California’s K-12 schools have shown progress in various areas during the last school year, with a slight increase in graduation rates, reduced suspensions, and fewer chronically absent students as per the School Dashboard released recently. The state also witnessed an overall improvement in scores on state standardized tests for English language arts and math, better preparation for college and careers, and more students earning a seal of biliteracy.
These advancements, although gradual in some aspects, signify that California schools have been able to address the learning loss and chronic absenteeism resulting from the school closures at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. According to California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond, the state is making significant progress in post-pandemic recovery by getting students back to school, enhancing college and career readiness, and increasing graduation rates.
The School Dashboard, a crucial component of the state’s accountability system, utilizes various colors to indicate whether a school or district demonstrated growth or decline in key areas like chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, graduation rates, college and career readiness, progress of English language learners, and state standardized test scores in math and English language arts.
Chronic absenteeism, where students miss 10% or more of instructional days in a school year, continues to be a focus. Despite the decline in chronic absentee rates, there is still room for improvement to reach the pre-pandemic rate of 12.1%. High school students had the highest chronic absenteeism rate last year, missing an average of 15.6 days, followed by transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students at 13.9 days.
An important addition to the dashboard this year is the inclusion of long-term English learners, defined as students who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for seven years or more and have not yet achieved English proficiency. This change came as a result of advocacy efforts and helps spotlight the needs of this student group for statewide accountability. It is crucial for districts to utilize this data to tailor programs and training to assist long-term English learners effectively.
Moreover, the number of students receiving the State Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas increased significantly, pointing towards the positive impact of offering students more ways to demonstrate English proficiency along with a second language. Additionally, high school graduation rates in California saw a slight increase to 86.4%, marking the largest cohort of students graduating since 2017.
Suspension rates decreased slightly last year, benefiting all student groups, although attention is still required to address disparities in suspension rates among specific groups. An equity report on the dashboard sheds light on the progress of various student groups in California schools, emphasizing the need to provide targeted assistance to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.
In conclusion, while California schools have made commendable progress in the post-pandemic recovery phase, there are ongoing efforts needed to further enhance student outcomes, address disparities, and support all students effectively. The data provided by the School Dashboard serves as a valuable tool for identifying areas of improvement and guiding interventions to ensure all students receive a quality education.
