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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about the School Accountability Report Card (SARC).

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Acronym Definitions

  • ADA - average daily attendance
  • CDE - California Department of Education
  • CDS - County-District-School
  • COE - County Office of Education
  • CSAM - California School Accounting Manual
  • DFC - direct funded charter
  • EC - Education Code
  • ESEA - Elementary and Secondary Education Act
  • ESSA - Every Student Succeeds Act
  • FIT - facility inspection tool
  • LEA - local educational agency
  • NPS - nonpublic nonsectarian school
  • OPSC - Office of Public School Construction
  • OPUS - Online Public Update for Schools
  • SACS - Standardized Account Code Structure
  • SARC - School Accountability Report Card
  • SBE - State Board of Education
  • URL - uniform resource locator

Background

  1. Why are local educational agencies (LEAs) required to publish School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs)?
  2. Are LEA governing boards required to approve the publication of a SARC?

Preparation and Dissemination Requirements

  1. Are schools/LEAs required to publish and disseminate SARCs?
  2. Are County Offices of Education (COEs) required to prepare and publish SARCs?
  3. Who are Main Authorizers in the myCDEconnect system?
  4. Who are SARC Coordinators in the myCDEconnect system?
  5. Who are Alternate Authorizers in the myCDEconnect system?
  6. Who are Registrants in the myCDEconnect system?
  7. How does a Main Authorizer obtain a user account (i.e., username and password) to access the online SARC Web Application located in the myCDEconnect system?
  8. If a new Main Authorizer started AFTER the SARC process started, how does this new Main Authorizer obtain a username and password to access the programs in the myCDEconnect system?
  9. What if the name and/or email address of the Main Authorizer listed on the California School Directory is incorrect, how does the actual Main Authorizer obtain a SARC user account (i.e., username and password) to access the myCDEconnect system?
  10. How does a SARC Coordinator obtain a SARC user account (i.e., username and password) to access the SARC Web Application located in the myCDEconnect system?
  11. How does an Alternate Authorizer obtain a SARC user account (i.e., username and password) to access the SARC Web Application located in the myCDEconnect system?
  12. I have a SARC user account, but forgot my username and/or password. What do I do?
  13. Is there is specific date by which the SARCs are to be published and submitted to the CDE?
  14. Who prepares the SARC - the schools or LEAs?
  15. Are the schools/LEAs required to populate the tables/cells that have the letters DPC (data provided by the CDE) in the blank SARC template?
  16. Are the schools/LEAs required to validate the data that the CDE pre-populates into the electronic SARC template and corresponding downloadable data files?
  17. If I disagree with any of the data that CDE pre-populated into the electronic SARC template, can I edit it?
  18. Are newly opened schools required to prepare and disseminate a SARC in their first year of operation?
  19. If a school was open during the SARC year but is now closed, is a SARC required for this school?
  20. Where are the SARCs located that are submitted to the CDE?
  21. Why does the CDE pre-populate a portion of the electronic SARC templates for public schools but not for nonpublic, nonsectarian schools?
  22. Are LEAs required to provide the CDE with a copy of the SARC for each of the LEA's schools?
  23. What are the methods available for LEAs to submit their SARCs to the CDE?
  1. How to submit/post a SARC on the SARC Web Application system.
  2. Are SARCs required to be prepared and disseminated in languages other than English?
  3. Can edits be made to a SARC after it has been finalized and posted with the CDE?
  4. How do I view/print a SARC PRIOR to Posting?
  5. How do I view/print a SARC AFTER it is Posted?
  1. Where do I upload the translated SARCs?

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Content Requirements

  1. Are there specific items that must be included in the SARC?
  2. How are school site expenditures per pupil calculated?
  3. How should data on the graduation rate be reported?
  4. Are county offices of education, when preparing SARCs on behalf of schools operated by the county office, required to report average salaries and expenditures in the Fiscal and Expenditure Data section of the SARC?

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SARC Templates

  1. Where is the blank SARC template?
  2. Where are the partially pre-populated electronic SARC templates located?
  3. Are LEAs required to use the template approved by the SBE?
  4. Can LEAs modify the model SARC template?
  5. Where can I access prior year SARC Reports?
Questions: SARC Team | sarc@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0406 
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, September 18, 2024