Understanding California's 2025 Afterschool Data Reporting Reforms
What You Need to Know
If you run an afterschool program in California, you know the frustration: reporting the same data over and over again for funding compliance.
At the end of September 2024, Governor Newsom approved AB-1113. California's new bill aims to resolve the overlapping paperwork between major funding sources by unifying multi-program data into a cohesive system.
Overview of New CA Data Requirements
Assembly Bill No. 1113 has pivotal changes for California's after school education and safety program and other afterschool programs:
- Historically, programs like ELOP, ASES, and 21st Century Learning Centers submitted separate data reports.
- This legislation seeks to streamline enrollment tracking, improving consistency and integration across various programs.
- Now, data from different programs will be integrated into CALPADS, aligning objectives statewide.
- The Department of Education will spearhead efforts to identify redundancies and provide clear guidance for compliance with the new regulations.
Ultimately, these changes represent a significant step forward in improving educational data management and evaluation across California.
Assembly Bill No. 1113 Details
Assembly Bill No. 1113 aims to improve data reporting for California's afterschool programs by introducing a unified approach to documentation.
Previously, afterschool initiatives maintained distinct reporting requirements despite the fact that programs had overlapping data on student engagement and participation. This bill mandates standardization by integrating reports into the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), which should simplify data management allowing programs to maintain their focus on student impact.
Looking forward, the California Department of Education will lay out specific recommendations to simplify these processes by the 2025-26 academic year. This groundwork will facilitate a consistent reporting platform, ensuring alignment with program goals and more effective use of the substantial $5 billion investment in afterschool education.
The Bigger Picture—Impact On High Schoolers
While AB-1113's immediate focus is on streamlining data collection, it addresses a broader challenge in California's expanded learning programs. Currently, high school students - who make up 33% of California's student population - receive less than 2% of expanded learning funding. Only 18% of California high schools receive state or federal afterschool program funding, leaving over 1,000 high-need schools without 21st Century Community Learning Centers support. This data collection effort may help illuminate and address these disparities.
How This Data Will Drive Decisions
The integration with CALPADS will provide new insight into expanded learning programs' impact. Starting in 2025, administrators and policymakers will have access to comprehensive data including:
- Student Demographics: Better understanding of which students and families are being served
- Academic Metrics:
- Test scores
- School attendance rates
- Graduation rates
- College attendance numbers
- Academic performance trends
- Behavioral Indicators:
- Discipline rates
- School day attendance patterns
This data collection effort serves multiple strategic purposes:
- Supports the state's goal of universal access to expanded learning opportunities
- Helps identify and close opportunity gaps
- Improves coordination between expanded learning programs and regular school day activities
- Provides evidence to protect and sustain funding for future generations
- Enables better integration of after school education and safety program with school day curriculum
For program administrators, this data integration represents more than just compliance - it's an opportunity to demonstrate program value and impact and make data-driven decisions about program improvements.
Timeline for Implementation and Integration with CALPADS
In 2024, the California Department of Education will strategize implementation, presenting their plan to unify the reporting processes. Schools and districts will receive their initial guidance, allowing them to prepare for the upcoming integration.
The integration with the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) is intended to simplify data reporting and assessment for afterschool programs across California, driving both accuracy and efficiency in data management. Through this integration, all participating programs will adhere to unified data standards, enabling a thorough evaluation of program outcomes.
Details about this integration are to be determined. By spring 2025, the Department of Education is expected to release comprehensive guidelines for the effective use of CALPADS.
As the 2025-26 school year begins in August, schools will start implementing the new system. At Attendly, we know it's important to stay informed about updates to comply with the new data-focused requirements. We will be doing our part to keep programs updated on the latest best practices and sustainability strategies.
