Troy Flint

On Oct. 15, the California Department of Education released updates for the California School Dashboard and the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) together for the first time. The Dashboard and CAASPP results paint a picture similar to the past several years: incremental progress and vast disparities between student groups. Read CSBA’s full analysis of the results: ow.ly/r6wO5101KbQ Much like the scores themselves, state leaders' reactions to the progress echoed those of prior years. Gov. Gavin Newsom painted a rosy view of these results in his statement, linking them to many of his flagship programs by saying, “This just in, test scores are up across the board in California for the third straight year.” In a statement, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy shared how governance alignment and reciprocal accountability is needed to truly move the needle on student achievement. “With a new governor on the horizon, California has an extraordinary opportunity to replace fragmented initiatives with a unified strategy built around student achievement, operational effectiveness and reciprocal accountability,” Billy said. “We cannot be satisfied with simply launching more programs or celebrating marginal gains. We must embrace reciprocal accountability and continue to push for better results from the entire education system, including the state government itself.”

In response to the Oct. 15 release of California’s 2026 student assessment results, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy issued a statement calling for reciprocal accountability in improving student outcomes. Read it in full here: ow.ly/c4ws50ZYwFT