El Segundo Unified School District scored in the top two performance tiers across every measured category on the 2026 California School Dashboard, the district announced on Instagram on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The district earned Blue or Green ratings in all areas. On the dashboard's five-color scale, Blue signals the highest achievement and Green the second highest, followed by Yellow, Orange and Red.
The California Department of Education released the annual dashboard in October, according to EdSource. The system rates every school and district on eight state indicators: English Language Arts scores, math scores, science, English learner progress, high school graduation rates, chronic absences through grade 8, suspension rates, and college and career readiness.
Each color rating blends two factors weighted equally: the current year's score or rate and the change from the prior year. A district that improved sharply could see an otherwise middling score rise to Green, while a decline could drag a score down to Orange.
The district said the dashboard measures performance and progress on a range of state and local measures beyond test scores alone. It did not specify which indicators earned Blue and which earned Green.
What the ratings mean for families
Districts where at least one student group receives a Red rating on two or more priority areas qualify for "Differentiated Assistance," a state program encouraging districts to seek improvement guidance from county offices of education. In 2026, only 144 districts statewide qualified, down from 418 the prior year, after the State Board of Education revised the criteria, EdSource reported.
Districtwide ratings can mask differences among student groups, whose results also help determine eligibility for additional state support.
College readiness gains preceded the results
The dashboard results follow a strong college-readiness trend at El Segundo High School. The school increased its A-G completion rate from 79% to 83% in 2025, according to a district announcement in August 2025. A-G requirements represent the minimum college-preparatory coursework for admission to University of California and California State University campuses.
Superintendent Dr. Jason Johnson said in that August 2025 announcement that the district was committed to ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed beyond high school.
Families can view the full breakdown of El Segundo Unified's results on the California School Dashboard website.
