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A Parent's Guide to the SARC

Description of the requirements and information contained in the School Accountability Report Card (SARC).
  1. What is a School Accountability Report Card (SARC)?

    Since November 1988, state law has required that schools receiving state funding are to prepare and distribute a SARC. A similar requirement is also contained in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The purpose of the report card is to provide important information about each school so parents/caregivers can make meaningful comparisons between public schools that will enable them to make informed decisions on the school in which to enroll their children. A SARC can be an effective way for a school to report on its progress in achieving goals. The public may also use a SARC to evaluate and compare schools on a variety of indicators.

  2. What information does the SARC contain?

    Although there is great variation in the design of school report cards, they generally begin with a profile that provides background information about the school and its students. The profile usually summarizes the school's mission, goals, and accomplishments. State law requires that the SARC contain the following:

    • Demographic data
    • School safety and climate for learning information
    • Academic data
    • School completion rates
    • Class sizes
    • Teacher and staff information
    • Curriculum and instruction descriptions
    • Postsecondary preparation information
    • Fiscal and expenditure data
  1. How often must a SARC be updated?

    School report cards must be updated annually and published by February 1.

  2. How are schools required to distribute the SARC?

    State law generally encourages schools to make a concerted effort to notify parents of the purpose of the school accountability report cards and to ensure that all parents receive a copy of the report card for the school their child attends. Specifically, schools are required to notify all parents about the availability of the SARC and to provide parents with instructions about how the SARC can be obtained both through the Internet (if feasible) and on paper (upon request). If 15% or more of a school's enrolled students speak a single primary language other than English, state law requires that the SARC also be prepared and made available to these parents in the appropriate primary language.

  3. How can a parent obtain a SARC?

    Parents with Internet access can go to the CDE Find a SARC web page External link opens in new window or tab.. This web page contains the current and one prior year of SARC Reports that have been submitted to the California Department of Education (CDE) by the schools/local educational agencies (LEAs). For purposes of the SARC, an LEA is a school district or a county office of education or a direct funded charter school or a nonpublic nonsectarian school.

    Schools/LEAs submit/post their SARCs by: (1) using the online electronic SARC Report template located on the SARC Web Application system to complete and post their SARC, or (2) uploading an active uniform resource locator (URL) of the website address where their SARC has been posted on their school/LEA website or an active URL that takes the viewer directly into their posted SARC.

    On the CDE Find a SARC web page, in the Search box, type in the name of the school or the district or county office of education; then select the “Search” button (looks like a magnifying glass); you will view a list of results; then select the school, this will take you to the school’s Summary web page. In the lower left corner of the Summary web page is a dropdown of school years, select the year, then select the “View Full SARC” button, the system will take you to the school's SARC report.

    If a school's SARC report is not available on the CDE Find a SARC web page, contact the school or district. To obtain a hard copy of a SARC report, contact the school or district.

    School and district contact information is available on the California School Directory.

  4. How can a parent find out more about California's schools?

    If you have questions or need information about a specific school, you can call or write to the school or the district office. You can also schedule an appointment to visit the school and meet with the school's administrators and staff.
Questions: SARC TEAM | sarc@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0406 
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
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