Traditional IS Ratio Calculations Instructions

Traditional Independent Study Ratio Calculations Instructions
Local Educational Agency-Wide Ratio Calculations
For Fiscal Year 2024–25

Pursuant to the California Education Code (EC) Section 51745.6, below are the California Department of Education’s (CDE’s) instructions on calculating ratios for traditional independent study for the 2024–25 fiscal year.

Highlights:

• The traditional independent study ratio calculation is done annually by the local educational agency (LEA) at the time of, and in connection with, the second period (P-2) report of average daily attendance (ADA). The results of the ratio calculations should be reflected in the P-2 and Annual attendance data submitted to the CDE.
  
  
• The ratio of ADA for traditional independent study pupils to full-time equivalent (FTE) certificated employees responsible for traditional independent study is not to exceed the equivalent ratio of ADA to FTE certificated employees for all other (non-independent study) educational programs (referred to as the comparative ratio).
  
  
• The comparative ratios depend on the type of LEA and are as follows:
  
  
  • School districts: The ratio for all other non-independent study educational programs in the district, or the specific independent study ratio negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement pursuant to EC Section 51745.6.
    
    
  • County offices of education (COE): The prior year ratio for all other non-independent study educational programs of the largest high school or unified school district (based on ADA) in that county, or the specific independent study ratio negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement pursuant to EC Section 51745.6.
    
    
  • Charter schools: The prior year ratio for all other non-independent study educational programs of the largest unified school district in the county or counties in which they operate, or a fixed ratio of 25 to 1 pursuant to EC Section 51745.6(d) and California Code of Regulations, Title V, Section 11704, or the specific independent study ratio negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement pursuant to EC Section 51745.6.
    
    
• Traditional independent study and comparative ratio calculations should be rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.
  
  
• Traditional independent study and comparative ratio calculations should exclude the following (LEAs may want to separately track ADA and FTE employees for excluded categories):
  
  
  • ADA generated by pupils who turn 19 years old during the school year, except for charter schools. Charter schools should include pupils of all ages, as provided pursuant to EC Section 51745.6(d).
    
    
  • ADA generated by special education pupils enrolled in special day classes on a full-time basis, and the FTE certificated employees of those classes.
    
    
  • ADA and FTE certificated employees in Necessary Small Schools that in the current fiscal year meet the definitions in EC sections 42282 and 42283 (for elementary schools) and EC sections 42284 and 42285 (for high schools).
    
    
  • Traditional independent study ADA and FTE certificated employees (this only applies to the comparative ratio).
    
    
• There is a 10 percent cap on claiming total independent study ADA in continuation high schools and opportunity schools and programs, pursuant to EC Section 51745(b) (see Continuation and Opportunity Education for further details).

ADA to FTE Employee Ratio Cap Instructions

School Districts
County Offices of Education
Charter Schools
Charter Schools Operating County Programs
Continuation and Opportunity Education

School Districts

Step 1: Calculate Comparative Ratio

1. Determine the comparative ratio of pupils’ ADA to FTE certificated employees for those programs as follows:
   
   
   1. Determine the net comparative ADA. Enter the total number of units of P-2 ADA to be reported on lines A-1 and A-5 in the Principal Apportionment Data Collection (PADC) Web Application for the school district. This includes ADA from the Attendance School District, Attendance Supplement School District, and Attendance Basic Aid Choice/Court-Ordered Voluntary Pupil Transfer entry screens.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. Course Based Independent Study (CBIS) ADA and full-time traditional independent study ADA (ADA from short-term and intermittent traditional independent study are not considered full-time traditional independent study. For the purpose of the independent study ratio calculation, short-term independent study is independent study participation for fewer than 16 schooldays in a school year, and intermittent independent study is independent study ADA generated by students who are subject to EC 51747(d)-(f), but participated in independent study intermittently during the school year).
         
         
      2. ADA generated by special education pupils enrolled in special day classes on a full-time basis.
         
         
      3. ADA generated by pupils in Necessary Small Schools that in the current fiscal year meet the definitions in EC sections 42282 and 42283 (for elementary schools) and EC sections 42284 and 42285 (for high schools).
         
         
   2. Determine the net FTE certificated employees. Obtain the combined total of FTE certificated employees who provided direct instruction to all pupils whose ADA is reported in A.1 above.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to CBIS pupils and full-time traditional independent study pupils included in A.1.a. For a certificated employee who provides traditional independent study instruction as well as supplemental or administrative services, count only the fractional amount of time that the employee provided traditional independent study instruction.
         
