Review every newly enrolled student against CALPADS special education history. If the student's most recent SWDS status is 1, 2, or 3, complete the appropriate special education onboarding review.
Weekly New-Enrollee Review
- Start with the complete list of students who enrolled since the previous review.
- Use the CALPADS SWDS RealTime Extract or other appropriate CALPADS review method to check the students' special education history.
- Scan every new enrollee for a most recent SWDS status of 1, 2, or 3.
- For each student identified, use New or Returning Students to determine the student's actual eligibility, participation, plan, and correct SIRAS onboarding workflow.
- Track the student until the onboarding review is resolved.
CALPADS, SIRAS, incoming records, and information from the field may not all be current. Article 289 owns the due-diligence process for determining what is actually true for the student.
SIRAS Pending and Active records can also help with monitoring, but they should not replace the complete new-enrollee review. A student's special education history may be visible in CALPADS before the appropriate SIRAS record or paperwork reaches district staff.
Why This Is a Child Find Task
Federal Child Find law requires children who may need special education and related services to be identified, located, and evaluated and requires a practical method for determining which children are receiving needed services.
California law similarly requires LEAs to actively and systematically seek out individuals with exceptional needs and establishes a continuous Child Find system.
The weekly new-enrollee review is one practical district monitoring method that supports this broader responsibility. Child Find itself is not limited to students who already have a CALPADS special education record.
More Information About Child Find and Assessment
For additional Child Find and assessment information, see:
- NW SELPA Assessment Information
- California Department of Education — Special Education Local Plan Areas
Related Procedures
- New or Returning Students — use when a new enrollee has existing or possible special education history and needs onboarding review.
- Student Record Offboarding: Inactive Status and SWDS Reporting — use when a student leaves, stops participating, or requires offboarding follow-up.
