To: Local Educational Agency (LEA) Representatives
From: California Department of Education (CDE) –
California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System
(CALPADS) Team
Date: September 26, 2025
Subject: CALPADS Update FLASH #314
2025−26 Special Education Updates
This Flash provides information regarding:
- Important Uses of Fall 1 Data Approved by the December 12, 2025 Certification Deadline
- 2025−26 School Year Rollover Field, Code and Fall Validation Changes for Special Education
- Policy and Guidance Changes and Other Reminders
- California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Special Education Data 2025–26 Roadshows
Important Uses of Fall 1 Data Approved by the December 12, 2025, Certification Deadline
Disproportionality Data Approved by the December 12, 2025 Certification Deadline Will be Used for Annual Monitoring Determinations
As in prior years, LEAs are required to approve their Fall 1 Submission by the Certification Deadline in mid-December. While Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) approval is strongly encouraged by this deadline, SELPA approval is not required until the close of the amendment window in January. Once again, for the 2025−26 academic year, data used to calculate the one-year Disproportionality risk ratio by setting, primary disability, and federal ethnicity categories will be pulled from CALPADS following the December 12, 2025 Certification Deadline rather than after the close of the amendment window. These data will therefore include data approved by the LEA only, or data that have been approved by both the LEA and SELPA.
The data are being pulled earlier to issue Annual Determination Letters to LEAs in early February 2026 so that LEAs have more time to complete Compliance Improvement Monitoring (CIM) activities.
To ensure that LEAs are not inappropriately identified as “Disproportionate” or “Significantly Disproportionate,” it is imperative that:
- Special education data system coordinators and Special Education Directors ensure that the Special Education Plan (PLAN) record effective on Census Day for a student has:
- The appropriate Primary Disability Code
- The appropriate Special Education Program Setting Code
- The appropriate District of Special Education Accountability (DSEA)
- Student information system data coordinators and CALPADS administrators ensure that all race and ethnicity data for students with disabilities (SWDs) are populated and accurate. In particular, if students’ race/ethnicities are initially populated as “missing” and are later identified, LEAs should update these data by the December 12, 2025 Certification Deadline since these data will be used to calculate disproportionality.
Data Approved by the December 12, 2025 Certification Deadline Will be Included in the Timeline Compliance Section of Annual Determination Letter
Late annual plan review and triennial reevaluation data for the timeline compliance section of the Annual Determination Letter for the 2025−26 academic year will also be pulled from CALPADS earlier, following the December 12, 2025 Fall 1 Certification Deadline. Specifically, the CDE will pull data for SWDs that are enrolled, eligible, and participating on Census Day, October 1, 2025, and whose data in CALPADS reflect the following:
- Annual Plan Reviews are late as of Census Day – student has not had an annual plan review (Meeting Activity – Plan Review Indicator = “Y”) less than or equal to 365 days from the last annual plan review or initial evaluation Meeting Date.
- Eligibility Reevaluations are late as of Census Day – student has not had an eligibility reevaluation (Meeting Activity – Evaluation Type Code 40) less than or equal to three years from the last eligibility reevaluation or initial evaluation Meeting Date.
LEAs should review Monitoring Report 16.21 – Late Plan Reviews and Reevaluations using a date of October 1, 2025 (Census Day) to view overdue meetings.
NOTE: Changes are being made to Report 16.21 this Fall to add a new filter which will allow LEAs to filter the report for students enrolled on the specified “As Of” date who were also enrolled on Census Day. This will assist LEAs in identifying students who will appear on the Annual Determination Letter as non-compliant for timely annual plan reviews or triennial eligibility reevaluations.
2025−26: New Fields, Codes, and Fall Validation Changes for Special Education
2025−26 New Fields on PLAN File
The PLAN File has been updated to include two new fields described in Table 1 in this document (below). Fields 23.34 and 23.35 on the PLAN file are being implemented to meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) Indicators 1 and 8. These new fields are only required for any child on an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) with a Plan Effective Start Date of July 1, 2025 or later.
Table 1
2025−26 New PLAN Fields
| Field # | Field Name | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 23.34 | Part C to B Transition Conference Date | The date of the meeting held to discuss the transition of a child with a disability from early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) who may be eligible for special education and related services under Part B of IDEA where key interest-holders like parents/guardians, Part C providers, and Part B representatives plan the necessary steps for a smooth transition. A Part C to Part B transition conference must be held between 2 years 3 months and 2 years 9 months before a child’s third birthday. |
| 23.35 | Part C to B Transition Plan in IFSP Indicator | An indication of whether the transition plan of a child with a disability from early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) who may be eligible for special education and related services under Part B of IDEA has been included in the Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP). The Part C to Part B transition plan should be in place between the ages of 2 years 3 months and 2 years 9 months. A "Y" would indicate that the transition plan was in place on the Plan Effective Start Date, an "N" would indicate that the transition plan was NOT in place on the Plan Effective Start Date. |
2025−26 Code Changes
On July 1, 2025, the following codes were added, retired, or updated. These changes are included in CALPADS Code Sets version 17.0.