         
      2. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to special day class pupils included in A.1.b.
         
         
      3. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to pupils in Necessary Small Schools included in A.1.c.
         
         
      4. FTE certificated employees whose services supplement direct instruction or who perform administrative duties. For a certificated employee who provides direct instruction as well as supplemental or administrative services, count only the fractional amount of time that the employee provided direct instruction.
         
         
   3. Divide the number of ADA determined in A.1 by the number of FTE certificated employees determined in A.2, or use the ratio negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement.
      

Step 2: Calculate Independent Study Ratio

2. Determine the ratio of traditional independent study pupils' ADA to traditional independent study FTE certificated employees. Note: The purpose of this exercise is to determine if there is any excess ADA that needs to be excluded from the ADA reported on lines A-1 and A-5 in the applicable attendance school district entry screens of the PADC Web Application.
   
   
   1. Determine the net traditional independent study ADA. From the ADA to be reported on Line A-1 of the school district’s P-2 attendance data submission for any applicable school district PADC data entry screen, extract the ADA for full-time traditional independent study pupils. Note: Traditional independent study ADA reported on these lines at Annual may be a different amount than the P-2 amount used for the ratio calculations.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. Full-time traditional independent study ADA generated by pupils who turn 19 years old during the school year.
         
         
      2. Full-time traditional independent study ADA generated by special education pupils enrolled in special day classes on a full-time basis.
         
         
      3. Full-time traditional independent study ADA generated by pupils in Necessary Small Schools that, in the current fiscal year, meet the definitions in EC sections 42282 and 42283 (for elementary schools) and EC sections 42284 and 42285 (for high schools).
         
         
   2. Determine the net FTE certificated employees providing instruction to net traditional independent study pupils. Obtain the combined total of FTE certificated employees who provided direct instruction to pupils whose ADA is to be reported on Line A-1 of the school district’s P-2 and Annual attendance data submission for any applicable school district PADC data entry screen through full-time traditional independent study.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to full-time traditional independent study pupils who turn 19 years old during the school year included in B.1.a.
         
         
      2. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to special day class pupils included in B.1.b.
         
         
      3. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to pupils in Necessary Small Schools included in B.1.c.
         
         
      4. FTE certificated employees whose services supplement direct instruction or who perform administrative duties. For a certificated employee who provides direct instruction as well as supplemental or administrative services, count only the fractional amount of time that the employee provided direct instruction.
         
         
   3. Divide the number of ADA determined in B.1 by the number of FTE certificated employees determined in B.2.

Step 3: Calculate Excess ADA

3. Determine excess ADA. The following will determine whether any traditional independent study ADA exceeds the maximum allowable for apportionment.
   
   
   1. If A.3, the comparative ratio, is equal to or greater than B.3, the traditional independent study ratio, funding is based on the actual ADA reported for traditional independent study.
      
      
   2. If A.3, the comparative ratio, is less than B.3, the traditional independent study ratio, multiply the difference by the number of employees determined in B.2 and subtract the product from the number of ADA determined in B.1.

Step 4: Report Excess ADA

4. Report excess ADA by grade span. The ADA for traditional independent study that exceeds the pupil to FTE certificated employee ratio pursuant to EC Section 51745.6 is not funded and should be deducted from the amount of ADA entered by grade span on Line A-1 of the school district’s P-2 and Annual Attendance School District, Attendance Supplement School District, and Attendance Basic Aid Choice/Court-Ordered Voluntary Pupil Transfer PADC data entry screens. Report excess ADA by grade span on Line B-2 of the school district’s P-2 and Annual Attendance School District PADC data entry screen. Excess ADA should be proportionately allocated to each grade span based on total ADA reported in each grade span. Note: excess ADA is referred to as “Full-Time Traditional Independent Study ADA not eligible for general funding” in the PADC Web Application.

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County Offices of Education

Step 1: Determine Comparative Ratio

1. Determine the comparative ratio by obtaining the prior year ratio of ADA to FTE certificated employees for all other educational programs operated by the high school or unified school district with the largest ADA in that county, or use the ratio negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement.

Step 2: Calculate Independent Study Ratio

2. Determine the ratio of traditional independent study pupils' ADA to traditional independent study FTE certificated employees. Note: The purpose of this exercise is to determine if there is any excess ADA that needs to be excluded from the P-2 and Annual ADA reported in the applicable COE attendance entry screens of the PADC Web Application.
   
