Understanding California’s SOARS System

The Student Online Accountability Record Status (SOARS) system is a secure California Department of Education portal used to share selected student-level accountability data with authorized local educational agency and charter-school users.

Restricted student information

SOARS files may contain personally identifiable information (PII). Access is limited to authorized users, and each LEA or charter school can access only its own data. Follow applicable law and local policy for authorization, downloading, storage, use, sharing, retention, and secure deletion.

SOARS at a glance

Purpose

Give authorized LEA and charter-school staff secure access to selected student-level accountability records.

Authorized users

Access is provided to designated Accountability, Dashboard, and CALPADS coordinators.

Limited availability

CDE publishes data as needed and makes it downloadable for a limited period. The portal displays the expiration date.

Data currently shared through SOARS

College/Career Indicator

Student-level information identifying which students are included in the College/Career Indicator measures reported through the California School Dashboard.

Long-term English learners

Information identifying English learner students as long-term English learners (LTELs) or at risk of becoming LTELs.

CDE may add other student-level information in future releases. Verify the contents, documentation, reporting period, fields, and expiration date every time a file becomes available.

Why an organization might not receive a report

A CCI report may be unavailable when an LEA or charter school has no students enrolled in grade twelve.
An LTEL report may be unavailable when no students are identified as LTEL or at risk of becoming LTEL.
Release timing and CDE criteria may affect what appears in the portal.

Obtaining appropriate access

Need	Who to contact	Important limitation
Dashboard or CCI data	The LEA’s Accountability or Dashboard coordinator	CDE sends confidential access instructions to designated coordinators.
LTEL or at-risk-of-LTEL data	The LEA’s CALPADS coordinator	Access is role-based and limited to the organization’s own data.
Non-charter school data	The school’s LEA	Release to a school is at the LEA’s discretion and subject to applicable requirements.
Research data	The formal CDE Data Request process	Researchers do not receive SOARS access merely because they are conducting a study.

If an LEA or charter school lacks an Accountability coordinator, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for coordinator-registration guidance.

Data-use reminder

SOARS is a secure delivery mechanism—not blanket authorization to use student-level data for any purpose. Access, analysis, redisclosure, retention, and derived products must remain consistent with the reason the information was provided.

Recommended secure-handling workflow

Confirm authorization. Verify that each user has a current, role-based need for access.
Read the release documentation. Review the reporting year, included population, field definitions, known limitations, and expiration date.
Download securely. Use a district-managed device, approved network, and authorized storage location.
Restrict access. Grant only the minimum necessary access. Do not send files through ordinary email or store them in personal cloud accounts.
Validate before use. Check record counts, identifiers, reporting periods, definitions, and expected populations.
Protect derivative files. Apply disclosure and access controls to spreadsheets, extracts, reports, dashboards, and presentation materials.
Retain only as authorized. Follow the organization’s records schedule, data agreements, and CDE requirements.
Delete securely. Remove downloaded and derivative student-level files when retention is no longer authorized or required.

Before analyzing a SOARS file

Confirm the academic year and release date.
Read the data dictionary and release notes.
Determine which students and schools are included or excluded.
Check for duplicate identifiers, missing values, and unexpected record counts.
Distinguish student-level component data from published aggregate Dashboard results.
Document transformations, joins, filters, and locally calculated fields.
Apply suppression and disclosure review before sharing summaries.

Frequently asked questions

What is SOARS?
SOARS is an online portal through which CDE securely shares selected student-level accountability data with authorized LEA and charter-school users.
Who can access the system?
Access is limited to authorized Accountability, Dashboard, and CALPADS coordinators at LEAs and charter schools. Non-charter schools should contact their LEA.
How long are files available?
CDE makes files available for a limited period. Authorized users should check the expiration date shown in the portal’s download area.
Will additional data be added?
CDE states that it will continue exploring opportunities to provide additional student-level data. Never assume that a field or report will appear until it is documented for the current release.
Are Smarter Balanced results reflected in CCI files?
The CDE FAQ explains that assessment results were omitted from the 2021 and 2022 releases because of pandemic-era testing disruptions and would be reflected in future releases. Consult the documentation for the specific file rather than relying on historical release descriptions.
Is the overall CCI preparedness level included?
The CDE FAQ says the department hopes to provide an overall preparedness level in a future release. Confirm the fields in the current file rather than assuming that prepared, approaching, or not prepared is included.

Official resources

SOARS contents, access roles, release schedules, fields, and procedures may change. Consult the current CDE FAQ and the documentation accompanying every release. Reviewed August 2, 2026.