DataQuest Update, Issue #22

November 26, 2024

DataQuest is the California Department of Education’s (CDE) public data reporting web site that provides meaningful data and statistics about California’s K-12 public education system that supports a wide variety of informational, research, and policy needs. The purpose of the DataQuest Update is to provide: (1) announcements regarding public data releases and availability; (2) general information and analysis on various data reporting topics; and (3) practical tips on how to effectively use DataQuest to obtain information. For questions regarding DataQuest, please submit an email to dataquest@cde.ca.gov.

Release of 2024 California School Dashboard

The 2024 California School Dashboard is now online with data showing statewide improvements in student outcomes in several areas. The Dashboard is a key component of the state’s school accountability system, which includes the latest data on graduation rates, suspension rates, test scores, English Learner progress, the college/career indicator, chronic absenteeism, and local indicators. Informational materials that help explain the data reported on the 2024 Dashboard are accessible on the Dashboard Communications Toolkit web page. Additional supporting reports are available on the School Dashboard Additional Reports and Data web page. While the CDE encourages local educational agencies (LEAs) to utilize the information made available on the CDE website, it is also critical that LEAs review their locally collected data to inform support provided for at-risk students on a regular basis. More information about this data release can be found in the CDE Press Release #24-49.

Release of the Annual End-of-Year Data Reports on DataQuest

The release of the 2024 Dashboard is supported by the concurrent release of the related 2023–24 End-of-Year (EOY) reports on DataQuest, which are available at the state, county, district, and school levels, and can be viewed and filtered by student groups. The reports included in this release are based on data for the academic year submitted and certified in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) by districts and charter schools as part of the annual EOY-3 data submission.

2023–24 Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) and Outcome Reports

• Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate
• Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Outcomes

2023–24 Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rates and Outcome Reports

• Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate
• Five-Year Cohort Outcomes
• Five-Year and Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Comparison

2023–24 Suspension Data Reports

• Suspension Rate
• Suspension Count by Most Serious Offense Category

2023–24 Chronic Absenteeism Reports

• Chronic Absenteeism Rate

Additionally, the following data, which are not utilized in the Dashboard, are now publicly available on the CDE DataQuest website.

2023–24 Stability Reports

• Stability Rates
• Stability Rates (with County/District/School Data)

2023–24 Absenteeism by Reason Reports

• Absenteeism by Reason

2023–24 Expulsion Data Reports

• Expulsion Rate
• Expulsion Count by Most Serious Offense Category

How to Access DataQuest Reports

Users may access these reports by performing the following steps:

• Navigate to the DataQuest Homepage
• Select the desired Level (State, County, District, or School)
• Select the Subject Level (e.g., Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate and Outcomes)
• Select "Submit"
• Select the desired Year (e,g., 2023–24)
• Select "Submit"
• Select the desired report from the menu
• Select "Submit"

Alternatively, the DataQuest reports included in this release are also accessible through the Data Reports by Topic web page.

The reports listed above include Report Description, Report Glossary, and, where applicable, Report Filters and Options sections. To change the way the data are displayed in the report, open the expandable (+) Report Options and Filters section. Within this area, users can apply a variety of data filters. Additionally, users can apply one or more filters simultaneously to view data in a variety of configurations. Applied filters are viewable in the "Filters Enabled" section above each report where the filters can also be reset.

Supporting Downloadable Data Files

As part of this DataQuest report release, the CDE is providing the following supporting downloadable data files for the above reports which can be found on the Downloadable Data Files by Topic web page. Additionally, the following stand-alone downloadable files are included in this data release:

2023–24 Cumulative Enrollment Data File

In compliance with the reporting requirements outlined in Education Code section 47607(d)(1)(A), the CDE has publicly posted the following downloadable data file regarding the number of students who were cumulatively enrolled during the 2023–24 academic year.

• Cumulative Enrollment Data

2023–24 Restraint and Seclusion Data File

In compliance with the reporting requirements outlined in Education Code Section 49006, the CDE has publicly posted the following downloadable data file regarding the number of students subjected to mechanical restraint, physical restraint, or seclusion during the 2023–24 academic year.

• Restraint and Seclusion Data

PLEASE NOTE: Refer to the File Structure web pages for important details about the associated data files, including the data layout, which data are contained in the file, data element definitions, and the levels at which data are provided (e.g., state, county, district, and school levels).

What's New?

The following report modifications and additions are included in the 2023–24 EOY DataQuest release:

Transitional Kindergarten

Pursuant to Education Code Section 60900(a)(4)(A), beginning in 2023–24, the CDE began collecting transitional kindergarten (TK) as a separate grade level in CALPADS rather than as a program participation record, which was retired at the end of the 2022–23 academic year. The definition of the new TK grade level is as follows:

Transitional Kindergarten: A separate grade level in CALPADS, pursuant to Education Code Section 60900(a)(4)(A), for age-eligible students, as defined in Education Code Section 48000(c)(1), who are enrolled in Kindergarten and who are participating in the Transitional Kindergarten program, which is authorized and defined in Education Code Section 48000, pursuant to Education Code Section 48000(d).

As a result, the following 2023–24 EOY data reports included in this release that provide grade level data either in a report view or as a report filter have been updated to incorporate data for the new TK grade level:

• Chronic Absenteeism (report filter only)
• Absenteeism by Reason (report view and filter)
• Suspension/Expulsion (report filter only)
• Stability Rate (report view and filter)

Similar modifications have also been made to the corresponding downloadable files where applicable.

Local Graduation Requirements Exemption

Pursuant to Education Code Section 51225.1(s), beginning in 2023–24, the CDE began collecting data regarding which cohort graduates received an exemption from completing the LEA’s local graduation requirements that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements. This information is now included in the Dataquest Four-Year ACGR Reports. Next year, this information will also be included in the DataQuest Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rates and Outcome Reports. The one-year delay for Five-Year reports is necessary in order to LEAs the opportunity to collect the data for both year 4 and year 5 of the cohort. Similar modifications have also been made to the corresponding downloadable file.

California Certificate of Proficiency

Beginning 2023–24, the CDE began collecting data regarding which cohort students received a California Certificate of Proficiency issued by the State Board of Education by passing a California proficiency test authorized by Education Code Section 48412, which includes the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE), or a test that is part of the California Proficiency Program (CPP). Currently, the CPP includes passage of the mathematics and English language arts subtests of the HiSET-Proficiency. This information is now included in the Dataquest Four-Year ACGR Reports and replaces the information in prior years provided for CHSPE completers. Similar modifications have also been made to the corresponding downloadable file.

DataQuest Highlights (Coming Soon)

The CDE will be providing a new DataQuest Highlights web page that provides a high-level overview and summary following each data release. This new web page, which will be located on the Data Communications web page, will be available sometime during the week of December 2, 2024.

Upcoming Data Releases

Please see the DataQuest Schedule web page regarding the data reports and downloadable files that are scheduled for an upcoming release.

DataQuest Listserv Information

To subscribe to the DataQuest listserv, submit a blank email to: subscribe-dataquest@mlist.cde.ca.gov.
To unsubscribe to the DataQuest listserv, submit a blank email to: unsubscribe-dataquest@mlist.cde.ca.gov.