When the popular song “School Days” emerged in 1907, it resonated with audiences who could relate to the mentions of looking back on one’s childhood days in school. But today’s committed governance team members serving school districts and county offices of education in California learn quickly that being on a board of education is somewhat like going back to school because of the “homework” required to do the job well.

Fortunately, an info-packed tool known as the California School Dashboard (caschooldashboard.org/) has been available since 2017, and it helps members of governing boards both absorb and analyze tremendous amounts of pertinent data.

The Dashboard provides information to parents, educators and any other interested parties on school and district progress so that their decision making can positively impact and improve student achievement.

The Dashboard — one element of the Local Control Funding Formula’s system of funding, accountability and support — allows school performance to be reported on a variety of measures rather than a single number. The specific work of a school governance team can be greatly strengthened when they learn how to use the Dashboard and analyze the data contained within. Doing so can illuminate measured results of student progress, and how results change from one year to the next.

Key questions for governance teams to consider when analyzing Dashboard data:

• How does the district/COE facilitate connections between Dashboard data and the state’s 10 LCFF priority areas?
• How does the governance team maintain focus on graduation rates of high-risk students monitored in the DASS (Dashboard Alternative School Status) report?
• What lessons can be learned about the district’s or COE’s commitment to STEM-related supports based on a review of yearly scores of the CAST (California Science Test)?
• How are critical aspects of changing requirements to provide special education services being considered by governance teams?
• What comparisons year-over-year are being studied regarding key state indicators such as College/Career Readiness, English Learner Student Progress, Graduation Rates and Suspension Rates?

The CDE has published a Dashboard Communications Toolkit with informational materials to help local educational agencies better understand and further explain the data reported on the 2022 California School Dashboard to families and community partners. Included in the toolkit are:

• Flyers for parents (and those new to the Dashboard)
• Flyers for educators
• Webinar recordings and a notetaking guide
• Talking points
• Additional resources