California parents and voters wait too long for vital data
As the 2024-25 school year is underway, Californians await the results for last school year’s CAASPP testing.
CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) assessments measure student achievement in the areas of English, math, and science, and are taken in the spring; Results are then publicly released the following fall. The release date for the 2023-24 school year results is “on or before October 15th, 2024,” according to the California Department of Education. School districts are given an advance release of the data, but are asked to not share the data with the public until the statewide release.
The most recent available data from two school years ago (2022-23) shows that less than half of all California public school students (46.7 percent) met or exceeded English Language Arts standards that year. Additionally, only 34.6 percent met or exceeded Math standards and 30.2 percent met or exceeded science standards.
Also in October, the California Department of Education will tally the enrollment figures for this current school year. But we won’t see that data any time soon, as it won’t be released until close to the end of the school year in the spring. The data for the last school year (2023-24) wasn’t released until May 16th, 2024 – about nine months after the school year began and about seven months after the enrollment was tallied. The union-controlled, bureaucracy-saturated public education system isn’t conducive to timely reporting.
Additionally, according to new research by California Policy Center, 107 school districts in the state still have not released the required annual audits for their 2023 finances. Meanwhile, there are districts throughout the state asking voters for bonds — not to mention Proposition 2, the Public Education Facilities Bond Measure.
As we continue into the school year, parents and citizens should be well-equipped to educate themselves on the current state of educational quality, the enrollment trends in the education system, and the finances of their local school districts. Instead, they are left to wait on state and local agencies.
Don’t let the frustrating timeline get in the way of your advocacy. Be proactive in your school districts to ensure academic quality, and when you identify concerns, utilize your full toolbox to hold the school board accountable. This includes speaking during board meeting public comment opportunities, filing public records requests, requesting informational town halls by your board members, and asking for certain items to be placed on the board agenda.
As you receive your ballot for the November election in the coming days, ask yourself what changes you want to see in California public education, and what you want to retain. Cast your vote for transparency and accountability.
Leah Raymond contributed to the student achievement research for this commentary.
Sheridan Swanson is the research manager and Parent Union Coordinator at California Policy Center.