2024–25 Title I Notification Authorization of SWP
Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) Winter Release data entry instructions for the 2024–25 Title I, Part A Notification of Authorization of Schoolwide Program (SWP) data collection form.Data Collection Purpose
This form is used by the local educational agency (LEA) to notify the California Department of Education (CDE) of a school's eligibility and local governing board approval to operate a Schoolwide Program (SWP). This form must be certified annually whether or not schools are authorized as SWP.
Program Information
An LEA may consolidate and use funds under Title I, Part A together with other Federal, State, and local funds, in order to upgrade the entire educational program of a SWP school that serves not less than 40 percent of children from low income families (Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] Section 1114[a][1][A]). LEAs may approve a school that has a low income percentage below 40 to operate as SWP if the school meets the SWP Waiver criteria established by the CDE (ESSA Section 1114[a][1][B]).
Currently authorized SWP
- For SWPs that continue to receive Title I, Part A funds and have low-income percentages at 40 percent or above, the LEAs will update the low income percentage for each SWP school. Unless the school’s low-income percent has dropped below 40 percent, it is not necessary to update the local board approval date of their SWP plan. This practice ensures the accuracy of local board approval dates and at the same time reminds LEAs and SWP schools about the need to apply for the SWP Waiver if their low-income percentages fall below 40 percent.
- If the low-income percent falls below the 40 percent student low income threshold at a SWP school during the current school year the LEA must apply, during the same school year, for a SWP Waiver in order to continue to operate as a SWP school. In addition, the SWP Plan must be approved by the local governing board. For such SWP schools the LEA must update the “Low Income %” data field, the “Local Board Approval Date SWP Waiver” field, and the “Local Board Approval Date SWP Plan” field.
Newly authorized SWP
- For schools that meet the 40 percent student low income threshold, the LEA will provide:
- the low-income percentage (for the current fiscal year);
- and the local board approval date of the approved SWP plan.
- For schools
that do not meet the 40 percent student low income threshold, the LEA will provide:
- the low-income percentage (for the current fiscal year);
- the local board approval date of the approved SWP plan; and
- the local board approval date of the SWP Waiver request.
Please note that the local governing board approval date must occur on or before June 30 of the current school/fiscal year. A school may begin to operate as a SWP on the day the local governing board approves the SWP plan.
Important: When required, the SWP Waiver must be approved before the SWP plan is approved; the SWP Waiver approval date must occur either before the local board approves the SWP Plan or on the same date the SWP Plan is approved.
SWP Waiver Criteria
The following SWP Waiver criteria are used for a school that does not have the 40 percent low-income threshold required to operate as a SWP, or for a SWP school that has fallen below the 40 percent low-income threshold after the initial local board approval of the SWP plan. To be eligible to apply for a SWP waiver schools shall meet one or more of the following criteria:
- ≥25 percent student low income
- Graduation rate is below state average
- Local governing board recommends that a SWP is the best way to serve the student population
- ≥30 percent English learner student population
- School has been identified for comprehensive or targeted support
- School has been identified as the lowest 5 percent of low performing schools
CDE Program Staff Contact
Rina DeRose
Education Programs Consultant
Title I Policy, Program, and Support Office
rderose@cde.ca.gov
916-323-0472
Displayed Data - School Details
School name and School code: Source data from the CDE County-District-School database, as reflected in the California School Directory web-based application.
Pre-populated Data
Authorized SWP, Low income percent (%), Local board approval date SWP plan, and Local board approval date SWP waiver: These editable fields are pre-populated with data from the prior fiscal year version of this data collection form, if that prior year form was certified.
Procedures
| Step | Action | Program Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | If applicable, select the Authorized SWP indicator to designate the school as SWP. | Optional field (field used by authorized SWPs). The school must meet the criteria defined in the program information listed above and have the appropriate approvals. |
| 2 | Enter the Low Income Percent (%). | If the authorized SWP indicator is selected, then this field is required. Update the low-income percent for each school to equal the amount certified in the 2024–25 Title I, Part A School Allocations data collection form. Percent must be entered to include the decimal to the hundredths. Example: 45.00 or 45.77. |
| 3 | Enter the Local Board Approval Date SWP Plan. | If the authorized SWP indicator is selected, then this field is required. Format: MM/DD/YYYY. To allow for appropriate notification and implementation, and appropriate California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System end-of-year reporting, the local board approval date of the SWP plan must be on or before June 30, 2025. |
| 4 | If applicable, enter the Local Board Approval Date SWP Waiver. | Conditionally required field. Format: MM/DD/YYYY. A school must receive the local board’s approval of the SWP Waiver on the same date or before the approval date of the SWP Plan. |
Optional Function
Download schools template: Select this option to download school data from the data collection form into an Excel (.xls) spreadsheet.
Choose file / Upload schools file: Select this option to upload school data from an Excel (.xls) spreadsheet into the data collection form.
Note: This optional function to work offline in a spreadsheet, rather than manually entering data directly into the data collection form, may be useful if a district has more schools than can display in a single view of the data collection form on-screen.
Error Messages
| Field Name | Error Message | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Local Board Approval Date SWP Plan | School: [School Name] has an invalid local board approval date of the SWP plan entered. To allow for appropriate notification and implementation, the local board approval date of the SWP plan must be on or before June 30, 2025. | If the local board approval date of the SWP plan is after 06/30/2025, then notification of the SWP must wait until the winter release of CARS in the following fiscal year. |
| Not field name specific | School: [School Name] does not meet the Schoolwide Program low income percent requirement. Low income percent is not equal to or above 40 percent. A local board approval date of the SWP waiver must be provided. | Provide a local board approval date of the SWP waiver. |
| Local Board Approval Date SWP Plan | School: [School Name] Local board approval date of the SWP plan is required. | Enter the local board approval date of the SWP plan. |
| Low Income Percent | School: [School Name] Low income percent is required. | Enter the low income percent and ensure the number includes 2 decimal points. |
| Local Board Approval Date SWP Plan | School: [School Name] has a local board approval date of the SWP waiver. The local board approval date of the SWP plan must be on or after the local board approval date of the SWP waiver. | The local board approval date of the SWP plan must be on or after the local board approval date of the SWP waiver. |
| Local Board Approval Date SWP Waiver | School: [School Name] has an invalid local board approval date of the SWP waiver entered. Date must be equal to today's date or earlier. | Date must be equal to today's date or earlier. |
| Low Income Percent | The Low income % for [School Name] must be a number with 2 decimal points. | Update the low income percent to include the decimal point to the hundredths. |