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District dashboard shows strong results but flags chronic absenteeism and subgroup participation
Summary
SMMUSD officials presented the newly released California School Dashboard, reporting strong overall indicators and improved test participation (96% ELA participation) but continuing concerns about chronic absenteeism and participation penalties for some subgroups.
The district's first look at the 2025 California School Dashboard highlighted generally positive results while underscoring lingering attendance and subgroup participation issues. "Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District has a 96 participation rate in ELA in 2025, which is great. The goal is 95," Alyssa O'Grady, the district's director of assessment, research and evaluation, told the board.
O'Grady said the dashboard now includes seven state indicators with color ratings for all metrics, and that the district either maintained or improved in each area except chronic absenteeism. She noted that while no subgroup overall is in the red, some small subgroups lack a color rating because their sample sizes are too small for a valid performance color. Board members pressed for strategies to increase participation from historically undercounted groups, and the presentation emphasized school‑level outreach, makeup testing and family engagement to reduce opt‑outs and improve representation in the data.
Superintendent Dr. Shelton and other staff framed the dashboard numbers as one component of district monitoring; staff also described a new 'street data' effort to combine formal metrics with student, staff and family voice to better capture the day‑to‑day experience driving outcomes.
