Aug 25, 2026
Fall 1 local SEDS audit checklist
Use this checklist during Fall 1 preparation to review common SEDS data-quality and reporting risks before certification. For Fall 1 2026, Census Day is October 7, 2026. Use Due Dates for current local, SELPA, and CALPADS reporting targets.
Use this checklist during Fall 1 preparation to review common SEDS data-quality and reporting risks before certification. For Fall 1 2026, Census Day is October 7, 2026. Use Due Dates for current local, SELPA, and CALPADS reporting targets.
How this fits the Fall 1 workflow:
Use Preparing for Fall 1 Census Day as the full Fall 1 procedure. Use this page as the focused pre-Census/local audit checklist. On Census Day, continue with On Fall 1 Census Day Tasks.
Use Preparing for Fall 1 Census Day as the full Fall 1 procedure. Use this page as the focused pre-Census/local audit checklist. On Census Day, continue with On Fall 1 Census Day Tasks.
Audit Checklist
Finalize or Close Meetings That Can Be Completed
- Run Meeting Reports to find meetings that may be ready to complete.
- Review meetings that are in progress, awaiting consent, or have partial consent and complete the appropriate SIRAS workflow when the required information is available.
- Use Finalizing a Meeting for parent-response and finalization guidance.
If the meeting cannot be completed before Fall 1 review:
- Use Sending a Pending Meeting Record when the meeting will occur after Census Day and the pending event must be represented.
- Use Send Meeting In Progress when the meeting occurred on or before Census Day but cannot be finalized before reporting review.
- Verify the applicable Meeting Delay Reason when an event was held late.
Review Students or Transactions Marked Do Not Report
- Review all CALPADS IVR Errors Posted in SIRAS.
- An imported CALPADS IVR temporarily places a Do Not Report block on the affected archived transaction until the posted error is cleared.
- Correct first; clear second. Clearing the displayed error does not correct the underlying data.
- Continue working the error queue and pending reporting before the current Fall 1 local/certification targets. Use Due Dates rather than relying on a prior-year date copied into this checklist.
- After transaction-level IVRs are resolved and required data has posted, review remaining SPED-related certification data discrepancies in CALPADS.
Verify Active / Pending / Inactive Status Against Enrollment and Field Information
- Reach out to IEP teams when needed to confirm students who exited special education before Census Day. See Student Record Offboarding.
- Students enrolled and participating in special education on 10/7/2026 should be represented as Active for the Census Day population.
- Students whose enrollment/participation begins on or after 10/8/2026 should not be counted as participating on Census Day; use the appropriate Pending/onboarding workflow.
- Students who stopped being enrolled and/or participating on or before 10/7/2026 should not remain Active for the Census Day population.
- Use Census Day Search and Store on Census Day to preserve the SIRAS population used for Fall 1 comparison.
Status is evidence, not certification by itself.
Confirm SIS/SENR, SIRAS, and CALPADS history when a student's population status is unclear. If the records do not make sense, use Data Monitoring Help: Investigate a Questionable Record before changing data.
Confirm SIS/SENR, SIRAS, and CALPADS history when a student's population status is unclear. If the records do not make sense, use Data Monitoring Help: Investigate a Questionable Record before changing data.
Ensure SSID and Local ID Fields Are Populated
- Verify all active records have both the SSID and local Student ID populated as expected.
- Use predefined student lists, sorting, or other SIRAS list tools to find blank values.
- The district SIS integration should normally keep district-controlled identity/enrollment information aligned.
- If the expected local ID is not appearing in SIRAS, verify the SIS source/integration and contact SIRAS Support when the integration result is not correct.
Ensure Transition Indicators Are Populated for Students Who Will Be 16 on Census Day
- Use DINC 4 Transition Regulation Indicators to identify records that need review.
- There is NO NEED to populate Blank Transition Indicators with N values, SIRAS reports this automatically.
- How to find students who will be 16 by end of year
Review General Education Participation Percentage
- Use Cleaning up Program Setting and Related Data to review General Education Participation % and related program data.
- Look for values that are missing, transposed, or inconsistent with the student's actual program.
Review Program Setting
- Use Cleaning up Program Setting and Related Data to review students whose age/grade requires a school-age Program Setting.
- Pay particular attention to students age 5 or older who are enrolled in TK or higher and should no longer be represented with a preschool setting.
Review Degree of Support
- Run the predefined query Compliance Concerns > Degree of Support Missing/Required. Review and address all records returned by the query.
- Run the predefined query Data Monitoring > Degree of Support for Disability Needs Reporting and review any records that need reporting attention.
- Use the Degree of Support Help Sheet for further information.
Do not enter a value only to clear a query result.
Verify the student's actual disability/support information first. If the correct value is unclear, use Data Monitoring Help: Investigate a Questionable Record.
Verify the student's actual disability/support information first. If the correct value is unclear, use Data Monitoring Help: Investigate a Questionable Record.
Review Overdue / Pending MEET Reporting as of Census Day
- Use Compliance Monitoring to review upcoming, overdue, and as-of-date meeting populations.
- Compare with CALPADS 16.21: DINC 1 Overdue Plan Review & Reevaluation Monitoring as appropriate.
- For students coming from a different SELPA/district, verify whether Plan Adoption is required.
- Verify late meetings have the correct Meeting Delay Reason.
- Use Pending when the required meeting will occur after Census Day and the pending event must be reported.
- Use Meeting In Progress when the meeting occurred by Census Day but cannot yet be finalized.
Review District of Special Education Accountability (DSEA)
- Use DSEA District of Special Education Accountability Help to review the applicable DSEA information/extracts.
- Verify the DSEA assignment reflects the student's actual accountability situation before certification review.
Compare SIS and SEDS Identity Data
Compare district SIS and SIRAS/SEDS data so students are identified consistently across systems. Review items such as:
- student name;
- birth date;
- SSID and local ID;
- race/ethnicity and other district-controlled demographics when relevant; and
- district enrollment information used by SEDS reporting.
Use Data Export Help or Data Export: Special Education and Section 504 Data from SIRAS to SIS when an export is needed for comparison. For larger SIRAS/CALPADS reconciliation work, see SIRAS vs. CALPADS Bulk Extract Reconciliation.
Finish the Audit
Follow the discrepancy, not the symptom.
When a comparison finds a questionable record, use Investigate a Questionable Record. Once the problem is verified, use Process for Error Resolution.
When a comparison finds a questionable record, use Investigate a Questionable Record. Once the problem is verified, use Process for Error Resolution.

