About California's Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS)

This article explains California's statewide student data system, its background, purpose, and future enhancements.

About fund accounting

California school districts use a system called "fund accounting." All revenues and expenditures are placed in one of several funds.

About SACS

In the 1990s, the California Department of Education (CDE) began implementing a new way for school districts to report their revenues and expenditures.

Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB

Federal support for the education of disadvantaged students greatly expanded in 1965 with the passage the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

California Lottery

In November 1984 voters approved the California State Lottery as a new source of revenue for California. A minimum of 34% of annual lottery sales revenues must be distributed to public schools

Changes to California's K-12 Education System

A quick update on the convergence of reforms and now a pandemic that have dramatically altered California’s public K-12 education landscape.

Charter Schools in California

What began as a small experiment in 1993 - when 29 charter schools opened - has grown into a significant alternative system within California's K-12 public schools, with more than 1,200 schools serving more than 600,000 students.

Chronic Absenteeism

The number and rate of students who miss more than 10 percent of the school year is now an indicator on the California School Dashboard. Learn more about how chronic absenteeism data are reported.

Cohort Graduation Data

Learn more about the cohort graduation, dropout and UC/CSU eligibility data and comparisons on Ed-Data.

Definitions of offence categories used for suspensions and expulsions

Definitions and explanations about the different reasons a student may be suspended or expelled in California.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to frequently asked questions about the data and functionality on this site.

How Students Are Counted

Different pupil counts serve different purposes. Learn more about Census-Day Enrollment vs. Cumulative Enrollment vs. Average Daily Attendance

Negotiating Teachers' Contracts in California

This article provides a brief look at how contracts are negotiated for K-12 public school teachers in California school districts.

Online Tutorials

Take a guided tour of the Ed-Data website to learn more about what's available, how to find data and how to use the comparison tools.

Proposition 13

An initiative that added Article XIII A to the California Constitution. It limits property tax rates to no more than 1% of full cash value.

Proposition 98

A constitutional amendment approved by voters in November 1988 and amended by Proposition 111 in 1990.

School District Bond and Tax Elections

Updated through 2022! Local revenue elections provide an important way for school districts to raise funds to support programs and maintain and build facilities.

School District Income

School districts get their operating funds from five sources. The percentage of funds from each source varies significantly from district to district, but on average it is

School Facilities in California

For many years, particularly through the 1990s, public schools in California faced a serious facilities crisis.

School Finance Chronology

A chronology of key lawsuits, voter approved initiatives and legislation that shaped California's K-12 school finance system.

Standardized Tests in California

2021-22 Smarter Balanced test data now available! Learn how to view and compare results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System's Smarter Balanced tests.

Teachers in California

More than 307,400 teachers work in the state's public-school classrooms. This article provides background about California's K-12 teachers.

Terms Of Service

Important notes about your privacy, our data retention policies and how you can use and cite the information on Ed-Data

Test article

The Ed Data Partnership

Ed-Data is a partnership of the California Department of Education (CDE), EdSource and the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT).

Understanding California's Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program

Each spring, California students take a battery of standardized tests that comprise the state's STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) Program.

Understanding the Academic Performance Index (API)

The Academic Performance Index (API) is an annual measure of test score performance of schools and districts. The California Department of Education (CDE) calculates the API and disseminates the results directly to schools and districts

Understanding the Local Control Funding Formula

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) changed how California funds its K-12 schools.

Using and Sharing Ed Data Graphs

There are many ways you can view and share the data and information you find on Ed-Data. Learn how to "drill in" for subgroup data, copy or print graphs and more.