CALPADS Update Flash #204

To:           Local Educational Agency (LEA) Representatives

From:      California Department of Education (CDE) –
                California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Team

Date:       April 16, 2021

Subject:  CALPADS Update FLASH #204

New Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Reporting System

The purpose of this Flash is to announce training (see below) for the new Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Reporting System. As described in the April 2021 CALPADS Information Meeting, beginning this spring, the CDE is requesting that local educational agencies (LEAs) submit the highest individual student ASVAB Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) scores that students received during the academic year. Since testing can occur throughout the year, LEAs must compile the data and submit one file at the end of the school year. In this first year of the collection, LEAs may submit scores separately for 2019−20 as well as 2020−21.

The purpose of submitting this information is to provide the CDE with statewide data to analyze and evaluate in order to determine the validity and reliability of the data for recommended inclusion in the College/Career Indicator (CCI) as reported on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard). This data is being collected to continue the CDE’s efforts in meeting the State Board of Education (SBE’s) directive to expand the CCI with more career measures. For more details on the CCI, see the 2019 California School Dashboard Technical Guide here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/cm/documents/dashboardguide19.pdf. (This guide is located under the “Data Files and Guide” tab on the California School Dashboard and System of Support web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/cm/index.asp.)

This Flash will also be sent to Accountability Coordinators, and the new collection will be mentioned in the annual mid-year data collection update letter sent to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators.

Training Announcement

The training will be held on Wednesday, April 28th, 10:00 – 11:30 am.

CALPADS LEA Administrators are encouraged to attend this webinar, since they will be the primary point of communication for access to the system. Accountability Coordinators are also encouraged to attend the training, because the ASVAB will be considered as a measure in the College/Career Indicator. Further questions should be directed via email to ASVAB@cde.ca.gov.

Steps to Prepare for the ASVAB Submission

Initially, LEAs are highly encouraged to attend the training where they will gain a basic understanding of the system and address key questions. Secondly, LEAs may need to identify all the school sites that administer and receive ASVAB scores. The ASVAB test is generally administered at the school site level in coordination with the Military Entrance Processing Stations. Administration of the ASVAB is often coordinated at the school site by the career technician, head school counselor, or principal, who also receive test results throughout the year in a paper or electronic Excel file format. Lastly, staff will need to ensure that student results include the statewide student identifiers (SSID) and other required elements, and then coordinate the submission of results to the ASVAB Reporting System. Details of the data collection are provided on the ASVAB Reporting System instruction web page and will be explained in detail during the upcoming training.

ASVAB Reporting System Collection Window: May 3, 2021 – July 1, 2021

The ASVAB Reporting System web application is scheduled to be released in early May with the collection deadline of July 1, 2021. Passcodes that provide access to the system will be emailed directly to CALPADS LEA Administrators the same day that the application goes live. Details on the ASVAB Reporting system are available on the ASVAB Instructions for Data Collection and File Upload web page at https://www2.cde.ca.gov/asvabreportingsystem/instructions web page prior to the application’s official release. Please review this information and share with your local staff. Due to the nature of this data collection, the CDE is aware that only partial data may be available for submission this year.