Greetings!
  
This spring, the California Department of Education unveiled a brand new school accountability system that replaces the old Academic Performance Index, also known as the API. The California School Dashboard is an online tool that provides an array of relevant data to help parents, educators, and the public evaluate school performance and monitor the progress of improvement efforts over time.
  
While components of the Dashboard will continue to grow and evolve, it provides the public with much more meaningful information about school programs than ever before available.
  
We encourage you to take a few minutes to learn more and explore the new California School Dashboard using the resources below.

Sincerely, 
Anne Silavs, Superintendent
How is the Dashboard different than the API?
 
The state's old API assigned schools a three-digit number, ranging from 200 to 999, and ranked them from high to low based on only one measure - students' standardized test scores. In reality, we know a number of important elements contribute to the overall effectiveness of a school program. The new California Dashboard displays school scores in a variety of areas, including test scores, chronic absenteeism, student suspensions, graduation rates, and English learner progress. Student success indicators are aligned with the state priority areas spelled out in the Local Control Funding Formula and the Local Control and Accountability Plan. The video below provides a quick overview of the benefits of the new California School Dashboard.

So how does it work if schools aren't ranked with a number?

The new system uses color-coded pie pieces to represent the status of school and student subgroup performance and how they change over time. The ultimate goal is to achieve green or blue performance levels for each state indicator.
The California Department of Education developed the following video, which provides a more detailed explanation of the new the rating system in an easy to understand format.

Okay, how can I access information on the Dashboard?
 
You may access the Dashboard by clicking the link below. A Fast Start Guide, Video Tutorial, and Getting to Know the Dashboard overview are available on the home page to help get you started.
 
Where can I find more information on the new Dashboard?

The California Department of Education has created a web page devoted to the California School Dashboard that provides a variety of resources for parents. This page is periodically updated with new information and additional resources, so be sure to check back every so often to learn about new system features as they are released.
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Candi Kern   .  Sandra Lee   .  Donna McDougall   .  Brian Nakamura   .  Lydia Sondhi, Ph.D.