California’s data system is a work in progress. The development of a comprehensive education data system for California has been in the works for years. But insufficient state funding, as well as disagreement over governance and data management, have slowed its development.

However, to fully comply with NCLB accountability requirements, California had to be able to monitor individual student enrollment history and achievement data over time, which it could not do with its existing system. As a result, since 2002, California has become more serious about building a statewide system that could generate such information.

California is currently engaged in two key efforts to do so: the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) and the California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data Education System (CALTIDES). Once these systems are fully developed, California’s method of collecting and analyzing education data will change substantially.

In this section:

• CALPADS represents a major shift in California's approach
• CALTIDES tracks teacher characteristics over time