Academic Indicators

These indicators, reported on the California School Dashboard, applies to districts and schools with students in grades 3–8 and 11.

What are these Indicators?

The Academic Indicators consist of two content areas: English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. These indicators represent two of several state indicators that the California Department of Education (CDE) reports on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) and reflect how well students are meeting grade-level standards by reporting the average distance from standard (DFS).

These indicators are reported on the Dashboard for any local educational agency (LEA) and school who test students on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments and California Alternative Assessments (CAA) in grades three through eight and grade eleven.

Beginning in 2018, the participation rate was included in the reporting of the Academic Indicators. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to test at least 95 percent of all students and student groups in ELA and mathematics, and to factor the participation rate into their accountability systems. If a LEA, school, or student group does not meet the 95 percent participation rate, the number of students needed to meet the participation rate must be factored into the results. See the Resources section below for more information.

Additional Reports

Designed for educators, the School Dashboard Additional Reports offer information and data beyond what are reported on the Dashboard, including summarized views across all state indicators. Several reports specific to this indicator are the:

2024 Five-by-Five English Language Arts Placement Report
2024 Five-by-Five Mathematics Placement Report
2024 Participation Rate Report

Resources

General Information about the Indicator

Academic Indicator flyer(PDF)

Technical Information about the Indicator

2024 Dashboard Technical Guide - The Academic Indicators Technical Guide is the key to unlocking how the Academic Indicators are calculated for the Dashboard. An extensive review of the Academic Indicators, and all other state indicators is covered with explanations on the calculation formulas and business rules.
Information on the Participation Rate(PDF) - Access this flyer to learn how the federal participation rate requirement impacts the Academic Indicators.
- Translated Versions of Information on the Participation Rate Flyer
District of Residence(PDF) -The District of Special Education Accountability rule is applied to all state indicators. Download this flyer to learn more.
Crosswalk Between the California School Dashboard and DataQuest(DOCX) -This document provides a short overview of the differences in the way that data are produced for the Dashboard and DataQuest.
Downloadable Data Files: Academic Indicators - Access statewide LEA, school, and student group Dashboard ELA and mathematics results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Academic Indicators FAQs web page addresses the common questions received on this state indicator.

Additional Information about the Dashboard

Connect to the Dashboard Measures tab on the Dashboard Resources web page to learn about other state indicators reported on the Dashboard.
View the Dashboard Communication Toolkit to enhance your knowledge about the 2024 Dashboard.
Resources for parents, educators, and those new to the Dashboard are available on the Dashboard Resources web page.
Five-by-Five Colored Tables – Access the Status cut scores, Change cut scores, and Performance Levels (or colors) for each state indicator.

Next Steps

Student Growth Scores: Since 2015, California has invested significant time and effort in developing a student-level growth model that is valid, reliable, and fair. CDE will release growth scores based on the 2022, 2023, and 2024 ELA and Mathematics results in the winter of 2025. For further information, please refer to the Growth Model web page.