California public schools: the Dashboard and districts

This article is for parents and students who are about to move to California and are looking at public schools. After reading, you should understand how enrolment works through a district, how to read the School Dashboard's colour indicators, and which records to prepare before entry. Much of it sounds unfamiliar at first, but it is manageable one step at a time.

Start with the basics of US grades

According to the US State Department's education overview (as of 29 October 2026), US schooling runs 12 grades after kindergarten. Children usually start Grade 1 around age 6, though some start at 5 or 7. Which grades form elementary, middle and high school, and the age cut-off date, depend on state and district rules.

For example, your child's grade in Korea alone does not settle the US grade. Age and district rules both play a part, so asking the district first is the safer route. Graduates receive a High School Diploma.

Enrolment goes through the district where you live

According to the US Department of Education's family toolkit (NCELA, as of 29 October 2026), public schools enrol through the local school district. Schools may ask for proof of address such as a utility bill, proof of age and immunisation records, and districts list the documents online. So the first step is to find out which district your new address belongs to.

The same material says all children have equal access to free public education regardless of citizenship or residency status, and schools cannot require documents that block or discourage enrolment. Actual document lists can differ by district, so use your district's own instructions as the standard.

The School Dashboard is not a single grade

According to the California Department of Education (as of 29 October 2026), California shows results by indicator on the School Dashboard rather than one overall grade such as A to F. State indicators such as graduation rate, academic performance, suspension rate, English learner progress, college/career readiness and chronic absenteeism each get a colour. The five colours run from Blue (highest) through Green, Yellow and Orange to Red (lowest).

Each colour combines current status and change from last year, so one colour carries two pieces of information. Results are also shown by student group, such as English learners.

How to read the colours

Rather than trying to judge the whole school in one sentence, look first at the indicators closest to your child. For a child still building English, for example, look at English learner progress and the results for that student group. For a high schooler, graduation rate and college/career readiness may stand out.

The colours are signals per indicator, nothing more. If an indicator is Yellow or Orange, take it as a prompt to ask the school about the reasons and plans rather than a reason to be discouraged. What the Dashboard shows and what a school feels like can differ, so we suggest contacting the school directly and listening to its explanation.

Immunisation records to prepare before entry

According to the California Department of Education (checked 31 October 2026; the page itself was last reviewed on 20 June 2019), kindergarten entry requires proof of DTaP x5, polio x4, MMR x2, hepatitis B x3 and varicella x1. Grade 7 requires Tdap x1 and MMR x2. Students from out of state must show varicella immunisation.

Records must show the month and year of each dose, and some counties also ask for the day or TB test results. First-graders have 90 days after entry to provide a health check-up certificate from the previous 18 months or a parent waiver.

Because that page's review date is old, please confirm current schedules with the California Department of Public Health's 'Shots for School' and your district. It also helps to ask the district how Korean vaccination records should be presented in English.

Sam's one-line tip

Check the district for your new address first, then open that district's enrolment document list and the Dashboard side by side.

Checklist

• I have confirmed which district my new address belongs to
• I have downloaded the enrolment document list from the district website
• I have gathered documents for proof of address, such as a utility bill
• I have prepared my child's proof of age and immunisation records
• I have checked that the records show the month and year of each dose
• I have picked two or three Dashboard indicators that matter for my child
• I have added grade placement and the age cut-off date to my list of questions for the district

Ask the school

• How is my child's grade decided from age, and what is the cut-off date?
• Which documents are needed for enrolment, and what counts as proof of address?
• In what format and language should immunisation records be submitted, and what happens if a dose is missing?
• For a first-grader, when and how do we submit the health check-up certificate?
• How does the school view the Dashboard results for the student group my child belongs to?

Your next step

Today, open the district website for your new address and save its enrolment document page. Then read the California Department of Education's Dashboard colour explanation page once.

Always confirm your own situation with the official authority or an immigration professional.