[CA] CALPADS Flash #288:  2024-25 Special Education Updates

The California Department of Education (CDE) recently released the CALPADS Update Flash #288, which covers essential updates for the 2024-25 school year, particularly concerning special education. Here are the highlights you need to know:

Key Highlights

• Fall 1 Data Certification Deadline:

  • LEAs (Local Educational Agencies) must certify their Fall 1 data by December 13, 2024.
  • Disproportionality data, critical for monitoring indicators such as Indicator 9 (overall disproportionality) and Indicator 10 (disproportionality by disability categories), will be based on the data approved by this deadline.
  • Ensuring that all special education and race/ethnicity data are accurate by this deadline is crucial to avoid misidentification.

• Special Education Timeline Compliance:

  • Annual plan reviews and triennial reevaluations must be current as of October 2, 2024 (Census Day).
  • Monitoring reports should be used to identify and address any overdue meetings.

• 2024-25 Code and Validation Changes:

  • Several disability categories have been renamed or updated for clarity. For instance, "Hard of Hearing" has been updated to "Hard of Hearing/Hearing Impairment," and "Emotional Disturbance" is now "Emotional Disability."
  • New validation rules will be enforced to ensure that data submissions are accurate. LEAs should familiarize themselves with these changes to avoid submission errors.

New Policies and Reminders

• Alternative Pathway Diploma Eligibility:

  • Students with disabilities enrolled in Grade 10 or higher during the 2022-23 school year are now eligible for the Alternative Pathway Diploma, following recent legislative changes.

• County Office of Education (COE) Enrollment:

  • LEAs must ensure that a PLAN record is submitted for short-term enrollments of students in county offices of education, even if the enrollment lasts 10 days or less.

• Equitable Services for Preschool Age Students:

  • New guidance allows LEAs to offer Individualized Service Plans (ISP) to preschool-aged students enrolled in private programs, provided that the preschool also offers at least one additional elementary grade.

Training and Support

• CALPADS Special Education Data 2024-25 Roadshows:
  • In-person and virtual training sessions will be available for local special education data coordinators to help them understand the updates and prepare for the upcoming data submissions.
  • Registration links and details are available on the CDE’s website.

Final Thoughts

These updates emphasize the importance of timely and accurate data submission, particularly regarding disproportionality monitoring and special education compliance. LEAs should ensure they understand and implement these changes to avoid issues with reporting and compliance.

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