Capistrano Unified School District continues to demonstrate strong academic performance and student achievement, according to the recently released 2026 California School Dashboard results. The District earned the state’s highest performance level in four key indicators, reflecting the dedication of students, educators, staff, and families across CUSD.
The annual California School Dashboard provides a comprehensive picture of how California’s public schools and districts are performing, measuring academic achievement, student engagement, and school climate. This year’s results highlight CUSD’s continued academic strength, progress in English language development, and high levels of college and career readiness.
Strong Academic Performance Across the District
CUSD earned a Blue performance level, the highest designation awarded by the state, in English Language Arts, Science, Graduation Rate, and College/Career Readiness. The District also earned Green performance levels in Mathematics, English Learner Progress, and Suspension Rate.
Among the District’s notable results:
- English Language Arts: CUSD students performed 50.2 points above the state’s academic standard, maintaining the highest performance level and improving 2.7 points over the previous year. The state average is 7.5 points below proficiency.
- Mathematics: Students performed 25.9 points above proficiency, while the state average was 38.9 points below proficiency.
- English Learner Progress: 53.7% of English learners made progress toward English language proficiency, an increase of 7 percentage points from the previous year. The state average is 47.4%.
- Science: Students achieved a score of 66.1 science points, earning the highest performance level and improving 1.0 point from the previous year.
These results demonstrate continued academic strength while providing valuable information to guide instructional priorities and support student across the District.
Graduation and College Readiness Remain District Strengths
CUSD students continue to demonstrate high levels of achievement as they prepare for life beyond high school.
The District’s graduation rate increased to 96.6%, a gain of 1.2 percentage points over the previous year, well above the statewide graduation rate pf 88.1%.
College and career readiness also remained strong, with 79.2% of CUSD students meeting the state’s prepared designation, compared with 55.2% statewide.
These outcomes reflect the District’s commitment to providing students with rigorous academic opportunities, meaningful learning experiences, and pathways that prepare them for college, careers, and future success.
Understanding the California School Dashboard
The California School Dashboard is California’s statewide accountability system, designed to help families, educators, and communities understand how schools and districts are serving students.
Unlike accountability systems that rely primarily on standardized test scores, the Dashboard examines multiple indicators to provide a more complete picture of school performance.
These measures include:
- Academic Achievement: Student performance in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
- College/Career Readiness: How effectively schools prepare students for opportunities after graduation.
- Graduation Rate: The percentage of students completing high school within the state’s four-year graduation measure.
- English Learner Progress: How English learners advance toward English language proficiency.
- Chronic Absenteeism: The percentage of students missing a significant portion of the school year.
- Suspension Rate: A measure of student engagement and school climate.
The Dashboard uses five color-coded performance levels, ranging from Red (lowest) to Blue (highest). These designations consider both current performance and changes over time, allowing schools and districts to identify areas of success and opportunities for continued improvement.
The Dashboard also provides performance information for individual student groups, helping districts evaluate how effectively they are meeting the needs of all learners.
Using Data to Support Continuous Improvement
While the 2026 Dashboard reflects strong performance across several key indicators, the results also identify opportunities for continued growth.
CUSD’s chronic absenteeism rate was 11.4%, compared with the statewide rate of 16.1%. Although CUSD’s rate remained lower than the state average, the District received an Orange performance designation, underscoring the importance of continued efforts to improve attendance and student engagement.
The District also maintained a Green performance level in Suspension Rate, with 1.8% of students suspended at least one day, compared with 2.7% statewide.
CUSD will continue using Dashboard data, along with local assessments and other measures, to evaluate student needs, strengthen instructional practices, and identify opportunities to support student achievement.
A Shared Commitment to Student Success
The District’s 2026 Dashboard results reflect the collective efforts of students, teachers, classified employees, school leaders, families, and community partners who contribute to student success every day. From strong academic performance to graduation and college readiness, these accomplishments demonstrate CUSD’s ongoing commitment to providing every student with opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. As the District celebrates these achievements, it remains focused on continuous improvement. We also recognize these areas are only a part of ensuring our students reach their full potential, and leave our schools prepared to take on a rapidly changing world.
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