DataQuest Update Issue #3

December 12, 2019

DataQuest is the California Department of Education’s (CDE) public data reporting website. DataQuest provides meaningful data and statistics about California’s K-12 public educational 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 New Discipline, Chronic Absenteeism, and Graduation Data

In conjunction with the release of the 2019 California School Dashboard , the CDE has released several new data reports that are now publicly available on the CDE DataQuest web site. These data reports are based on data submitted and certified in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) by districts and charter schools. These reports include:

2018–19 Suspension Data

• Suspension Rate
• Suspension Rate (with County Data)
• Suspension Count by Most Serious Offense Category
• Suspension Count by Most Serious Offense Category (with County, District, or School Data)

2018–19 Expulsion Data

• Expulsion Rate
• Expulsion Rate (with County Data)
• Expulsion Count by Most Serious Offense Category
• Expulsion Count by Most Serious Offense Category (with County, District, or School Data)

2018–19 Chronic Absenteeism Data

• Chronic Absenteeism Rate
• Chronic Absenteeism Rate (with County, District, or School Data)

2018–19 Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate Data

• Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate
• Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (with County, District, or School Data)
• Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Outcome
• Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Outcome (with County, District, or School Data)

2018–19 Expulsion Data

• Expulsion Rate
• Expulsion Rate (with County Data)
• Expulsion Count by Most Serious Offense Category
• Expulsion Count by Most Serious Offense Category (with County, District, or School Data)

2017–18 and 2018–19 Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Data

• Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate
• Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (with County, District, or School Data)
• Five-Year Cohort Outcome
• Five-Year Cohort Outcome (with County, District, or School Data)
• Five-Year and Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Comparison
• Five-Year and Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Comparison (with County Data)

Users may access these reports by performing the following steps:

1. Navigate to the DataQuest Homepage
2. Select the desired Level (State, County, District, or School)
3. Select desired report Subject area:
   • Expulsion and Suspension
   • Absenteeism
   • Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rate & Outcome Data
   • Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate & Outcome Data
4. Select “Submit”
5. Select the desired Year (e.g., 2018-19)
6. Select “Submit”
7. Select desired report from the menu
8. Select “Submit”

Discipline, Chronic Absenteeism, and Graduation Downloadable Data Files

As part of this public data release, the CDE is providing the following supporting Downloadable Data files, available here:

• 2018–19 Suspension
• 2018–19 Expulsion
• 2018–19 Chronic Absenteeism
• 2018–19 Four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate
• 2017–18 and 2018–19 Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate

Staff Credential Downloadable Data Files

The CDE recently released several Staff Demographic, Staff Assignment, and Course downloadable data files; however, the Staff Credentials data were not available at the time of this release. Since then, the CDE has publicly released the following Staff Credentials downloadable data file:

• 2018–19 Staff Credentials

Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Data

For the first time, the CDE has calculated a five-year cohort graduation rate. These data are now publicly available on DataQuest for 2017–18 and 2018–19 and supported with corresponding downloadable data files (see above). The five-year cohort graduation rate is a determination of the year 5 high school outcomes for the non-graduates included in the Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) from the preceding year. As such, the four- and five-year cohort graduation rates share the same cohort of students in common, all of whom started grade 9 at the same time and were expected to graduate on-time four years later. Unlike the four-year ACGR, the five-year cohort is not adjusted by adding students who transferred in during year 5, subtracting students who transferred out during year 5, or removing students who emigrated to another country or transferred to a prison or juvenile facility during year 5. Rather, the five-year cohort is largely held constant in year 5 to reduce artificial fluctuations in the five-year cohort graduation rate based solely on cohort adjustments to the denominator (transfers in, transfers out, and removals) that are allowed in the four-year ACGR.

For more information about the Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate and Outcome Data, please visit the Information about Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate page.

DataQuest Tips

Viewing and Understanding the Five-Year Graduation Rate Report

• The default view is Race/Ethnicity.
• For more viewing capabilities select Report Options and Filters.
• Options include, Program Subgroup and Academic Year.
• To view the report with County Data, select the dropdown arrow next to “Report” and choose Five-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (with County data).

Viewing and Understanding the Five-Year Cohort Outcomes Report

• The default view is Race/Ethnicity.
• The report can also be viewed by Program Subgroup, Academic Year, and County by selecting the Report Options and Filters tab.
• For explanations and thorough descriptions of this report, select Report Glossary and find the following “Outcome” categories:

  • Regular HS Diploma Graduates
  • Non-Graduate Completers (Outcome)
  • Transfers (Outcome)
  • Dropouts and Non-Completers (Outcome)

Viewing the Comparison 2018-19 Five-Year and 2017-18 Four Year Cohort Graduation Rate Report

• The default view is Race/Ethnicity.
• The report can also be viewed by Program Subgroup and County by selecting the Report Options and Filters tab.

Note: There is no option to view this report by Academic Year.