Dashboard update gives school district data in parent-friendly format
EL CENTRO — The California Department of Education on Thursday launched the second iteration of the California School Dashboard, a website that gives parents, students and educators unprecedented access to valuable school and district data.
The 2018 dashboard, which can be found at www.caschooldashboard.org, features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success in both English and Spanish.
The dashboard is now fully accessible on smart phones and tablets, is easier to navigate, and has improved graphics, a CDE news release explained.
The new dashboard also has the most current data available, including 2018 test scores and graduation rates.
“One important feature of the dashboard is the focus on access and equity for all students”, said Dr. Todd Finnell, Imperial County Superintendent of Schools. “The dashboard is a powerful tool for districts, schools, and our communities as they plan their improvement efforts.”
This year, the dashboard includes two new metrics, chronic absenteeism, and college and career readiness, for evaluating school and district performance.
Chronic absenteeism is reported for the first time and measures how many students were absent for 10 percent or more of the total instructional school year.
Additionally, the college and career readiness indicator measures how many students graduate from high school prepared for college and/or a career.
These measures, along with four other state measures — high school graduation rate, academic performance, suspension rate and English learner progress, are shown on the website using a new, user-friendly interface that makes complex data easier to understand.
Schools and districts receive one of five color-coded performance levels, with red being the lowest and blue the highest, on each of the six metrics.
For example, according to the dashboard, Calexico High School received yellow for its graduation rate, orange for its suspension rate and green for its college and career readiness.
Central Union High School received green in both its suspension and graduation rates, and yellow in its college and career rate. Brawley Union High School received green for its suspension rate and college and career readiness, and blue for its graduation rate.
Another change this year is that all alternative schools and county offices of education are receiving a dashboard report for the first time.
“The dashboard helps schools identify strengths and weaknesses in many different areas that measure success,” State Superintendent Tom Torlakson said. “I urge educators, parents and communities to turn this data into positive action by using it to target resources where improvement is needed and to share practices where success is demonstrated.”