California’s education data landscape is evolving—and expanded learning providers need to stay ahead of the curve. At the center of these changes is the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), a statewide data system designed to track student information over time. While CALPADS has been in place for K–12 academic data for years, upcoming updates will expand its reach to afterschool and summer programs as well.
For providers of 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and After School Education and Safety (ASES) programs, this shift represents more than just a new technical requirement. It’s an opportunity to align with the state’s data goals, demonstrate program effectiveness, and ensure continued access to funding.
Whether you’re a district leader, grant administrator, or site coordinator, here’s what you need to know about CALPADS and how to prepare.
What Is CALPADS?
CALPADS is California’s student-level data system. It collects information about student demographics, course enrollments, academic performance, program participation, and more. Launched by the California Department of Education (CDE), the system plays a critical role in tracking educational equity, monitoring compliance, and informing policy decisions.
Until recently, CALPADS primarily focused on school-day academic data. But beginning in the 2025–26 school year, CDE will require expanded learning data submissions through CALPADS for ASES and 21st CCLC programs.
Why This Matters for Expanded Learning Programs
The expansion of CALPADS into after-school and summer learning programs reflects the state’s broader commitment to whole-child education and learning beyond the bell. By integrating out-of-school time (OST) data into the state’s primary reporting system, California aims to:
- Recognize the impact of expanded learning programs on student growth
- Promote data-driven decision-making across districts and LEAs
- Ensure equitable access to high-quality after-school opportunities
- Streamline compliance with state and federal reporting requirements
In short, this is a big step toward validating the role that expanded learning plays in student success.
What Kind of Data Will Be Required?
CDE has not yet released the full specifications for CALPADS expanded learning reporting, but based on current discussions, programs can expect to submit data in the following categories:
- Student identifiers (such as SSID, demographic information)
- Program enrollment and participation dates
- Attendance records
- Service delivery type (afterschool, summer, weekend, intersession)
- Funding source alignment (e.g., ASES, 21st CCLC, ELO-P)
- Site and district information
It’s important to note that this data must align with existing CALPADS student records, which means programs will likely need to work closely with their district CALPADS administrators.
What’s Driving This Change?
The move to include expanded learning in CALPADS stems from several intersecting goals:
1. Equity and Access Tracking
The state wants to understand who is being served—and who’s being left out. CALPADS reporting allows CDE to disaggregate data by race, socioeconomic status, English learner status, and more.
2. Accountability for Public Funds
With historic investments in programs like Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) and 21st CCLC, California is emphasizing transparency and measurable outcomes.
3. Cross-System Alignment
Integrating school-day and after-school data allows for a more holistic view of student learning. It also reduces the burden of maintaining separate, disconnected systems.
4. Preparation for Future Federal Reporting
CALPADS integration may support eventual alignment with EDFacts or future federal guidance for OST program data.
What Should Program Leaders Do Now?
Although full implementation won’t be required until the 2025–26 school year, preparation should start well in advance. Here are several proactive steps programs can take:
1. Get Familiar with CALPADS Basics
If your program hasn’t interacted with CALPADS before, now is the time to learn. Understand how SSIDs work, what types of records CALPADS holds, and how your district submits data.
2. Engage with Your District
Expanded learning programs will need to coordinate closely with the CALPADS administrators in their districts or LEAs. Start building those relationships now so you can establish secure data sharing and submission protocols later.
3. Evaluate Your Data System
Review your current program management or data tracking system. Can it support the kind of clean, structured data needed for CALPADS? Can it map fields like SSID, site codes, and session dates correctly? Now may be the time to explore upgrades or integrations.
4. Prioritize Data Hygiene
Begin standardizing how your team enters participant data. Ensure consistency in student names, dates, and site records. Errors that may have been tolerated in informal reporting won’t fly in a state-integrated system.
5. Stay Informed
The CDE will likely issue guidance documents, file layouts, and timelines over the next year. Join listservs, attend webinars, and participate in collaborative workgroups so you don’t miss critical updates.
What Challenges Might Arise?
As with any statewide change, there will be bumps along the way. Some common challenges programs may encounter include:
- Lack of SSID access for community-based organizations (CBOs)
- Unclear roles between districts and external providers
- Data privacy concerns around PII sharing
- Software limitations that don’t align with CALPADS structure
- Staff training needs to ensure clean and accurate data entry
Programs that anticipate these hurdles and plan accordingly will be in a stronger position to meet the new requirements.
Looking Ahead: A New Era for Expanded Learning Accountability
The inclusion of expanded learning data in CALPADS is a milestone for California. It signals a more integrated, equitable, and accountable system—one that fully acknowledges the value of learning that happens outside the traditional school day.
While the transition may feel daunting, it also offers an opportunity. By embracing the CALPADS shift early, programs can position themselves as leaders in data-informed education and champions for the students and families they serve.
The coming year is your window to prepare, build the right partnerships, and ensure your program is ready to thrive in this new data environment.
Stay Informed. Stay Prepared.
EZReports is committed to supporting California’s expanded learning community through this transition. We’re actively building functionality to align with CALPADS requirements and partnering closely with programs to ensure they’re ready when new submissions come due.
To learn more about our current capabilities and our ongoing commitment to CALPADS compliance, visit our CALPADS support page.