Dear County and District Superintendents and School Attendance Review Board Chairpersons:

Model School Attendance Review Board Recognition Program
2019–20

You are cordially invited to participate in the 2019–20 Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Recognition Program, which is sponsored by the California Department of Education (CDE) in cooperation with the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance (CASCWA).

This program identifies and recognizes multi-tiered school attendance improvement programs at the district or county level. Outstanding and innovative programs chosen for the award will serve as models for other local or county SARBs in the state that are using a multi-tiered system of support to reduce chronic absenteeism rates and dropout rates.

There are nine content areas. Applicants will complete the five required content areas and choose a sixth from among the four optional content areas. This approach is designed to streamline the application process and to allow local and county SARBs to highlight an area of particular strength in their program.

The CDE encourages county and local SARBs that meet the eligibility criteria to submit an application to the Model SARB Recognition Program.

This year, there is an Intent to Submit requirement with a simple online form to be completed by SARB Chairpersons. Chairpersons of SARBs that intend to submit an application must complete the Intent to Submit form online at https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/modelsarb2019-20.asp [Note: this link is no longer active]. The deadline for the Intent to Submit online form is October 4, 2019. Submission of the Intent to Submit does not obligate the SARB to submit an application.

The 2019–20 Model SARB Application is available on the CDE Model SARB Recognition Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/sb/modelrecognition.asp. Applications are due on
February 7, 2020, by 4:00 p.m.

Model SARB Recognition Program award recipients will be recognized at the annual CASCWA State Conference scheduled for April 20–22, 2020, in San Diego, California.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact David Kopperud, Education Programs Consultant, Educational Options Office, by phone at 916-323-1028 or by email at dkopperud@cde.ca.gov [Note: the preceding contact information is no longer valid. Please contact the Educational Options Office at cwa@cde.ca.gov.].

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

TT:dk
2019-04765