   
   1. Determine the net traditional independent study ADA by obtaining the total ADA to be reported in Section A of the P-2 Attendance COE (Line A-4) and Attendance District Funded County Program (lines A-1 and A-5) PADC data entry screens for COEs for full-time traditional independent study pupils. ADA from short-term and intermittent traditional independent study are not considered full-time traditional independent study. For the purpose of the independent study ratio calculation, short-term independent study is independent study participation for fewer than 16 schooldays in a school year and intermittent independent study is independent study ADA generated by students who are subject to EC 51747 Section (d)-(f), but participated in independent study intermittently during the school year. Note: Traditional independent study ADA reported at Annual on these lines may be different than the P-2 amount used for the ratio calculation.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. Full-time traditional independent study ADA generated by pupils who turn 19 years old during the school year.
         
         
      2. Full-time traditional independent study ADA generated by special education pupils enrolled in special day classes on a full-time basis.
         
         
   2. Determine the net FTE certificated employees providing instruction to net traditional independent study pupils by obtaining the combined total of FTE certificated employees who provided direct instruction to traditional independent study pupils whose ADA is identified in B.1.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to full-time traditional independent study pupils who turn 19 years old during the school year in B.1.a.
         
         
      2. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to special day classes to pupils in B.1.b.
         
         
      3. FTE certificated employees whose services supplement direct instruction or who perform administrative duties. For a certificated employee who provides direct instruction as well as supplemental or administrative services, count only the fractional amount of time that the employee provided direct instruction.
         
         
   3. Divide the number of ADA determined in B.1 by the number of FTE certificated employees determined in B.2.

Step 3: Calculate Excess ADA

3. Determine excess ADA. The following will determine whether any traditional independent study ADA exceeds the maximum allowable for apportionment.
   
   
   1. If A.1, the comparative ratio, is equal to or greater than B.3, the traditional independent study ratio, there is no excess ADA and funding is based on the actual ADA reported for traditional independent study.
      
      
   2. If A.1, the comparative ratio, is less than B.3, the traditional independent study ratio, multiply the difference by the number of employees determined in B.2 and subtract the product from the number of ADA determined in B.1.

Step 4: Report Excess ADA

4. Report excess ADA. The ADA for traditional independent study that exceeds the pupil to FTE certificated employee ratio pursuant to EC Section 51745.6 is not funded and should be deducted from the P-2 and Annual ADA reported in Section A of the Attendance COE and Attendance District Funded County Program PADC data entry screens. Report excess ADA on Line B-4 of the COE’s P-2 and Annual Attendance COE entry screen or by grade span on Line B-2 of the COE’s P-2 and Annual Attendance District Funded County Programs entry screen. Excess ADA should be proportionately allocated to each grade span based on total ADA reported in each grade span. Note: excess ADA is referred to as “Full-Time Traditional Independent Study ADA not eligible for general funding” in the PADC Web Application.

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Charter Schools

Step 1: Determine Comparative Ratio

1. Determine the comparative ratio by either obtaining the prior year ratio of ADA to FTE certificated employees for all other educational programs operated by the largest unified school district in the county or counties in which the charter school operates, or by using a ratio of 25:1, or by using the ratio negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement.

Step 2: Calculate Independent Study Ratio

2. Determine the ratio of traditional independent study pupils’ ADA to traditional independent study FTE certificated employees. Note: The purpose of this exercise is to determine if there is any excess ADA that needs to be excluded from the P-2 and Annual ADA reported in the applicable charter school attendance entry screens of the PADC Web Application. Note: All nonclassroom-based pupils are accounted for as traditional independent study or CBIS.
   
   
   1. Determine the traditional independent study ADA to be included in the nonclassroom-based ADA totals lines of the P-2 Attendance Charter School (Line C-1) or Attendance Charter School – All Charter District (Line C-1) + (Line F-1) PADC data entry screens. Note: traditional independent study ADA included on these lines at Annual may be different than the P-2 amount used for the ratio calculation.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. Traditional independent study ADA generated by special education pupils enrolled in special day classes on a full-time basis.
         
         
      2. CBIS ADA.
         
         
   2. Determine the net FTE certificated employees providing instruction to net traditional independent study pupils by obtaining the combined total of FTE certificated employees who provided direct instruction to pupils whose ADA is determined by the calculation in B.1.
      
      Exclude the following:
      
      
      1. For a certificated employee who provides traditional independent study instruction as well as supplemental or administrative services, count only the fractional amount of time that the employee provided traditional independent study instruction. “FTE” means an employee who is required to work a minimum 6-hour per day and 175 days per fiscal year.
         
