Uniform Complaint Procedures Monitoring
Information and resources to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) with Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) of the Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP).Local educational agencies (LEAs), such as county offices of education, school districts, and direct-funded charter schools, that receive state and/or federal funding for certain categorical programs may be chosen for a Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) evaluation during a Federal Programs Monitoring (FPM) review by the California Department of Education (CDE).
LEAs are responsible for creating and maintaining documents for the UCP process. The documents are to be adopted by their governing board or authorized designee and must follow specifications as required by law, particularly the California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR) sections 4600–4694, revised and published July 1, 2020. These regulations are compiled in the UCP Instrument which is annually reviewed.
The purpose of the UCP review is to ensure that LEAs are meeting the minimum requirements of these UCP process specifications according to the current UCP Instrument. The CDE Categorical Programs Complaints Management (CPCM) Office monitors the UCP process and provides a coordinated and transparent course of action for monitoring the UCP process.
In the 2024–25 school year, the following programs and activities are subject to the UCP:
- Accommodations for Pregnant and Parenting Pupils
- Adult Education
- After School Education and Safety
- Agricultural Career Technical Education
- Career Technical and Technical Education and Career Technical and Technical Training Programs
- Child Care and Development Programs
- Compensatory Education
- Consolidated Categorical Aid Programs
- Course Periods without Educational Content
- Discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying against any protected group as identified under California Education Code (EC) sections 200 and 220 and Section 11135 of the Government Code, including any actual or perceived characteristic as set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution, as defined in Section 210.3, that is funded directly by, or that receives or benefits from, any state financial assistance
- Educational and graduation requirements for pupils in foster care, pupils who are homeless, pupils from military families, pupils formerly in Juvenile Court now enrolled in a school district, pupils who are migratory, and pupils participating in a newcomer program
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- Instructional Materials and Curriculum: Diversity
- Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP)
- Migrant Education
- Physical Education Instructional Minutes
- Pupil Fees
- Reasonable Accommodations to a Lactating Pupil
- Regional Occupational Centers and Programs
- School Plans for Student Achievement
- Schoolsite Councils
- State Preschool
- State Preschool Health and Safety Issues in LEAs Exempt from Licensing
- And any other state or federal educational program the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) or designee deems appropriate.
In addition, the following Williams Complaints are subject to the UCP:
- Instructional materials.
- Emergency or urgent facilities conditions that pose a threat to the health and safety of pupils or staff.
- Teacher vacancy or misassignments.
Resources
General information regarding compliance monitoring, including Correspondence, Program Instruments, Reviews, Training, CDE Monitoring Tool (CMT), Additional Federal and State Monitoring, and Contact Information is available on the CDE Compliance Monitoring web page.