The California Department of Education released a highly anticipated student data set for the 2020 –21 school year that includes achievement scores from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), graduation rates, suspension rates and chronic absentee data. This data is an early look at some of the impacts the pandemic has had on students. While graduation and absentee data raise concerns for many of California’s historically underserved student groups, CAASPP scores are considerably constrained compared to typical years and important nuances must be considered.

Due to the educational challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education waived student testing requirements in 2019–20. However, federal testing requirements were reinstated in 2020–21, and the department granted states flexibility to accommodate local needs. This flexibility allowed districts to administer shortened versions of statewide assessments, offer remote administration of tests (when possible) and extend standard testing windows. School districts that could not administer CAASPP tests were required to administer local assessments that met specific criteria approved by the State Board of Education. If districts gave those local assessments, student scores were not included in the CAASPP data, but instead, are to be included in districts’ School Accountability Report Cards.

There were notable decreases in average gains for students assessed in English language arts and math. However, in their letter explaining how to interpret the data, CDE expressed valid concerns about directly comparing the 2020–21 data with previous years’ assessment reports. Before the pandemic, over 95 percent of eligible students participated in the various CAASPP assessments in a typical year. In 2020–21 that average fell to less than 25 percent, with much lower rates in some tests. Additionally, the sample of students who did participate in the assessment was not representative of the state’s student population.

To compensate for uneven participation across the state, CDE matched scores from the 2021 cohort to their 2018–19 (and earlier) scores for the first time. This matching limits the ability to interpret significant trends from this assessment report.

Considering these concerns, the State Board approved a CDE recommendation in their January meeting to remove 2020–21 school and state averages from CAASPP student score reports.

In addition to testing score data, CDE released a set of student indicator data, including four- and five-year graduation rates, suspension rates and chronic absentee rates. Like the CAASPP scores (and nearly all data coming out from the past two years), this data is also highly contextual to the pandemic. As local school leaders continue to use and designate COVID-relief funding, this set of indicators can help to identify where that funding might benefit students the most.

Statewide, four-year graduation rates slightly declined from 2019–20 to 2020–21 by less than 1 percent (84.2 percent to 83.6 percent). However, those declines were more pronounced for African American students (-4.3 percent), American Indian or Alaska Native students (-2.8 percent) and Pacific Islander students (-2.6 percent), and Hispanic or Latino students (-1.6 percent). Foster youth (-2.3 percent) and students in migrant education (-2.1 percent) also experienced significant declines in graduation rates. Statewide suspension rates fell by 2.3 percent across the board for students, but most acutely for African American students, American Indian or Alaska Native students, Pacific Islander students, foster youth and students with disabilities.

Statewide chronic absenteeism increased from 12.1 percent to 14.3 percent from 2019–20 to 2020–21. The student groups with the largest increases in absenteeism include those in migrant education (a rise of 8.8 percent), foster youth (an increase of 6.8 percent), English learners (5 percent) and homeless youth (4.5 percent). Increases in these student groups align with what districts have been reporting about the significant difficulties these students and families have had engaging in remote learning during the pandemic, such as lack of access to technology and housing insecurity. There are reasons to believe that these numbers may be underreported, especially given the challenges in communication with many districts’ more vulnerable populations.

The 2020–21 graduation and absentee rate data do raise concerns about what has happened to some of California’s most vulnerable students over the past two years. It is no surprise that the pandemic had a significant negative impact on the education of many student groups across the state. That impact is evident in this new data. As board members consider how they can use COVID-relief funding, they should pay particular attention to their local data to identify students needing additional support. However, board members should use caution in drawing more general conclusions from the state assessment data, given the numerous limitations and shortcomings pointed out by CDE in their report. Board members should continue to pay close attention to the results of their local assessments and direct their energy and resources toward helping those students in their districts who continue to face extraordinary challenges. Board members should use caution in drawing more general conclusions from the state assessment data, given the numerous limitations and shortcomings pointed out by CDE in their report.