         
      2. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to special day classes to pupils in B.1.a.
         
         
      3. FTE certificated employees who provide instruction to pupils in CBIS programs in B.1.b.
         
         
   3. Divide the number of ADA determined in B.1 by the number of FTE certificated employees determined in B.2.

Step 3: Calculate Excess ADA

3. Determine excess ADA. The following will determine whether any traditional independent study ADA exceeds the maximum allowable for apportionment.
   
   
   1. If A.1, the comparative ratio, is equal to or greater than B.3, the traditional independent study ratio, there is no excess ADA and funding is based on the actual ADA reported for traditional independent study.
      
      
   2. If A.1, the comparative ratio, is less than B.3, the traditional independent study ratio, multiply the difference by the number of employees determined in B.2 and subtract the product from the number of ADA determined in B.1.

Step 4: Report Excess ADA

4. Report excess ADA by grade span. The traditional independent study ADA that exceeds the pupil to FTE certificated employee ratio pursuant to EC Section 51745.6 is not funded and should be deducted from the P-2 and Annual ADA reported by grade span in Section C of the P-2 Attendance Charter School and Section C and Section F of the Attendance Charter School – All Charter District PADC data entry screens. Report excess ADA by grade span on Line E-4 of the P-2 and Annual Attendance Charter School entry screen or Line J-1 of the P-2 and Annual Attendance Charter School - All Charter District entry screen. Excess ADA should be proportionately allocated to each grade span based on total ADA reported in each grade span. Note: excess ADA is referred to as “Nonclassroom-based ADA not eligible for funding” in the PADC Web Application.

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Charter Schools Operating County Programs

Step 1: Determine Comparative Ratio

1. Follow Step A. under “For Charter Schools” above.

Step 2: Calculate Independent Study Ratio

2. Follow Step B. under “For Charter Schools” above.

Step 3: Calculate Excess ADA

3. Follow Step C. under “For Charter Schools” above.

Step 4: Report Excess ADA

4. Report excess ADA. The traditional independent study ADA that exceeds the pupil to FTE certificated employee ratio pursuant to EC Section 51745.6 is not funded and should be excluded from the P-2 and Annual ADA reported in Section C and Section G of the Attendance County Program Charter School PADC data entry screen. Report excess ADA on Line E-2 and I-4 of the P-2 and Annual Attendance County Program Charter School PADC data entry screen. Excess ADA should be proportionately allocated to each grade span based on total ADA reported in each grade span. Note: excess ADA is referred to as “Nonclassroom-based ADA not eligible for funding” in the PADC Web Application.

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Continuation and Opportunity Education

According to EC Section 51745(b), “Not more than 10 percent of the pupils participating in an opportunity school or program, or a continuation high school…shall be eligible for apportionment credit for independent study pursuant to this article. A pupil who is pregnant or is a parent who is the primary caregiver for one or more of his or her children shall not be counted within the 10 percent cap.”

For the purposes of this section, “pupils participating” is defined as ADA reported at P-2. Also, the 10 percent cap applies to the net sum total Independent Study ADA (Traditional Independent Study ADA + CBIS ADA). Therefore, in computing the limit on pupils in each continuation school and each opportunity school who may be eligible for traditional independent study apportionment credit, do not exceed the number for each that is 10 percent of the current year’s ADA as reported through the PADC when combined with CBIS ADA. Reported ADA is net of this disallowance.

• For example, if each continuation school and/or each opportunity school accounts for 90 ADA, excluding pupils who are pregnant or parents who are the primary caregivers of more than one of their children at P-2, only 9 ADA would be eligible for CBIS and traditional independent study apportionment credit combined at each continuation and/or opportunity school.
  

Continuation or opportunity schools and programs may serve additional pupils via traditional independent study and/or CBIS beyond the 10 percent threshold but may not claim apportionment credit for those additional pupils. To the extent a school chooses to serve additional pupils via traditional independent study and foregoes funding for those pupils, the LEA should report the school's ADA for the pupils as traditional independent study excess ADA on the appropriate line of the LEA’s P-2 and Annual attendance data submission in the PADC Web Application. To the extent an LEA chooses to serve additional pupils via CBIS and foregoes funding for those pupils, the LEA should report the school's ADA for the pupils as CBIS excess ADA on the appropriate line of the LEA’s P-2 and Annual attendance data submission in the PADC Web Application.

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