Performance Categories
Information regarding performance categories as it relates to charter school renewals.Section Menu
Communication
Release of Charter School Performance Category Data File (Posted 14-Mar-2025)
Information regarding the release of the Charter School Performance Category Data File based on the 2024 California School Dashboard.
General Information
Pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 47607(c), as an additional criterion for determining whether to grant a charter renewal, the chartering authority shall consider a charter school’s placement under the performance categories, which is based on the charter school's performance under the California School Dashboard (Dashboard).
Under this criterion, a charter school is placed into one of the three performance level categories: high, middle, or low. The determination for charter renewals for each category are as follows:
- High: A charter school in this category is eligible for a five-, six-, or seven-year renewal term.
- Middle: A charter school in this category may be renewed for a five-year term.
- Low: A charter school in this category may be renewed for a two-year term only if it meets the conditions under EC Section 47607.2(a)(4).
For information regarding the determination of charter school performance categories, refer to the Determining Charter School Performance Category Flyer under Resources.
Additional information for charter schools identified as low performing is available at Charter School Renewals under the Renewal Standards and Criteria Section.
Performance Category Data Files
These data files include performance category by charter school data. Refer to the record layout for details regarding the content in each file.
The Charter School Performance Category Data File is updated annually with the release of the Dashboard when new performance levels (colors) are assigned. Due to Assembly Bill 130 (Chapter 41, Statutes of 2021), performance colors were not reported on the Dashboard in 2020 or 2021. In 2022, reporting on the Dashboard used one-year of data to report Status to determine student performance. The 2023 Dashboard reflects a full return of California’s accountability system with the reporting of Status (also known as current year data), Change (the difference between the current year data and the prior year data), and performance levels (colors) for all state indicators except for the College/Career Indicator (CCI). For the 2023 Dashboard, Status levels were used as a proxy for performance colors on the CCI where there were at least 30 students.
| Dashboard Year | File | Record Layout |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | perfcat25 (XLSX) | Record Layout |
| 2023 | perfcat24 (XLSX; Posted 25-Oct-2024) | Record Layout |
| 2022 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 2021 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 2020 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| 2019 | perfcat20 (XLSX) | Record Layout |
Resources
Determining Charter School Performance Category Flyer (PDF)
Information regarding the determination of charter school performance categories.
Performance Category and Renewal Webinar
Presentation materials and recording from the March 26, 2024, Performance Category and Renewal Webinar.
AB 1505: Criteria for Performance Categories Webinar (PDF)
Slide deck from the June 23, 2020, webinar, which supported the first release of these data.
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