Education Data in California: Availability and Transparency

This paper describes the potential for using K–12 education data to support school improvement efforts and the effective, efficient use of education resources. It also examines the availability and transparency of education data in California. The study addresses three broad questions related to the state’s education data system:

1. What is the state of California’s education data system currently?
2. What is being done to strengthen it?
3. What are the obstacles and challenges to improving the system so that it can be an effective tool for helping policymakers and education leaders understand how schools are performing and how resources can be most effectively allocated?