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File Structure: Five-Year Cohort Graduation Data

File structure for the Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate and Outcome data from the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) reported by race/ethnicity, program subgroup, and gender for 2017–18 through the current year.

Files include state, county, district, and school level data. Please refer to the file structure for details on what data are contained in the file. For more information about the Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate and Outcome Data, please visit the Information about the Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate page.

This file contains aggregate data with disaggregated data subsets at multiple different levels and reporting categories to provide enhanced analytical flexibility. For more detailed examples about how to properly use these data, please refer to the Using the Five-Year Graduation Rate and Outcome Data File examples below.

Note: To protect student privacy, data are suppressed (*) on the data file if the cell size within a selected student population (cohort students) is 10 or less. Additionally, the "Not Reported" race/ethnicity is suppressed, regardless of actual cell size, if the student population for one or more other race/ethnicity groups is suppressed.

Field Description
Reporting Year The reporting year corresponding to one year following the expected year of on-time, four-year graduation from high school
Aggregate Level An indicator of the aggregation level.
  • T = State
  • C = County
  • D = District
  • S = School

Note: One of these values must be chosen to obtain an unduplicated count at the selected level.

County Code A unique two-digit code corresponding to the county.
District Code A unique five-digit code corresponding to the district.
School Code A unique seven-digit code corresponding to the school.
County Name County name.
District Name District or administrative authority name.
School Name School name.
Charter School (All/Y/N)

An indicator of the aggregation level.

  • All = Includes data for all schools regardless of charter status. For Aggregate Levels T, C, and D, data for all schools are included in the aggregate. Charter = All is not applicable for Aggregate Level = S (school-level).
  • Y = Includes only data for charter schools in the selected aggregate for Aggregate Levels T, C, and D. For Aggregate Level = S, a value of Charter = Y indicates that the school is a charter school.
  • N = Includes only data for non-charter schools in the selected aggregate for Aggregate Levels T, C, and D. For Aggregate Level = S, a value of Charter = N indicates that the school is not a charter school.
Note: One of these values must be chosen to obtain an unduplicated count at the selected level. Additionally, to maintain comparative consistency with the related four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) data from the preceding year, this indicator for the five-year cohort graduation rate reflects the charter school status at the end of the four-year ACGR reporting period.
Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) (All/Y/N)

An indicator of the aggregation level.

  • All = Includes data for all schools regardless of DASS status. For Aggregate Levels T, C, and D, data for all schools are included in the aggregate. DASS = All is not applicable for Aggregate Level = S (school-level).
  • Y = Includes only data for DASS schools in the selected aggregate for Aggregate Levels T, C, and D. For Aggregate Level = S, a value of DASS = Y indicates that the school is a DASS school.
  • N = Includes only data for non-DASS schools in the selected aggregate for Aggregate Levels T, C, and D. For Aggregate Level = S, a value of DASS = N indicates that the school is not a DASS school.
Note: One of these values must be chosen to obtain an unduplicated count at the selected level. Additionally, to maintain comparative consistency with the related four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) data from the preceding year, this indicator for the five-year cohort graduation rate reflects the DASS status at the end of the four-year ACGR reporting period.
Reporting Category

An indicator of the student group reporting category (race/ethnicity, gender, or program subgroup) disaggregation or subset. Note: Select Reporting Category = TA for aggregate totals without consideration of a Reporting Category student group.

  • RB = African American
  • RI = American Indian or Alaska Native
  • RA = Asian
  • RF = Filipino
  • RH = Hispanic or Latino
  • RD = Not Reported
  • RP = Pacific Islander
  • RT = Two or More Races
  • RW = White
  • GM = Male
  • GF = Female
  • GX = Non-Binary Gender (Beginning 2019–20)
  • GZ = Missing Gender
  • SE = English Learners
  • SD = Students with Disabilities
  • SS = Socioeconomically Disadvantaged
  • SM = Migrant
  • SF = Foster
  • SH = Homeless
  • TA = Total

Note: To maintain comparative consistency with the related four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) data from the preceding year, the student group reporting categories for the five-year cohort graduation rate reflect the information at the end of the four-year ACGR reporting period.
Cohort Students The number of students who enter grade 9 for the first time, plus any students who transfer in later during grade 9 or the next three years, minus any student from the cohort who transfers out, emigrates from the country, transfers to a juvenile facility or prison, or dies during that same period.
Regular HS Diploma Graduates (Count) Total number of five-year cohort students who received the standard high school diploma from a school aligned with State education standards.
Regular HS Diploma Graduates (Rate) The percentage of five-year cohort students who received the standard high school diploma.
Met UC/CSU Grad Req's (Count) Total number of five-year cohort graduates who met all a-g requirements for admission into a UC or CSU school.
Met UC/CSU Grad Req's (Percent) The percentage of five-year cohort graduates who met admission requirements for a UC or CSU school.
Seal of Biliteracy (Count) Total number of five-year cohort graduates who attained a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English and earned the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Seal of Biliteracy (Rate) The percentage of five-year cohort graduates who earned the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Golden State Seal Merit Diploma (Count) Total number of five-year cohort graduates who earned the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma by earning a high school diploma and demonstrating mastery in at least six subject matter areas, including mathematics, English language arts, science, U.S. history, and other areas.
Golden State Seal Merit Diploma (Rate) The percentage of five-year cohort graduates who earned the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma.
Non-Graduate Completers (Count)