Abbreviations used in Table 2 that are not otherwise defined:
IEP – Individualized Education Program
Table 2
2025–26 Code Changes
| Code Set | Code Value and Name | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education Service Location | 205 – Home/community-based (infants/preschool age) on IEP/IFSP team determination | Added new code |
| Special Education Service Location | 310 – Head Start Program | Retired |
| Special Education Service Location | 320 – Child Development or Child Care Facility | Retired |
| Special Education Service Location | 570 – Charter Schools | Retired – Most often Code 510 – Regular Classroom will be the appropriate alternative. |
| Special Education Service Location | 640 – County Community School | Renamed – previously “Alternative Work Education Center/Work Study,” and definition updated. |
| Special Education Service | 350 – Small and Group Instruction | Retired |
| Referring Party | 15 – California Department of Education (CDE) Website 42 – California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Staff 45 – Private Preschool/Childcare Program Staff 47 – Early Head Start/Head Start Staff 50 – Early Intervention Provider 60 – California Regional Center 65 – Community-based/Non-Profit Organization 70 – Hospital/Medical Provider 75 – Social Worker 80 – Family/Neighbor/Friend |
New codes added: These new codes align with the Referring Party Codes collected by the Part C lead agency, the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for children being served in the Part C Infant Program. Additionally, Code 60 (California Regional Center) was added to assist the CDE in the identification of children requiring Part B Initial Evaluation by their third birthday. |
| Meeting Delay | 15 – Exceptional Family Circumstances (Part C Initial) | Added new code |
| Meeting Delay | 25 – Late Referral to Part C | Added new code |
| Meeting Delay | 40 – School Break | Definition Updated |
2025−26 Validation Changes
The new validations in Table 3 (below) have been or will be implemented for the
2025–26 Fall data submission.
Abbreviations used in Table 3 that are not otherwise defined:
CDD – Certified Data Discrepancy
COE – County Office of Education
DD – Data Discrepancy
IN – Infant
PS – Prekindergarten
SWDS – Students With Disabilities Status
TD – Toddlers
Table 3
Fall 2025−26 New Validations
| Validation | Description | Implementation Status |
|---|---|---|
| PLAN0724 | On input – Missing Part C to B Transition Plan in IFSP Indicator (If student age on start date >= 2 yrs 9 months, and Plan Type = 150, field must be populated) | Implemented |
| PLAN0724F1 | Missing Part C to B Transition Plan in IFSP Indicator (If student age on census date >= 2 yrs 9mo, Plan Type = 150, and SWDS = 1, field must be populated). | Implemented |
| PLAN0725F1 | Missing Part C to B Transition Conference Date (If student age >= 2 yrs 9mo, Plan Type = 150, SWDS = 1, Transition Plan in IFSP Indicator populated, then field should be populated). | Implemented |
| PLAN0726 | On Input – Missing Degree of Support. | Disabled (will be modified to exclude grades IN, TD, and PS and move to DD/CDD) |
| PLAN0727 | On Input – Invalid Part C to B Transition Plan in IFSP Indicator (If Plan Type <> 150, then field must be blank). | Implemented |
| PLAN0728 | On input – Invalid Part C to B Transition Plan IFSP Indicator (If Conference date populated then IFSP indicator must be populated). | Implemented |
| PLAN0729F1 | Invalid DSEA – Students enrolled in Court Community School or Juvenile Court School must have a COE County-District Code in the DSEA field. | Implemented by 10/7/2025 |
| PLAN0730 | On input – Invalid Part C to B Transition Conference date (If Plan Type <> 150 then field must be blank). | Implemented |
| PLAN0732F1 | Add new Plan validation to enforce a DSEA of something other than a COE if the student is enrolled in a COE school that is not a juvenile court or county community school. | Implemented |
| SENR0731F1 | Add new validation preventing Enrollment Status Code 50 and Grade Level PS for students under 3 years old. | Implemented |
| SENR0650F1 | Invalid Special Education Status Code for enrolled student. | Implemented |
The validations in Table 4 in this document (below) have been updated for the 2025−26 Fall data submission.
