2025 Uniform Complaint Procedures Update
California Department of Education Report to the State Legislature.Prepared by the
Education Equity Uniform Complaint Procedures Office
Description: Update on California Department of Education Uniform Complaint Procedures.
Authority: Assembly Bill 107 of the 2024–25 Budget Act
Due Date: On or before January 31, 2025
2025 Uniform Complaint Procedures Update
California Department of Education
Report to the State Legislature
The Budget Act of 2024 (AB 107 [Chapter 22, Statutes of 2024] Item 6100-001-0001, para. 21) requires the California Department of Education (CDE) “to provide a report by January 31 of each year with a summary of the number of days for completion of appeals [of local educational agency (LEA) decisions on Uniform Complaints] by complaint type and program area, including the rationale for complaints that exceeded 60 days.”
The Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) 2024 Annual Statistical Summary (Attachment 1) (DOCX) identifies each of the complaints and appeals by program area and whether the CDE was able to complete the appeal process within 60 days of receipt of the appeal. For those appeals that exceeded 60 days, the rationale is indicated.
Under the UCP, LEAs are responsible for investigating and resolving most complaints, and the CDE is responsible for reviewing appeals of LEA investigations. The CDE may also directly investigate in cases where a student may suffer immediate and irreparable harm to an unlawful policy and filing the complaint locally would be futile. The CDE processes complaints and appeals pursuant to the UCP statutory and regulatory timelines and procedures for processing these matters.
Attachment 1 includes the Program Areas and Complaint Types and indicates the date the appeal or request for direct intervention was received and the date the appeal decision or direct intervention investigation report was issued. Program areas that accepted appeals and requests for direct intervention in 2024 were:- After School Education and Safety
- Child Removed from Program
- Categorical Programs Complaint Management (CPCM)
- Title I; School Site Council; Pupil Fees; Title III; English Learner Classification; English Learner Advisory Committee Meeting; Single Plan for Student Achievement; School Safety Plans.
- Education Equity
- Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying based on a protected characteristic; Retaliation.
- Local Control Accountability Plan
- Williams
- Facilities (No HVAC; Airborne Contaminants; Health Code; Restroom Access and Condition).
The Education Equity Program accepted the highest number of appeals with 79 (66 percent of the total), followed by the Categorical Programs Complaint Management Program with 26 appeals and/or complaints (22 percent). The Williams Program completed 10 appeals. The After School Education and Safety Program addressed three appeals, and the Local Control Accountability Program addressed two appeals.
If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact Celina Arias-Romero, Education Administrator, Education Equity UCP Office, by phone at 916-324-9820 or by email at CAriasRomero@cde.ca.gov.
If you need a copy of this report, please contact the Education Equity UCP Office by phone at 916-319-8239 or by email at eeucpo@cde.ca.gov.