2025–26 CARS Winter Pre-Loaded Data Types
Definitions of the pre-loaded data types used in the data collections for the 2025–26 Winter Release of the Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS).The following terminology describes and differentiates several types of pre-loaded data that can be found in certain Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) data collection forms.
Displayed Data
Displayed data can be an amount calculated within a data collection form from other amounts in the same data collection form; an example is “total expenditures.” Displayed data can be a count referenced within a data collection form that comes from another data collection form; an example is “total unduplicated students served” from the Title I, Part D Subpart 2 Students Served data collection form displaying as “total students served” in the dependent Title I, Part D Subpart 2 Outcomes data collection form.
Displayed data can also be source data from outside of CARS, which cannot be edited in CARS by a local educational agency (LEA) user; an example is “LEA allocation.” If an LEA believes the displayed “LEA allocation” is not accurate, then the LEA may discuss the matter with California Department of Education (CDE) fiscal services staff. However, even if the data is revised outside of CARS by fiscal staff, the data may not necessarily be changed within CARS while the affected data collection form(s) is open.
Other examples of non-editable displayed source data are LEA names and County-District-School (CDS) codes, all of which are sourced directly from the CDS database and cannot be manually changed in CARS. If a change to this type of data is needed, then the LEA must contact the CDE CDS Administration office by email at cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov or by phone at 916-327-4014. CDS Administration resources can also be reviewed on the CDE County-District-School Administration web page.
Prepopulated Data
Prepopulated data is data that is brought forward into a data collection form from another data collection form where the data was initially certified and can be edited by the LEA user in that data collection form. Prepopulated data are brought forward with the initial opening of a data collection form. Once the data collection form that includes the prepopulated data is saved, whether the LEA user did or did not change the prepopulated data, the system will not bring forward the prepopulated data into that data collection form again. A current example of editable prepopulated data can be found in the fields of the winter Title I, Part A Notification of Authorization of Schoolwide Program data collection form, which will display data that was certified in the same data collection form from the prior fiscal year.