Those five-year cohort students who do not receive a regular high school diploma within the five-year cohort outcome period, but who otherwise complete high school during the five-year cohort outcome period through one of the following paths during the five-year cohort outcome period and at the same entity-level (e.g., school, district, county, state) associated with the final four-year adjusted cohort:

  • Adult Education High School (H.S.) Diploma Completers: Those five-year cohort students who withdrew from a regular high school without receiving a regular high school diploma to enroll in an Adult Education Program and the district/school has acceptable documentation that the student received an adult basic education high school diploma through an adult basic education program.
  • California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) Completers: Those five-year cohort students who withdrew from a regular high school without receiving a regular high school diploma after passing the California High School Proficiency Exam (Education Code Section 48412(2)).
  • GED Completers: Those five-year cohort students who withdrew from a regular high school without receiving a regular high school diploma and the district has acceptable documentation that the student received a High School Equivalency Certificate by passing one or more of the following exams: the General Educational Development (GED) exam, the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exam, or the High School Equivalency Test (HiSet).
  • Special Education Certificate of Completion: Those five-year cohort students with exceptional needs (having an individualized education program [IEP]) who received a certificate or document of educational achievement or completion for meeting the requirements of Education Code Section 56390.
Note: Students who transfer to a selected entity-level during year 5 and complete one of the above outcomes during year 5 will be counted as "Transfers" at the "sending" entity-level for the five-year graduation rate and as "Non-Graduate Completers" in the state five-year graduation rate outcome. Year 5 transfer students are not added to a cohort for the "receiving" school, district, or county unless they also graduate during year 5.
Non-Graduate Completers (Rate) The percentage of five-year cohort students who meet the "Non-Graduate Completers" definition.
Transfers (Count) Those five-year cohort students who, during year 5 of the five-year cohort outcome period, transfer from the selected entity-level (e.g., school, district, or county) associated with the final adjusted four-year cohort from the preceding year without completing high school. This includes all five-year cohort students who transfer and enroll in another U.S. high school (in or out of state), or in an educational program (including a program in a prison or juvenile facility) from which the student is expected to receive a regular high school diploma, or emigrates to another country. At the state-level, all students who transfer to another California public high school during year 5 of the five-year cohort period and who do not graduate with a regular high school diploma or otherwise complete high school as a "Non-Graduate Completer" are counted as "Dropouts and Non-Completers" for the five-year graduation outcome.
Transfers (Rate) The percentage of five-year cohort students who meet the "Transfers" definition.
Dropouts and Non-Completers (Count) Those five-year cohort students who (1) do not graduate with a regular high school diploma, (2) do not otherwise complete high school as a non-graduate completer, or (3) are still enrolled in high school at the end of the five-year cohort outcome period.
Dropouts and Non-Completers (Rate) The percentage of five-year cohort students who meet the "Dropout and Non-Completers" definition.

Using the Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate and Outcome Data File

This file contains different subsets of data based on the values of different variables. If these sub-setting variables are not used properly, it is easy to end up with incorrect or duplicative data. Please refer to the following examples below as a guide for properly using these data:

  1. Get school-level data totals with one record per school with school totals (without student group totals)
    1. Aggregate Level = S (School)
    2. Charter School (Y/N) = Y and N
    3. DASS (Y/N) = Y and N
    4. Reporting Category = TA

  2. Get school-level data totals by student group (Reporting Category) for all non-charter schools
    1. Aggregate Level = S (School)
    2. Charter School (Y/N) = N
    3. DASS (Y/N) = Y and N
    4. Reporting Category Not equal to TA

  3. Get school-level data totals by student group (Reporting Category) for all DASS schools
    1. Aggregate Level = S (School)
    2. Charter School (Y/N) = Y and N
    3.  DASS (Y/N) = Y
    4. Reporting Category Not equal to TA

  4. Get district-level data totals by student group (Reporting Category) for non-charter schools
    1. Aggregate Level = D (District)
    2. Charter School (Y/N) = N
    3.  DASS (Y/N) = All
    4. Reporting Category Not equal to TA

  5. Get statewide-level data totals for charter schools that are DASS schools
    1. Aggregate Level = T (State)
    2. Charter School (Y/N) = Y
    3.  DASS (Y/N) = Y
    4. Reporting Category = TA
Questions: Data Reporting Office | dro@cde.ca.gov | 916-327-0219 
Last Reviewed: Friday, December 15, 2023
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