Preparing for Fall 1 Census Day

For special education Fall 1 certification, the student must meet all of these conditions on Census Day:

1. The student has an overlapping CALPADS enrollment reported as Enrollment Status [10] Primary, [30] Short-term, or [50] Non-ADA.
2. The student has SWDS [1] Eligible and Participating effective on or before Census Day and not ended before that day.
3. The student has an applicable IEP, ISP, or IFSP PLAN effective for the snapshot.
4. The associated SERV records and required student/plan fields support the reported plan.

CALPADS uses the most recent applicable status and plan/service history effective for Census Day. The date the SIRAS archive was physically created is not necessarily the controlling date; the report-event, meeting, plan-effective, SWDS-effective, enrollment, or inactive date determines what the transaction represents.

Common scenarios

For the detailed arrival and onboarding workflow, see New or Returning Students – Onboarding & Special Education Status Review and Plan Adoption – Incoming Students & CALPADS Reporting.

Official references:

• CDE CALPADS Frequently Asked Questions
• CDE CALPADS Calendar

Fall 1 combines SIS enrollment data, SIRAS special education data, and CALPADS certification. The work should not be assigned to one person without a defined team and escalation process.

Identify local responsibilities

• SIS/CALPADS staff: enrollment, SSID, demographics, enrollment exits, and CALPADS access.
• SEDS Coordinator: SIRAS Current data, meetings, archives, special education submissions, and IVR resolution.
• Program staff and IEP teams: verification of what occurred in the field.
• Special Education Director: review of counts, anomalies, and final data-quality decisions.
• SELPA: support, reconciliation, and approval according to the current submission calendar.

Use:

• Building the Census Team
• SIRAS Administrator Fall Refresher
• SEDS Coordinator Focus by Month
• Reporting and Compliance Due Dates
• Office Hour Opportunities for SPED Admin Staff

Fall 1 preparation begins with routine year-round data monitoring:

• onboard new and returning students promptly;
• make leaving or non-participating records Inactive promptly;
• finalize completed meetings;
• create required archives;
• send SEDS data to CALPADS at least monthly—and more frequently during busy periods;
• review and resolve posted IVR errors;
• compare SIRAS populations with SIS and CALPADS lists; and
• follow unresolved items until the transaction is accepted.

Use:

• Data Monitoring Tasks
• Data Monitoring Help
• New or Returning Students – Onboarding & Special Education Status Review
• When Students Leave, Stop Participating, or Become Inactive

SIRAS does not yet receive every live enrollment change needed to determine the population automatically. The district must bridge the SIS/SEDS gap through regular comparison.

Compare the three views

1. SIS: Who is enrolled, where, and on what dates?
2. SIRAS: Who is Active, Pending, or Inactive, and what does the Current record say?
3. CALPADS: Which SENR and SWDS records are posted and effective for Census Day?

Investigate mismatches

• Active in SIRAS but no overlapping CALPADS enrollment;
• enrolled with SWDS [1] in CALPADS but missing or not Active in SIRAS;
• SWDS [2], [3], or [4] in CALPADS with no corresponding SIRAS history;
• duplicate or incorrectly transferred records;
• students who left but still appear Active;
• students expected to arrive but never enrolled; and
• students whose district or DSEA assignment does not match the field.

Related resources:

• SPED Data File Submission and Enrollment FAQ
• Enrollment Suggestions for IEP Referrals
• Request Student Transfer Help
• DSEA District of Special Education Accountability Help
• SIRAS Record Status – Reflect What Is Happening in the Field

Initial Evaluations pending across Census Day

When parental assessment consent was received on or before Census Day and the Initial Evaluation meeting will occur afterward, CALPADS needs the pending evaluation represented.

• Enter the Parent Consent Date promptly.
• Obtain the SSID needed for reporting without delaying the evaluation.
• Create the Pending As Of MEET archive before the meeting occurs.
• Monitor the expected meeting date and applicable delay reason.

Use Initial Evaluation Process – Part B / IEP and New Referral List – SSID & Pending As Of Monitoring.

Annuals and reevaluations overdue as of Census Day

If the meeting is overdue on Census Day and will be held later, send the appropriate Pending As Of MEET record with the correct Meeting Delay code and label.

Meeting occurred on or before Census Day but is still open

If the meeting was held but cannot be finalized before certification, use Send Meeting In Progress so the MEET history reflects that the event occurred.

Meeting or archive entered after Census Day

When a valid event occurred on or before Census Day but was entered later, preserve the actual historical date. Use Back In Time Solution for CALPADS Errors when the documented workflow requires a backdated report event.

Monitoring resources:

• CALPADS 16.21 – Overdue Plan Review and Reevaluation
• CALPADS 16.25 – Initial Part B Timeline Compliance
• Find Meetings That Were Held Late – Previously Overdue
• Meeting Delay Reasons
• Meeting Reports
• Finalizing a Meeting

For each student in the Fall 1 population, review the PLAN and SERV information effective for Census Day.

Priority review areas

• Plan Type and Plan Effective Date;
• Primary and secondary disability;
• Program Setting;
• District of Special Education Accountability;
• Degree of Support;
• General Education Participation percentage;
• transition regulation indicators;
• services and service locations;
• school, district, and provider assignments; and
• required demographic and enrollment data supplied through the SIS.

