At a glance
California does not give schools a single letter grade or star rating. Instead, it uses the California School Dashboard — a color-coded report across multiple measures — plus each school’s School Accountability Report Card (SARC).
How this state rates schools
The California School Dashboard shows performance on each measure using five colors: blue (highest), green, yellow, orange, and red (lowest). Colors reflect both current results and improvement, so a school can rise by getting better even if scores aren’t top. There’s no single overall grade — you read the colors across measures.
What gets measured
Under the federal ESSA law, every state rates schools using several indicators. They typically include:
- Academic achievementHow students score on state tests (proficiency in reading/ELA and math)
- Academic growth / progressHow much students improve year to year — not just where they land
- Graduation rateFor high schools (the 4-year cohort rate)
- English-learner progressHow English learners are progressing toward proficiency
- School quality / student successAn extra indicator — often attendance/chronic absenteeism, college/career readiness, or similar
Finding & reading the report card
Look up any school on the California School Dashboard (caschooldashboard.org). Each school also publishes a School Accountability Report Card (SARC) with achievement, resources, class sizes, and demographics. Read the dashboard colors by measure and note the trend.
How families should use ratings
A rating is a helpful starting point, not a verdict. Use it wisely:
- Read it in contextA school’s score reflects its students’ circumstances too, not only its quality
- Look at growth, not just scoresGrowth shows how much a school moves students — often more telling than raw proficiency
- Check the trendIs the school improving over time?
- Look past the summaryDig into the underlying data (subgroups, attendance, readiness)
- Then visitData raises questions; a visit answers them (see our guide on evaluating a school)
Tips for families
- Start on the official portalLook up your specific school, not just district averages
- Weigh growth heavilyHow much a school moves students matters as much as test scores
- Mind the contextRatings partly reflect student demographics and circumstances
- Compare a few schoolsRatings are most useful for comparison, in context
- Pair data with a visitNumbers plus a tour give the real picture
Frequently asked questions
- How does California rate schools?California uses a color-coded dashboard (five colors) across measures — not a single letter grade.
- What do the ratings measure?Test scores, growth, graduation rate, English-learner progress, and a school-quality indicator.
- Where do I look up my school?On the state’s official report-card portal (see below).
- Should I choose a school by its rating alone?No — use it as a starting point, weigh growth and context, and visit.
- What are CSI and TSI?Federal labels for schools flagged for Comprehensive or Targeted Support and Improvement.
At a glance
- FormatColor dashboard (5 colors)
- ToolCalifornia School Dashboard
- AlsoSchool Accountability Report Card (SARC)
- No singleA-F grade
- Look up atcaschooldashboard.org
Where to look it up
Look up a specific school on the official portal: