Overview for California
For the 2020-21 school year, the California Department of Education (CDE) collected monthly data on learning model by school; data on student enrollment by learning model are not available. COVID-19 case data for the state’s schools or districts are not currently available. The state had a mask mandate in effect throughout the school year; this is reflected in the staff and student masking data for all state districts.
Data Details
Please review the Data Details for California for important information on the datasets presented below.
State Test Score Results
The State Test Score Results Data Series explores state-level trends in ELA and math proficiency outcomes on state standardized assessments, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the Data Series presents math and ELA proficiency trends on state assessments between Spring 2018-Spring 2023, as available. Results are presented for the state overall, by race/ethnicity, and by district poverty levels for school-age children. Data presented in each State Brief are specific to the state’s assessment and are not comparable to other states.
California Test Score ResultsNote that not all states have available data at this time.
Predominant Learning Models in California in 2020-2021
Shown as a percentage of the 2020-21 school year that students in California had access to primarily in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction. All calculations are weighted by enrollment size.
7%
In-Person
22%
Hybrid
71%
Virtual
Note. Values may not add to 100% due to rounding. This dataset includes 1,895 districts in the state with learning model data for the 2020-21 school year. Pandemic schooling mode data for the 2020–21 school year were provided by the California Department of Education (CDE). Data are available between August 2020–May 2021. The predominant model reflects the most common monthly model offered by school districts over the course of the school year, and not individual student schooling mode choices. For more information about the data, please see the state's Data Details.
School Districts by Learning Model in 2020-2021
Compare the percentage of the school year that K-12 public school students had access to primarily in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction in the selected districts vs. the state average.
In-Person
Hybrid
Virtual
Statewide
Note. Use the drop-down feature to compare up to three districts to the state's average. Values may not add to 100% due to rounding. These figures represent the percentage of the school year that each district offered primarily in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction, based on the monthly schooling mode. Pandemic schooling mode data for the 2020–21 school year were provided by the California Department of Education (CDE). Data are available between August 2020–May 2021. The predominant model reflects the most common monthly model offered by school districts over the course of the school year, and not individual student schooling mode choices. For more information about the data, please see the state's Data Details.
State Characteristics by Learning Model in 2020-2021
Compare the percentage of the school year in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction was the primary mode of instruction for students by race/ethnicity, free and reduced price lunch (FRPL) eligibility, and district locale. All school district characteristics are based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the 2020-21 school year. Note that FRPL data are not available for AK, IL, MA, OH, VA and DC. All calculations are weighted by district enrollment size.
In-Person
Hybrid
Virtual
By Race and Ethnicity
The percentage of the school year that in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction was the primary mode of instruction for K-12 students by student race/ethnicity, as defined by NCES.
By Free and Reduced Price Lunch Eligibility
The percentage of the school year that in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction was the primary mode of instruction for K-12 students by free and reduced price lunch (FRPL) eligibility, as defined by NCES.
By District Locale
Compare the percentage of the school year that in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction was the primary mode of instruction for K-12 students by district locale, as defined by NCES.
Assessment Outcomes by In-Person Learning
Compare the change in students proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and math between 2019-2022 by level of access to full in-person instruction during the 2020-21 school year in California. These figures are included in the California State Snapshot as part of the Pandemic Schooling Mode and Assessment Outcomes Data Series. More information on the Data Series and all available state briefs are available here.
Level of full in-person access:
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
Change in Percentage of Students in Grades 3‒8 Achieving ELA Proficiency Compared to Spring 2019, by Level of Access to Full In-Person Instruction in 2020-21.
Level of full in-person access:
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
Change in Percentage of Students Achieving Math Proficiency Compared to 2019, by Level of Access to Full In-Person Instruction in 2020-21.
Note. The distribution of students across categorizations varies. Of 4,958,656 students in K-12 included in the analysis, 1% had very high levels of access to in-person instruction (n=55,158), 2% had high access (n=92,681), 8% had moderate access (n=414,508), 13% had low access (n=644,338) and 76% had very low access (n=3,751,971). Analysis does not include charter schools.
Assessment Data. The student assessment data represent outcomes for students in Grades 3–8 in math and ELA on the state’s Smarter Balanced assessments.
Pandemic Schooling Mode Data. California’s pandemic schooling mode data for the 2020–21 school year were provided by the California Department of Education (CDE). Data are available at the school level between August 2020–May 2021. Data reflect the predominant model used by a school or district during a given time period; students may have opted for virtual learning even if their school’s predominant learning model was in-person or hybrid.
Levels of Access to In-Person Instruction. To determine the level of access to in-person instruction in 2020-21, the COVID-19 School Data Hub (CSDH) first determined the percentage of the school year that students within each district were offered full in-person instruction, hybrid instruction, or virtual instruction. Next, districts were classified into five levels of access to in-person instruction, based on the following formula: (% of the year in-person*100 )+ (% of the year hybrid*50) + (% of the year virtual*0)."
More information can be found in the California State Snapshot.
Public Data Sources for California
| Data | Learning model data available? | Source | Data Level | Time Interval | Download |
| CA Learning Model Data | Yes | California Department of Education (CDE) | School | Monthly |   |
| Data | Available? | Source | Data Level | Download |
| CA COVID-19 Data | No | |||
| CA Masking Data | Yes | State Mask Mandate | District | |