Academic Performance Index (API)

Added to Programs No Longer Administered by the California Department of Education (CDE) on December 27, 2018.

This information is for historical purposes only and it is possible that information contained here may not be current.

Background

The previously administered Academic Performance Index (API) was one component of California’s prior statewide accountability system. The Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) of 1999 (Chapter 3, Statutes of 1999) required that the California Department of Education (CDE) annually calculate APIs for California public schools and to publish statewide school decile ranks. The PSAA also established annual API growth targets for each district, school, and student group.

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was enacted in 2013, and was designed to improve student outcomes by providing more resources to meet the educational needs of low-income students, English learners, and foster youth. The law provides more flexibility to districts on how they choose to spend their money. In exchange, districts must provide more transparency by developing local control and accountability plans with meaningful community engagement. In addition, LCFF requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to develop a new statewide accountability system. During the development of this new system, the SBE suspended the calculation of the API and the last API report was produced in 2013.

In March 2017, the California SBE and the CDE launched a new accountability system to replace the API. This new, multiple-measures system provides a fuller picture of how districts and schools are addressing the needs of their students while also identifying the specific strengths and areas in need of improvement. The new accountability and continuous improvement system was implemented using an online tool known as the California School Dashboard (Dashboard).

Dashboard

For more information on the Dashboard, please visit the Dashboard web page.