Abbreviations used in Table 4 that are not otherwise defined:
AY – Academic Year
SERV – Special Education Services
Table 4
Fall 2025−26 Updated Validations
| Validation | Description | Implementation Status |
|---|---|---|
| SENR0606F1 | Modify trigger to exclude N470 exit reason codes. | Implemented |
| PLAN0679F1 | Modify severity to Fatal – Plan record must have associated SERV record. | Implemented |
| SWDS0714F1 | Special Education Status Effective Start Date is less than student birthdate. | Implemented |
| PLAN0714F1 | Special Education Plan Effective Start Date is less than student birthdate. | Implemented |
| PLAN0390F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0391F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0392F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0393F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0394F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0395F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0396F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| PLAN0397F1 | Modify trigger to calculate as of 6/30 of AY instead of Census Day. | Implemented |
| SENR0646F1 | Modify Error Message and Description - No trigger change. | Implemented |
Policy and Guidance Changes and Other Reminders
Degree of Support
Beginning with the 2025–26 Fall 1 Submission, Field 23.16 – Degree of Support is now a required data element on the PLAN file. LEAs should have populated this field over the last year during triggering events such as amendments, annual plan reviews, triennial eligibility reevaluations, and initial evaluations. Guidance for determining the student’s Degree of Support can be found here on the CALPADS Fall 1 Reporting Roadmap web page: https://documentation.calpads.org/Training/Fall1ReportingRoadmap/#student-degree-of-support-identification-guidanceIf a student’s most recent PLAN record does not currently have this field populated, and their primary or secondary disability indicates that Degree of Support is required, LEAs should amend the PLAN records on or before October 1, 2025 (Census Day) and ensure that the Plan Effective Start Date is on or before October 1, 2025.
In conjunction with data submitted and certified by LEAs as part of their Fall 2 submission, these data will be used to monitor whether students are being taught by teachers authorized to teach students within a special education setting (courses identified with an Instructional Strategy Code of 700 – Special Education) and who have support needs identified in Field 23.16 – Degree of Support on the PLAN file. As part of the 2026 California State Assignment Accountability System (CalSAAS) assignment monitoring cycle, authorizations for teachers assigned to courses with a special education setting will be evaluated using the primary and secondary disabilities as the Degree of Support of the students enrolled in the course on Census Day. LEAs should review Fall 2 Report 3.8 - Course Section Enrollments – Student List to verify the accuracy of the students enrolled in various course sections.
CALPADS Special Education Data 2025–26 Roadshows
The CDE Special Education Division is pleased to announce the following in-person training sessions (virtual participation is available at some events) in preparation for the submission of data for students with disabilities to CALPADS in 2025−26.
These sessions will train local special education data coordinators and SELPA-level staff on changes for submitting data for the CALPADS Fall 1 Submission and will discuss how data will be used for reporting and monitoring. The training will cover:
- Fall 1 CALPADS Data Submission and Reports
- What’s new for Fall 1
- State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report Indicators using Fall 1 data
- Data for Annual Determinations Letter (ADL)
- Monitoring Reports and Holding Timely Meetings
SELPA staff, district, and site-level special education data coordinators are welcome to attend. CALPADS LEA administrators may attend only if space is available. The host sites have agreed to extend participation to neighboring counties. For questions about a specific training session, please contact the hosting agency contact, which is listed on the CDE CALPADS Special Education Data Fall Roadshows web page at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ac/calpadsspedroadshows.asp
For general questions, or if you need accommodations for any of these training sessions, please contact Isabell Robertson, Office Technician, at irobertson@cde.ca.gov.
Registration links for these training sessions can be found on the CDE CALPADS Special Education Data Fall Roadshows web page at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ac/calpadsspedroadshows.asp
Regular Submission of Incident Data
In an effort to improve the quality of the End-of-Year (EOY) Incident Data Collection for students with disabilities, the CDE Special Education Division (SED) is recommending that LEAs adopt the best practice of submitting incident data to CALPADS, including any incidents resulting in restraint and seclusion, throughout the academic year, rather than waiting until the EOY submission window opens. Because the EOY submission window typically opens toward the end of the academic year, submitting these data at least once a month throughout the academic year will ensure that all reportable incidents are submitted to CALPADS prior to the time when key staff leave for the summer break.
Additionally, adopting this best practice will encourage local site administrators to enter these incidents into their local student information systems on a regular basis, rather than waiting until the end of the academic year to do so. Although LEAs are not required to submit incident data year-round, adopting this best practice will ensure that the incident data for students with disabilities used for monitoring in the Compliance Improvement Monitoring (CIM) process will be comprehensive, valid, and reliable.
To assist LEAs in monitoring discipline incidents year-round, a new incident-related “RealTime” report (formerly referred to as the operational data store report) will be implemented this winter, well before the opening of the EOY submission. LEAs will be notified when this new report becomes available.
Service and Support: CALPADS-CSIS Service Desk | calpads-support@cde.ca.gov | 916-325-9210