California’s K–12 public school system is in the midst of a fundamental change in the way it collects and reports student data—from a system that looks at groups of students to a system that monitors the academic achievement of each student over time.

Experts hope this transformation will provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with more robust and more accurate information with which to evaluate the progress of schools and their students. However, the challenges involved in implementing a new statewide longitudinal data system are substantial. And ultimately, the quality of information will depend on the capacity of California’s thousands of schools and school districts to accurately track and report data about each of the millions of students they collectively serve.

This brief is the second in a series exploring issues related to the development of a comprehensive data system in California. (EdSource published the first brief, California’s Emerging Education Data System: A Status Report, in October 2008.)

Report Highlights:

• Schools and districts face increased challenges as they make the changes necessary to implement the state’s first student-level data system
• Implementation of the new data system, the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), is underway
• State officials have committed to an aggressive implementation schedule and are racing to meet a tight timeline
• Districts are developing strategies for improving their data management practices.

Specifics in this report:

• The role of the schools, the district, the local student information system, CALPADS, and the state in the student-level data submission process
• Scheduled timeframes and benchmarks for CALPADS implementation
• Case studies of successful data management practices by districts statewide
• Legislative efforts to build local data capacity
• Recommendations from the December 2008 McKinsey and Co. report, Framework for a Comprehensive Education Data System in California: Unlocking the Power of Data to Continually Improve Public Education, commissioned by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell

 

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