Form J-13A
Information regarding submission of the Request for Allowance of Attendance Due to Emergency Conditions, Form J-13A.Overview
The Request for Allowance of Attendance Due to Emergency Conditions, Form J-13A is used to obtain approval of attendance and instructional time credit pursuant to Education Code (EC) sections 41422, 46200, 46391, 46392, 46393 and California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 5, Section 428. Approval of a Form J-13A request from the California Department of Education (CDE), combined with other attendance records, serve to document a local educational agency’s (LEA) compliance with instructional time laws and provide authority to maintain school for less than the required instructional days and minutes without incurring a fiscal penalty to the LEA’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding.
In the event of a closure due to emergency conditions there is not an immediate impact to LCFF funding and there is not a specific deadline to submit a Form J-13A, thus there is not an urgent need to file Form J-13A in the midst of the emergency event.
For additional information on the Form J-13A process, please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below. All Form J-13A submission documents may be found in the ‘Forms’ Section below.
Upcoming Legislative Changes to the Form J-13A
Senate Bill (SB) 153 (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2024) was passed and approved by the Governor on June 29, 2024. AB 176 (Chapter 998, Statutes of 2024), a clean-up bill to SB 153, was approved by the Governor on September 30, 2024.
The recently passed legislation will make two significant changes to the Form J-13A submittal process in upcoming years.
- The requirement to include the Certification Form for Independent Study and a certified independent study plan with Form J-13A submissions will end on June 30, 2026.
- In place of the independent study plan and certification process, starting July 1, 2026, LEAs will include an instructional continuity plan as part of their school safety plan. This plan must address how the LEA will continue to provide instruction to students affected by emergency events. Please see the 2024–25 Attendance Accounting and Instructional Time Requirements Presentation(PDF) for more information.
These requirements apply to all types of LEAs. CDE will publish guidance on developing instructional continuity plans by March 1, 2025.
Resources
FAQs - Form J-13A
FAQs about the submittal and approval process of Form J-13A for all years, with the exception of school years 2021–22, 2020–21, and 2019–20 (after declaration of the COVID-19 state of emergency).
J-13A School Closure Quick Reference Guide(PDF; Revised 21-Jul-2023)
Abbreviated resource that provides an overview of the Form J-13A for a school closure and highlights the pertinent information for LEAs experiencing an emergency situation.
Webinar - Form J-13A(PDF; Revised 13-Feb-2024)
The School Fiscal Services Division hosted a webinar on January 25, 2023 to provide an overview of the procedures that allow LEAs to obtain credit for days and minutes lost to emergency closures and material decreases in attendance through submittal of a Request for Allowance of Attendance Due to Emergency Conditions – Form J-13A.
FAQs - CDE Emergency Response and Recovery
FAQs related to emergency response and recovery covering a variety of educational areas, including but not limited to attendance credit.
Letter Announcing Electronic Signatures and Submission of Form J-13A(Revised 21-Jul-2023)
Information about the acceptance of electronic signatures and Form J-13A submissions by email.
Instructions for Zipping Files and Attaching to Email(DOCX; Revised 21-Jul-2023)
Instructions detailing how to zip large files for attachment to email prior to sending to CDE.
Management Advisory 90-01(Revised 10-Feb-2005)
Information related to average daily attendance (ADA) credit during periods of emergency.
Forms
Form J-13A Submission Documents
Request for Allowance of Attendance Due to Emergency Conditions, Form J-13A (Revised December 2017),
and Certification Form for Independent Study plan for the offering of Independent Study.
2021–22, 2020–21, and 2019–20 School Years
FAQs about the submittal and approval process of the Form J-13A for the 2021–22 and 2020–21 school years. See Form J-13A FAQs above for current information.
2020–21 Instructional Time and Attendance Accounting Overview and FAQs
FAQs – COVID-19
FAQs about the closure of schools in response to COVID-19 and reporting of ADA for the 2019–20 school year.