Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for the DASS Program.When can schools apply for DASS Status?
The DASS application opens in Spring for Application-based DASS.
Completion of the application will require the alternative school of choice or charter school to submit the following:
- LEA information
- Supporting documentation
- Approval of Intent to Apply for DASS from the Local Governing School Board/Charter Governing School Board
- Minutes from Board Meeting
- For charter schools: Letter to Charter Authorizing Board containing above Documentation
Additional information about the application process is posted on the DASS Application Instructions web page. The criteria and basis for approval of DASS status will continue to be updated to reflect feedback and action by the SBE and any additional changes will be shared on the website.
I applied for DASS last year and got approved. Do I have to reapply for DASS again this year?
Schools receive DASS status for three Dashboard years (e.g., 2023, 2024, 2025). Schools must reapply for DASS status in the following spring after the final year of their cycle.
One of my schools was approved for DASS last year. However, starting next year, the school will be split into five schools. Will all five schools inherit the DASS status of the original school? Or, will I have to apply for DASS for all five schools?
Every school that receives a new seven-digit School Code (i.e., the last seven digits of a County-District-School Code [CDS]) will be considered a new school. Therefore, a DASS application will need to be submitted for each school that receives a new School Code.
However, if one of the schools retained the original School Code, that school will retain its DASS status.
If a DASS school receives a new School Code, will the school have to re-apply for DASS?
Yes. Any school that receives a new seven-digit School Code is considered a new school, and it will not be identified as a DASS school by the California Department of Education (CDE) until the school applies and is approved for DASS. Therefore, we encourage schools that receive a new School Code to apply for DASS as soon as the next available application process opens.
To be accepted as a DASS school it says our cumulative enrollment needs to have other 70 percent of high-risk students. What does that mean?
- The denominator is based on the total number of students cumulatively enrolled at your school. It is not based on the census day enrollment.
- The numerator is based on the number of students who meet the high-risk definition (see high-risk definitions on the California Department of Education (CDE) DASS Eligibility Criteria web page) approved by the State Board of Education at the time when they first enrolled at the school.
In previous years, we calculated and certified the percentage of high-risk students at our schools. How is this being calculated this year?
Following the application submission process, CDE will evaluate each submission and verify that schools meet the criteria for DASS. Application-based DASS schools will be informed of their DASS approval later this summer and the Active DASS school file will be updated to reflect their status.
DASS One-Year Graduation Rate
I understand that the DASS one-year graduation rate can no longer be used for accountability due to federal requirements. However, will the DASS one-year graduation rate still be reported for schools? Will this rate also be reported for local education agencies (LEAs)?
The DASS one-year graduation rate will be reported for DASS schools both on the Dashboard and on the Graduation Rate Additional Report for informational purposes only. Therefore, DASS schools will receive: (1) a combined four- and five year graduation rate that is used for accountability and (2) a DASS one-year graduation for informational purposes.
The DASS one-year graduation rate will not be produced at the LEA-level.
If the DASS one-year graduation rate is only displayed for informational purposes, will the rules on how the rate is calculated change?
No. To access the latest rules on how the DASS one-year graduation rate is calculated, please access the Dashboard Technical Guide, which is accessible through the Technical Information tab on the Dashboard Resources web page.
The following questions in this section also reviews commonly asked questions on how the rate is calculated.
When one of my students first enrolled at my DASS school, he was a junior. Now, after four months, he has received enough credits to be placed as a senior (grade twelve). Will the student be included in the DASS one-year graduation rate?
All students in grade twelve are included in the calculation of the DASS one-year graduation rate. Because the student’s last enrollment record in California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) shows him in grade twelve, the student will be included in the denominator of the school's DASS one-year graduation rate.
My school uses a student’s age to place him/her in a specific grade level. However, other schools use the number of credits that a student has earned to place him/her in a specific grade level. Which rule should be used?
Placing students in specific grade levels is based on local policy.
A grade twelve student at my DASS school transferred to an adult education program. Will this student be included in my school’s DASS one-year graduation rate?
Yes. Beginning with the 2018 Dashboard, the California Department of Education (CDE) adjusted the 2016–17 and 2017–18 four-year cohort graduation rates to address audit findings from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General. One of the adjustments was to keep students who transfer to an adult education program in the cohort rather than removing them. To align with the federal findings, grade twelve students who transfer from a DASS school to an adult education program will remain in the DASS school’s cohort (i.e., included in the denominator).
A grade twelve student at my DASS school received an adult education diploma. Will this student be included in my school’s DASS one-year graduation rate and be counted as a graduate?
Yes. As long as the student met the enrollment requirement (e.g., enrolled at your school for at least 90 cumulative calendar days or 30 cumulative calendar days), the student will be counted as a graduate in your school’s DASS one-year graduation rate (i.e., included in both the numerator and denominator).
Are students with disabilities (SWDs) who participate in a transition program included in the DASS one-year graduation rate?
No. Students who participate in a transition program for SWDs are removed from both the numerator and denominator of the DASS one-year graduation rate. The California Department of Education (CDE) takes transition program participation information from the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Student Enrollment (SENR) File (Field 1.43 - Adult Age Students with Disabilities in Transition Status).
Are summer graduates included in the DASS one-year graduation rate?
Yes. Students who graduate from July 1 through August 15 are included in the current graduating class as a summer graduate.
- For example, a student who graduated on July 15, 2022, would be included in the graduating class of 2022.
Students who graduate after August 15 are included in the next graduating class:
- For example, a student who graduated on August 16, 2022 would be included in the graduating class of 2023.
Are summer graduates expected to meet enrollment requirements?
No. There are no minimum enrollment requirements for summer graduates.
College/Career Indicator (CCI) for DASS Schools
Which students are included in the CCI for my DASS school? Is the CCI based on the four- and five-year combined graduation rate or the DASS one-year graduation rate?
Because the U.S. Department of Education denied the use of DASS for accountability, the CCI for DASS schools is based on the combined four- and five-year graduation rate.
Are there measures in the CCI that apply to DASS schools?
All measures in the CCI apply to both DASS and non-DASS schools, except for the State or Federal Job Programs measure, which applies only to DASS schools. To access the list of State Board of Education-approved CCI measures, including the placement criteria (Prepared, Approaching Prepared, and Not Prepared), please see the following CCI flyers:
Are DASS schools excluded from the Williams list of schools?
Yes. Under state law, DASS schools are excluded from the Williams list of schools. For more information, please visit the California Department of Education (CDE) Williams Case web page.
Are DASS schools eligible for school support determinations under federal law?
Yes. DASS schools are eligible for school support determinations. For more details, please visit the California Department of Education (CDE) System of Support web page.