CALPADS Update Flash #320

To:           Local Educational Agency (LEA) Representatives

From:      California Department of Education (CDE) –
                California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Team

Date:       February 9, 2026

Subject:  CALPADS Update FLASH #320

2025–26 CALPADS and CARS: Key Deadlines and Submission Guidance

This reminder outlines key deadlines and guidance for certifying Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) data for Targeted Assistance Schools (TAS) and Schoolwide Program (SWP) schools to ensure alignment with submission requirements for the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). The California Department of Education (CDE) is issuing this notice to all Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to stress the importance of meeting timelines to maintain consistency between CALPADS and CARS submission windows and certification deadlines. Proper alignment is critical to preserving data integrity across programs.

CALPADS and CARS: Reporting requirements for schools operating Title I, Part A Schoolwide Programs (SWP) and Targeted Assistance School (TAS) Programs

Schools that receive Title I, Part A funds and participate in the Targeted Assistance School (TAS) Program must submit individual student Title I education program records as part of their CALPADS End of Year (EOY) 1 (formerly EOY 2) data submission. In contrast, schools that receive Title I, Part A funds and operate a Schoolwide Program do not submit individual student Title I education program records to CALPADS.

It is important for LEAs receiving Title I, Part A funds to review and certify the CARS Title I, Part A School Allocations form. LEAs can then verify whether the school is authorized to operate as a Schoolwide Program by submitting and certifying the CARS Title I, Part A Notification of Authorization of Schoolwide Program form. This sequence ensures that schools are accurately identified and reported within CALPADS during the EOY submission process.

The CARS Winter Release is now open. All forms, except for the Title I, Part A Notification of Authorization of Schoolwide Program form will close in CARS on February 15, 2026.

Key LEA Reminders

• If your LEA receives Title I, Part A funds, certify the Title I Part A School Allocations form in CARS by February 15, 2026. There will be no opportunity to update this data in CARS after the February 15, 2026 final close date. It is particularly important to certify this form by the final close date because it impacts an LEA’s ability to certify their CALPADS EOY 1 submission.
• Schoolwide Program statuses certified in CARS are populated in CALPADS on a nightly basis. If this form is not certified in CARS, CALPADS will identify the school as participating in the TAS program and will expect LEAs to submit Education Program records with Code 122 - Title I Part A Basic Targeted, for the students receiving Title I services. If such records are not submitted, LEAs will receive a fatal error and will not be able to certify their EOY 1 submissions.
• For LEAs that receive authorization for schools to participate in the Schoolwide Program after February 15, 2026, the CDE strongly encourages LEAs to certify the Notification of Authorization of Schoolwide Program form in CARS no later than July 24, 2026, to ensure that LEAs are able to certify their CALPADS EOY 1 data by the July 31, 2026, deadline.
• For schools authorized as a Schoolwide program, LEAs are encouraged to certify the Notification of Authorization of Schoolwide Program form in CARS by February 15, 2026, or as soon as possible after that date.
• This form remains open in CARS to accommodate local school board approval of Schoolwide Programs that occur after February 15, and will permanently close on or before July 31, 2026.

Helpful References

For more guidance on certifying CARS data for Schoolwide Program Schools and submitting Title I Targeted Assistance School Program records in CALPADS, refer to:

• CALPADS Flash Update #306 on the CDE CALPADS Communications web page. Here is a direct link to Flash #306: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sp/cl/calpadsupdflash306.asp
• CALPADS User Manual CERT097 Error Missing Title I Targeted Assistance Program Records web page at https://documentation.calpads.org/Troubleshooting/EOY2/CERT097/
• Title I, Part A Targeted Assistance School Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/t1/tasinfo.asp
• Title I, Part A Schoolwide Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/t1/schoolwideprograms.asp
• 2025–26 Title I, Part A School Allocations web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/co/ca25winst1schalloc.asp
• 2025–26 Title I Notification Authorization of SWP web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/co/ca25winsswpauthoriz.asp

To view the 2025–2026 CALPADS and CARS data submission calendars, visit the:

• CALPADS Calendar web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sp/cl/rptcalendar.asp
• CARS Data Collection Forms Calendar web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/co/carscalendar.asp

The following CALPADS certification reports may be used for identifying students in Title I, Part A Schoolwide Programs and students in Title I, Part A Basic Targeted Assistance School Programs:

• 5.1 - Program Participants - Count
• 5.2 - Program Participants - Title I Part A Basic Targeted Education Services
• 5.3 - Program Participants - Student List