CALPADS Update Flash #209 - Guidance for AB-104

To:           Local Educational Agency (LEA) Representatives

From:      California Department of Education (CDE) –
                California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Team

Date:       July 21, 2021

Subject:  CALPADS Update FLASH #209

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Guidance for exiting secondary students per Assembly Bill (AB)-104

Assembly Bill (AB)-104 passed as an urgency bill with immediate effect on July 1, 2021. Section 3 of AB-104 modified California Education Code (EC) Section 51225 as follows:

51225.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Governing body” means the governing board of a school district, the governing body of a charter school, or a county board of education, as applicable.

(2) “Local educational agency” means a school district, charter school, or county office of education.

(b)Notwithstanding any other law, a local educational agency shall do both of the following:

(1)Exempt a pupil who was enrolled in the pupil’s third or fourth year of high school during the 2020–21 school year and who is not on track to graduate in four years from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing body that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements specified in Section 51225.3.

(2) Provide a pupil who was enrolled in the pupil’s third or fourth year of high school during the 2020–21 school year, and who is not on track to graduate in the 2020–21 or 2021–22 school years, the opportunity to complete the statewide coursework required for graduation pursuant to Section 51225.3, which opportunity may include, but is not limited to, completion of the coursework through a fifth year of instruction, credit recovery, or other opportunity to complete the required coursework.

Process to follow to submit data to CALPADS

If a student is expected to be re-enrolled per EC Section 51225 (b)(2) for a fifth year to complete their required coursework, they would not be counted as a graduate in the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. For the fifth-year students returning, LEAs should exit the students with an E155 Year-End Enrollment Exit Code. This is consistent with the previous guidance in the CALPADS FAQs: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sp/cl/calpadsfaqs.asp#what-exit-category-should-be-used-for-seniors-who-will-not-graduate-until-summer-or-fall-or-later.

If the student is completing in the 2020–21 academic year per 51225(b)(1), LEAs should exit them with an E230 Completer Exit Code, and a School Completion Status Code of 100 Graduated, Standard High School Diploma.

LEAs and independently reporting charters will need to record locally any students that graduate under the 51225(b)(1) exemption; and if asked, LEAs should be ready to provide those data to the California Department of Education.