDE’s myCDEconnect External link opens in new window or tab. website. The registration form must be approved by the LEA’s Authorizers (superintendent or charter school administrator) to receive the login credentials.

Following the approval of the Dashboard Coordinator, the Dashboard Coordinator will be able to report the LEA’s Local Indicator data to the Dashboard during the reporting window.

As a reminder, when submitting local indicator results to the Dashboard, LEAs are required to:

  • Use the SBE-adopted self-reflection tools.
  • Enter the date that local indicator results were reported to the local governing board/body at the same meeting at which the LCAP was adopted.

Additional details on the local indicators, including the self-reflection tools, are available on the Local Indicators webpage.

Dashboard Coordinator questions my be emails to LCFF@cde.ca.gov.

16. Where may I find additional information?

Additional details on the local indicators, including the self-reflection tools, are available in the following webpages:

Questions:   Local Agency Systems Support Office | LCFF@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Friday, February 16, 2024
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