California School Dashboard Newsletter Issue 1

Issue 1
September 2019

Dear Readers,

We welcome you to the California Department of Education’s (CDE) second edition of the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) Newsletter. This Newsletter is designed to keep you updated and informed on news related to the Dashboard, System of Support, and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) topics. This monthly newsletter can be found on CDE’s California School Dashboard and System of Support web page. If at any time you wish to unsubscribe, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this and every issue.

Sincerely,

Dashboard Newsletter Team

Local Control and Accountability Plan Template Redesign

California Education Code (EC) Section 52064(b) requires the SBE to adopt a revised Local Control and Accountability Plan and Annual Update (LCAP) template on or before January 31, 2020. The revised template will be effective for the 2020–23 LCAP cycle. A new draft of the LCAP template is available in the SBE Agenda for September 2019 (Item 2). If you have any questions regarding the revision of the LCAP template, please contact the Local Agency Systems Support Office at LCFF@cde.ca.gov.

California School Dashboard Update

State Indicators

Beginning with the 2019 California School Dashboard, results from the California Alternative Assessment (CAA) will be included in the calculations for the Academic Indicator. The current methodology for determining performance on the Academic Indicator is based on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments scale scores. The CAA has a different set of vertical scales and distributions, and is aligned with a different set of standards—the Common Core Alternate Standards. Therefore, incorporating results from the CAA presented several challenges.

At the September 2019 State Board of Education (SBE) meeting, the CDE presented the methodologies evaluated for incorporation of the CAA into the Dashboard. The SBE approved the recommended Top of the Scale Range methodology. The SBE also approved a revised threshold Status cut score for the graduation rate—from less than 67 percent to less than 68 percent. This new cut score will be applied to all schools, including schools with Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS). In addition, the SBE approved modifications to the “Very Low” and “Low” Status cut scores for the Academic Indicator for DASS Schools. Finally, the CDE provided an update on the Status methodology for the English Learner Progress Indicator, which is under consideration, for SBE action in November 2019 to use for determining districts and schools eligibility for support in 2019–20.

Detailed information on approved changes to the 2019 Dashboard are available in the September 2019 SBE Item (DOCX).

At the July 2019 SBE meeting, the SBE adopted a combined four- and five-year graduation rate for the Graduation Rate Indicator in the 2019 Dashboard. The combined rate will reflect all 2019 graduates, regardless of whether they graduated in four or five years. Additionally, the SBE approved the application of the three-by-five color table to the College/Career Indicator (CCI). The three-by-five table is currently applied to the graduation rate, suspension rate, and chronic absenteeism indicators.

The CDE School Dashboard Additional Reports and Data web page has been revised:

• The five-by-five reports now include cut scores.
• The CCI reports provide more details on students in each performance level: Prepared, Approaching Prepared, and Not Prepared.
• Pie and heat charts in the CCI reports provide a graphic representation of the data, allowing users to review the data more easily and quickly.
  
  

Local Indicator: Self-Reflection Tools

On March 14, 2019, the SBE approved a revised self-reflection tool for Priority 3 (family engagement) to inform reporting in the 2019 Dashboard. The revised self-reflection tool was informed by current research, the requirements of Assembly Bill 2878 (Chapter 826, Statutes of 2018) and the recommendations of an Ad Hoc Family Engagement Workgroup. The new tool asks local educational agencies (LEAs) to engage in a self-reflection process that helps them to consider where they are with regard to the implementation of family engagement, describe their strengths and progress in the area of family engagement, and identify focus areas for improvement (including how the LEA will improve the engagement of underrepresented families). As described in the instructions, the results of the self-reflection process should be used to inform the LCAP development process.
LEAs are encouraged to access the materials from the March 26, 2019, Tuesday@2 Webinar announcing the revised self-reflection tool.

• Revised Self-Reflection Tool for Priority 3 (Family Engagement)(PDF)
• Tuesday@2 Presentation Introducing Revised Self-Reflection Tool for Priority 3(PDF)
  
  

System of Support

Geographic Lead Agencies

In each edition of the California School Dashboard Newsletter we will provide brief highlights surrounding the ongoing work of the California System of Support. In this edition, we are highlighting the Geographic Lead Agencies (Geo Leads).

The goal of the seven Geo Leads is to support the continuous improvement process and connect county offices of education (COEs) and school districts to California’s system of support. The Geo Leads have identified expertise to build COE capacity to support school districts under state priorities across student groups within their defined geographic area support. The following is a brief overview highlighting the ongoing work of each of the Geo Leads:

• The Bay Area Consortium for Student Success completed a data analysis and needs assessment and has identified student homelessness as an area of focus. The consortium is moving forward with plans to conduct an equity audit with a multi-agency lens and to develop and pilot a toolkit of resources to address the unique needs of students impacted by homelessness.
• The Kern County Superintendent of Schools has identified a need to increase support for students with disabilities throughout the geographic area. The geographic area has partnered with WestEd to create an asset map matrix of the resources and supports available throughout the geographic area and is incorporating a train the trainer model to continue building the system capacity.
• The Capitol Central Foothill Area Consortium has completed a needs analysis and has chosen the to focus on the areas of Equity, Improvement Science, Implementation Science, Universal Design for Learning, and Data Systems.
• The Southern California Consortium is utilizing a three-pronged approach focusing on cultivating a data culture, building capacity through equity leadership, and propagating a continuous improvement mindset focused on increasing positive student outcomes.
• The Far North Partnership has identified an area-wide focus on math and is working with local curriculum experts to develop a tool kit to support schools throughout the region. Three additional tool kits, focusing on behaviors/suspensions, Chronic absenteeism, and the College and Career Indicator are also being planned.
• The North Bay/North Coast has developed a Theory for Improvement and guiding principles to guide the ongoing work in the region. Sonoma COE will host workshops in data driven analysis and continue the Improvement Science Frameworks within the Geographic Lead community and is exploring opportunities to leverage existing expertise to provide professional learning opportunities.
• The Mid-State Collaborative has initiated affinity cohorts which meet regularly for the purpose of discussing differentiated assistance facilitation and the sharing of resources. An advisory group of key county office of education personnel meet in person twice yearly, and virtually every six weeks to identify assets, strengths and needs.
  
  

2019 Year End Calendar