Degree of Support Helpsheet

Degree of Support Help Sheet

Dec 15, 2025

Each LEA should determine which staff are responsible for identifying the Student Degree of Support. Input should be gathered from special education staff, including members of the IEP team and the special education student data coordinator, and these staff should utilize information from the student’s IEP document to make these determinations. For Additional information, please review CDE’s Student Degree of Support Help Document (updated Sept. 2024)

Look for the CDE Degree of Support Help Video/PPT

If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, seek guidance from your Special Ed Department supervisor.

Records that don't require degree of support will show as blank or NA.

How do we report Degree of Support to CALPADS for prior census day?

Use predefined queries to find missing or unreported degree of support records.
Enter the degree of support on the MIS page, then click the archive for reporting button.
Be sure that the report event date is on or before Census.

How do we report Degree of Support to CALPADS for after census day?

Use predefined queries to find missing or unreported degree of support records.

Is the last IEP date prior to Census date?

Archive an amendment that no earlier than district enrollment date or last IEP date.

Is there an archive with plan effective date prior to census on the MIS we can use?

(This won't work for stay put.)
Open that archive, fill out degree of support and resend to CALPADS.

If Not

Create back in time archive dated on district enrollment date but no later than census date.
Report that new archive

So if you archive it after Census you MUST back date the archive. See back in time solution if you get stuck.

How do we report Degree of Suport after a stay put IEP for student already SWDS 1 during Fall 1 2025?

Is the most recent IEP/EVAL date after Census?

Is the most recent IEP/EVAL prior to Census but it's plan effective date is after Census?

Then do back in time solution to a date prior to the most recent meeting date, like district enrollment

Can we batch edit Degree of Support in SIRAS?

- Yes SIRAS does allow this ability but it must be carefully used. CLICK HERE for batch edit help.

Can we batch archive Degree of Support in SIRAS?

- Yes SIRAS will do this for you.

- Email [email protected]

- Request this to be done

- Include the date the archives are to be as of.

CALPADS Note: [The degree of support is reported by sending a PLAN record from SIRAS]

How to find students requiring/missing Degree of Support:

Click on Search
Click on Predefined queries
Click on Compliance concerns
Click on Degree of support required

How to find students with updated Degree of Support that needs to be reported:

Click on Search
Click on Predefined queries
Click on Data Monitoring
Click on Degree of support needs reporting

HOW TO ENTER 'STUDENT DEGREE OF SUPPORT' IN SIRAS:

The Student Degree of Support can be entered in the IEP Manager by the Case Manager or by the Sped Clerk on the MIS Summary Page, next to the Disability fields; under these conditions:

that the Meeting Purpose is either an Initial Evaluation, Triennial/Reevaluation, Annual Review Review (30 day);
that the Grade is TK through 12th;
if the Primary and/or Secondary Disability is identified as a degree of support disability.

The Student Degree of Support popup menu will appear in the column to the right of the Eligibility or Demographics form where the Disability is entered. There will be two options Mild/Moderate Support Needs - MMSN and Extensive Support Needs - ESN. The meeting cannot be Finalized until the Degree of Disability is selected.

Here is the field on the MIS Summary page

Here is the field in the IEP manager

CALPADS Documentation:

A coded value representing the degree of support needed to support a student's disability.
23.16 Disability Degree of Support

The Student Degree of Support field is only required to be populated for students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in grades Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through 12 identified with the following primary or secondary disabilities:

Autism (AUT) - [320]
Deaf-blindness (DB) - [300]
Emotional Disability (ED) - [260]
Intellectual Disability (ID) - [210]
Multiple Disabilities (MD) - [310]
Orthopedic Impairment (OI) - [270]
Other Health Impairment (OHI) - [280]
Specific Learning Disability (SLD) - [290]
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - [330]

Remember that accurate and timely data entry ensures that the student’s needs are properly addressed. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your Special Ed Department supervisor.

STUDENT DEGREE OF SUPPORT

Required only for students with IEPs in grades Transitional Kindergarten (TK)-12 identified with the primary or secondary disabilities listed

in the table below:

For additional information, please review CDE’s Student Degree of Support FQAs