Pursuant to California Education Code 56366.1(e)(3)(B), effective January 1, 2020, the California Department of Education (CDE) is required to create and publish criteria for reporting onsite visit findings resulting from monitoring visits to nonpublic schools (NPS) contracted with local educational agencies (LEAs), on or before June 30, 2020.
The criteria and relevant statutes are listed below:
California Education Code Section 56366.1 (e)(3)(A) and (B)
(3) Commencing with the 2020–21 school year, a local educational agency that enters into a master contract with a nonpublic, nonsectarian school shall conduct, at minimum, both of the following:
(A) An onsite visit to the nonpublic, nonsectarian school before placement of a pupil if the local educational agency does not have any pupils enrolled at the school at the time of placement.
(B) At least one onsite monitoring visit during each school year to the nonpublic, nonsectarian school at which the local educational agency has a pupil attending and with which it maintains a master contract.
Note: certification of nonsectarian status is not required.
The monitoring visit shall include, but is not limited to:
- A review of services provided to the pupil through the individual service agreement between the local educational agency and the nonpublic school;
- A review of progress the pupil is making toward the goals set forth in the pupil’s individualized education program;
- A review of services provided to the pupil through the individual service agreement between the local educational agency;
- A review of progress the pupil is making toward the goals set forth in the pupil’s behavioral intervention plan, if applicable;
- An observation of the pupil during instruction; and
- A walkthrough of the facility.
The local educational agency shall report the findings resulting from the monitoring visit to the department within 60 calendar days of the onsite visit.
See the link below for access to a form for reporting this information to the CDE. The form includes recommended criteria for reporting information relevant to each required component of the onsite monitoring visit to the CDE. The use of this form is not required but is encouraged. Onsite monitoring visit information may be submitted to the CDE via the nonpublic schools email: NPS@cde.ca.gov.
Guidance for Local Educational Agency Onsite Visit to Nonpublic Schools (PDF; Added 02-Feb-2026)