Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and School Attendance Review Board Members:

Model School Attendance Review Board Recognition Program 2025–26

I invite you to apply to be a participant in the 2025–26 Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Recognition Program, which is sponsored by the California Department of Education (CDE) in cooperation with the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance.

The Model SARB Recognition Program application again prioritizes and elevates multi-tiered attendance improvement programs at the district or county level that emphasize non-punitive, comprehensive student and family support.

Consistent student attendance is more important than ever, and many local educational agencies throughout the state continue to experience unprecedented levels of chronic absenteeism in spite of our efforts to safely return to in-person instruction. Schools and districts have dedicated more funding than ever before toward initiatives to increase attendance. Even with these investments, many schools have struggled to return to pre-pandemic attendance rates. That is why programs like the Model SARB Recognition Program are so relevant in 2025–26. If chosen for this recognition, the Model SARBs will serve as coaches and mentors for developing SARB programs. In this way, the Model SARB program is one of CDE’s key interventions to improve attendance across the state.

This year, there are four content areas in the application. Content Area 2 is the most important, as it requires applicants to describe in detail the different tiers of support they provide to students and their families. The description here should detail the range of offered supports from the first universal tier that creates a welcoming school climate to the intensive individual student and family treatment options as part of tier three interventions.

The four required content areas for inclusion in your application are:

• Content Area 1—Overview of the SARB Program (25 points)
• Content Area 2—Multi-tiered Interventions for Attendance (40 points)
• Content Area 3—Attendance Staff Roles and Responsibilities; SARB Collaboration and Qualifications (25 points)
• Content Area 4—Three Letters of Support (10 points)

The CDE encourages county and local SARBs that meet the eligibility criteria to submit an application to the Model SARB Recognition Program.

The 2025–26 Model SARB Application is available on the CDE Model SARB Recognition Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/sb/modelrecognition.asp. Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on December 18, 2025. The application must be submitted electronically in accordance with the instructions included in the application.

Model SARB Recognition Program award recipients will be recognized at the annual California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance Conference scheduled for March 16–18, 2026, in Sacramento.

If you have any questions, please contact Tom Herman, Education Administrator, Educational Options Office, at cwa@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

TT:th