BURLINGAME – CTA President Eric C. Heins released this statement after today’s launch of the fall 2017 California School Dashboard, a website that provides valuable information on multiple topics regarding school and student performance in an easy-to-understand report card format.

“CTA welcomes resources such as the California School Dashboard to help all our students be successful. This accountability system is a positive step forward, utilizing multiple measures to demonstrate student and school achievement. While the Dashboard is still a work in progress, this system is much improved from the old shame-and-blame accountability system, and the days when districts, schools and students were judged heavily on a single test score. Educators know one test taken on one day doesn’t provide a complete picture of student learning, what’s happening in schools or what is needed in helping students succeed. The Dashboard begins to provide parents with a broader picture of performance based on a variety of measurements.

“Today’s release identified 228 districts with at least one low-performing student group across two of the state’s priority indicators, which means those districts have been pegged to receive extra support. Local meetings will determine the technical assistance needed, and it will be important that teachers, parents and community stakeholders are part of that assistance team, adding their experience and expertise to insure students have the support, tools and time to learn. Involving stakeholders in student learning is true progress.”

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The 325,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.