The result will be a months-long delay before the public can view results in English language arts, math and science for the state, districts, schools and charter schools.
The denial of a request by EdSource to release test score data comes at a time when educators are concerned about the pandemic's impact on reading and math progress, especially in the early years. Releasing scores "later this year" means that the public will learn about spring test results for third-graders who are now well into fourth grade.
The California Department of Education told EdSource that it is withholding the scores now, so they can be simultaneously released with other data for the California School Dashboard, such as student absentee rates, suspension rates and rates of chronic absenteeism. The dashboard provides a detailed look at school and district metrics, broken down by student demographic groups. The data is used to determine which low-performing districts require state assistance.
The state has not said when it plans to release the updated dashboard, but if it is released after Nov. 8, the Smarter Balanced results won't surface as an election year issue -- both for local school board races and for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who runs the California Department of Education and is facing re-election this year. Thurmond did not comment on the test scores release date. That updated dashboard has been released between November and January in past years.
