SARCnews January 2006 Edition

SARC Improvement Project Launched

In an effort to enhance the clarity and effectiveness of the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), the California Department of Education (CDE) has launched a SARC Improvement Project.

As a first step, the CDE is planning to design a streamlined and more comprehensible SARC template that will be presented to the State Board of Education (SBE) for adoption in May 2006. Some of the descriptive and explanatory information contained in the current SARC template will be moved to a separate document or will be incorporated into the SARC data definitions. The language in the template will be simplified so that it provides a clearer understanding of what each table contains. In addition, the language will provide parents and the school community with a brief explanation of the meaning of the information presented.

The new SARC template, which is expected to be published in July 2006, will assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with the preparation of report cards to be published in the 2006-07 school year.

The CDE welcomes your continuing feedback about ways to improve the SARC. You may provide such feedback by contacting us as indicated below.

Update on Implementation of Senate Bill 687

As reported in the October 2005 edition of the SARCnews, the Governor signed Senate Bill 687 (Simitian) on September 28, 2005. This measure, which took effect on January 1, 2006, expands the salaries and expenditures areas of the SARC. The bill also contains the provisions of Assembly Bill 1609 (Liu), which the Governor signed on September 27, 2005. These provisions, which also took effect on January 1, 2006, expand the career technical education area of the SARC. Finally, SB 687 adds an additional requirement related to the SARC’s textbook sufficiency reporting element.

The CDE has studied the new SARC requirements and received input about how best to implement them from internal subject area experts, legislative staff, LEA officials, and other individuals who have an interest in the affected areas. As a result, the CDE has prepared guidance for LEAs in implementing SB 687 that can be found at the SARC home page. In addition, the CDE plans to present recommended SARC template and data definition changes in these areas to the SBE in May 2006.

2004-05 SARC Template in Spanish Now Available

When 15 percent or more of a school's enrolled students speak a single primary language other than English, state law requires that all notices, reports, statements, or records sent by the school or district to the parent or guardian of these students must, in addition to being written in English, be written in the appropriate primary language. In addition, federal law requires that schools and districts communicate effectively with all parents and guardians, regardless of the percent of students who speak a language other than English. These provisions are applicable to the preparation and dissemination of SARCs.

To assist LEAs in meeting state and federal translation requirements, the CDE has for the first time made available a "blank" SARC template in Spanish. This document, which is in a Microsoft Word format, can be found at the "SARC Templates" link on the SARC home page. The CDE is pleased to be able provide this document to LEAs, and the CDE hopes that the document will be a valuable tool for LEAs to use in complying with translation requirements.

SARC Question of the Month

The following is the "SARC Question of the Month" along with its answer:

Q. What were the "original" 13 SARC content requirements that voters mandated by enacting Proposition 98 in 1988?

A. The content requirements were:

1. Student achievement in and progress toward meeting reading, writing, arithmetic, and other academic goals
2. Progress toward reducing dropout rates
3. Estimated expenditures per student, and types of services funded
4. Progress toward reducing class sizes and teaching loads
5. Any assignment of teachers outside their subject areas of competence
6. Quality and currency of textbooks and other instructional materials
7. The availability of qualified personnel to provide counseling and other student support services
8. Availability of qualified substitute teachers
9. Safety, cleanliness, and adequacy of school facilities
10. Adequacy of teacher evaluations and opportunities for professional improvement
11. Classroom discipline and climate for learning
12. Teacher and staff training, and curriculum improvement programs
13. Quality of school instruction and leadership

If you have questions or comments about the topics covered in this newsletter, or suggestions for topics for a future newsletter, please contact us as indicated below.