School Attendance Review Boards - CalEdFacts

The California Legislature created the State School Attendance Review Board (SARB) to coordinate statewide policy and personnel training on the operation of county and local SARBs. SARBs provide intensive guidance and community services to meet the special needs of students with school attendance or school behavior problems. The State SARB members are appointed annually by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and make annual recommendations regarding strategies to reduce the number of dropouts in the state’s public education system. The State SARB is a partnership that includes representatives from school districts, parent groups, county probation departments, county welfare departments, county superintendents of schools, law enforcement agencies, community-based service centers, school guidance personnel, the health care and mental health professions, and state associations interested in youth with school attendance or behavioral problems. State SARB meetings are open to the public, and a representative of the CDE is the chairperson.

The State SARB also coordinates the Model SARB Recognition Program to encourage best practices in dropout prevention and to encourage the development of effective strategies to increase the holding power of California’s public schools. Local SARBs and county SARBs can apply to the State SARB to be recognized for the important work they do for students. These practices and effective strategies for dropout reduction are available in the SARB Handbook.