This article maps the Special Education data lifecycle in SIRAS. It explains how Current/MIS, IEP Manager meeting data, Pending Changes, archived SEDS transactions, PLAN/SERV, and related SPED data fit together.
Do not apply this lifecycle automatically to the 504 or SST designations. Those modules share some screens and controls but have their own workflow and data behavior.
Use 504/SST Summary Page Help, 504 Module Guide, or SST Tracker Guide. The SWDS/MEET/PLAN/SERV archive model described here is Special Education/SEDS.
Meeting data can contain proposed changes, Current data represents what SIRAS understands to be true now, and an archived transaction preserves the dated reporting state for an event. Do not treat those three layers as interchangeable.
Quick Links
| Student / Current DataMIS Summary, status, plan, services, providers, and other current information. | Meeting DataProposed/in-progress IEP Manager information and the final meeting record. |
| Pending ChangesThe staging layer that controls which approved meeting changes become Current. | Archived TransactionsDated reporting history used for SWDS, MEET, PLAN, and SERV. |
| Plan Service DataCurrent plan services on MIS Summary, distinct from Service Logs. | Contact & Provider DataStudent Profile contacts and staff/provider relationships. |
| Next Year's DataFuture-year student and service information that should not be confused with Current. | DRDP, TOMS & Other DataSpecialized records with their own lifecycle and reporting tools. |
Student Record Designations
A SIRAS student record can be viewed in one of the program designations available to the user's account, including:
- Special Ed.
- 504
- SST
The pages, forms, permissions, and reporting behavior available to the user depend on the designation and the user's account access.
Student / Current Data
For Special Education, the MIS Summary is the central summary of Current student information. It includes or summarizes data such as:
- LEA identification and enrollment context;
- referral and eligibility information;
- student demographics;
- provider assignments;
- special education status and plan information; and
- current plan-service information.
Current data is used by SIRAS searches, lists, workflows, and future meeting/reporting processes. It should represent the latest verified information that is actually in effect.
See Data Record - Current Data for the Current-data model and MIS Summary Help for the screen itself.
Meeting Data
Meeting events are created and maintained in the Forms Manager / IEP Manager. While a meeting is open, some plan, service, goal, and related values are proposed or in progress. They are not automatically Current merely because they were entered into a meeting form.
The selected Parent Response affects what can become Current and what may be reportable. For example, an accepted plan can apply approved pending plan/service changes, while an unaccepted plan should not replace the last agreed-to participating plan.
See Parent Response - Impact Table and Parent Response, Contact Attempts, and Closing a Meeting.
Pending Changes
IEP Manager Pending Changes are one specific Special Education meaning of “Pending.” They are the bridge between proposed meeting data and Current/MIS when staff still need to determine which proposed changes were actually agreed to.
For full acceptance, applicable approved changes can move into Current. For partial consent, disagreement, or other non-full-acceptance outcomes, staff may need to apply only the approved portions and preserve the last agreed-to information for everything else.
See Pending Changes: What Moves from a Meeting into Current Data.
Archived Transactions and CALPADS Components
A student can have one or more dated archived transactions on the MIS Summary. An archived transaction preserves the applicable information for a reportable event and identifies which CALPADS components belong to that event.
| Component | Represents |
|---|---|
| SWDS | Eligibility and participation status over time. |
| MEET | Reportable evaluation and review events, dates, outcomes, and delay information. |
| PLAN | The applicable special education plan and program information. |
| SERV | Reportable regular services associated with an applicable PLAN. |
Not every archived transaction contains all four components. The actual event, outcome, dates, Parent Response, Current information, and reporting workflow determine what belongs in the archive.
See Archived Transaction Components: SWDS, MEET, PLAN, and SERV and Data Record - Archived Transaction.
Plan Service Data
Current plan-service data appears near the bottom of the MIS Summary. One student can have multiple service rows associated with the participating plan.
For an accepted plan, the lifecycle is generally:
Plan-service rows describe the services in the student's plan. Service Logs document delivered service sessions. A Service Log does not itself create a CALPADS SERV transaction.
Contact and Provider Data
Contact data
Student contact information is maintained under Student Info → Student Profile → Contacts. Contact information should be reviewed before meeting work when it affects educational rights-holder or meeting documentation.
Where a district's SIS integration controls a contact field, the authoritative correction may need to occur in the SIS rather than being maintained only in SIRAS. See Student Profile.
Provider data
A student may have one or more assigned providers. Provider assignments affect caseload, access, service responsibilities, and other workflow behavior.
See Manage Caseload and Student Assignments.
Next Year's Data
Next Year's Data holds future-year student and service information. It is separate from Current data until the applicable rollover or documented workflow makes it Current.
Because future-year values can interact with an open meeting, review Next Year's Data carefully when finalizing stay-put or other non-full-consent outcomes so unapproved future changes are not carried forward.
See Next Year's Data.
DRDP, TOMS, and Other Specialized Data
DRDP
DRDP uses specialized rating records rather than the ordinary PLAN/SERV archive model. Current and historical DRDP records are maintained according to the DRDP reporting cycle.
TOMS / assessment accommodations
Assessment accommodations and designated supports may be developed through meeting forms and then reflected in Current student information according to the applicable meeting/consent workflow. SIRAS also provides district-level tools for assessment-data review and export.
This page is an orientation map, not the canonical procedure for DRDP, assessment reporting, Service Logs, CALPADS submissions, or historical searching.