Use:

• Program Setting Updates
• Cleaning Up Program Data
• Degree of Support Help Sheet
• DINC 4 Transition Regulation Indicators
• DSEA District of Special Education Accountability Help

On Census Day, save a secured local copy of the SIRAS data and reports used to estimate the Fall 1 population.

Use Census Day Search and Store for the procedure.

Recommended evidence to retain

• the Census Day SIRAS Current-data export;
• the Active population used for comparison;
• local enrollment/SIS comparison files;
• SIRAS statistical reports corresponding to key CALPADS 16.xx reports;
• reports required by the district or SELPA; and
• notes documenting known exceptions still being resolved.

Useful SIRAS comparison reports include:

• Plan Type by Disability – 16.12 Matrix
• Disability and Federal Setting – 16.13 Matrix
• Disability and Service – 16.15 Matrix
• Age by Disability Matrix

Continue sending data

Submit SIRAS SEDS data regularly throughout the Fall 1 window. Do not wait until all data appears perfect before sending; posting data early exposes missing prerequisites and gives the team time to resolve errors.

Resolve input validation errors

SIRAS receives CALPADS input validation errors through the API. Treat posted IVRs as a work queue:

1. read the complete error;
2. determine whether the source issue is enrollment, Current data, meeting data, an archive, or a missing prerequisite transaction;
3. correct the actual source;
4. remove or clear the posted error as appropriate; and
5. resend and verify acceptance.

Use CALPADS Errors from SIRAS Data and Process for Error Resolution.

Resolve certification data discrepancies

CDDs and certification errors are reviewed in CALPADS after the Fall 1 window opens. They are not all returned to SIRAS through the API.

• Run the error and warning reports early.
• Assign each discrepancy to the person who can verify the field event.
• Correct SIRAS, SIS, enrollment, or CALPADS data as appropriate.
• Resubmit and regenerate the snapshot.

See Error Summary and Data Reporting FAQ.

Zero fatal errors is necessary, but it is not sufficient to prove that the data is complete and accurate.

Review CALPADS reports

The applicable Fall 1 16.xx certification and supporting reports change over time. Use the current CALPADS report list and review the reports relevant to:

• plan type and primary disability;
• program setting;
• services;
• student-level plan records;
• special education status and non-participation;
• late plan reviews and reevaluations;
• Initial Evaluation timelines;
• DSEA; and
• district/SELPA monitoring priorities.

Compare CALPADS with SIRAS

• Compare the CALPADS student-level population with the Census Day SIRAS export.
• Investigate students appearing in one system but not the other.
• Compare aggregate SIRAS statistical reports with the corresponding CALPADS reports.
• Review anomalies with the Special Education Director and SELPA.
• Interview IEP team or program staff when the data does not explain the field event.
• Correct, resend, and repeat the comparison.

Before LEA Approve

The district should minimally have:

• resolved all fatal certification errors;
• reviewed warnings and documented accepted exceptions;
• confirmed SIRAS IVRs and pending submissions are resolved;
• reviewed the applicable certification reports;
• compared CALPADS counts and student lists with SIRAS/SIS evidence;
• reviewed anomalies with the Special Education Director and/or SELPA;
• completed Census Day Search and Store; and
• agreed that the snapshot reasonably represents the Fall 1 population and history.

LEA Approve occurs in CALPADS. The locally authorized person presses the approval button after the district team has completed its review.

SELPA review

Follow the current CDE calendar and local SELPA timeline for SELPA review and approval.

Amendment window

If a material discrepancy is found after approval:

1. correct the underlying SIRAS, SIS, enrollment, or CALPADS data;
2. submit the corrected transactions;
3. generate a new revision;
4. repeat the LEA review and approval; and
5. obtain SELPA approval of the new revision when required.

Some fall responsibilities support local operations or other reporting programs but are not themselves what determines the Fall 1 special education population.

DRDP

Monitor required DRDP ratings, incomplete records, and exceptions according to the current fall schedule.

See DRDP Help for Administrators.

FTE and local staffing analysis

SIRAS Census Day reports can provide estimates and reconciliation evidence. Use the certified CALPADS 16.14 data for official FTE calculations when required by current guidance.

See FTE Excess Cost Report in SIRAS.

Low incidence, out-of-home care, and credentialing

These may be important local or SELPA fall reviews even when they do not directly determine the Fall 1 special education population.

• Low Incidence Report
• Performance Indicator Reports

• ☐ The Census team, task owners, review schedule, and local approval date are established.
• ☐ Current CDE, SELPA, and local deadlines have been reviewed.
• ☐ New and returning students have been onboarded promptly.
• ☐ Leaving and non-participating students have been made Inactive promptly.
• ☐ SIS, SIRAS, and CALPADS enrollment/status populations have been compared.
• ☐ Every expected Fall 1 student has overlapping enrollment and SWDS [1] effective for Census Day.
• ☐ Pending SIRAS records have not been treated as part of the Fall 1 participating population.
• ☐ Initial Evaluations with consent on or before Census Day have the required Pending As Of follow-up.
• ☐ Overdue annuals and reevaluations have accurate Pending or MEET reporting and delay reasons.
• ☐ Meetings held on or before Census Day have been finalized or reported as Meeting In Progress when appropriate.
• ☐ PLAN, SERV, disability, program setting, DSEA, Degree of Support, participation percentage, and transition indicators have been reviewed.
• ☐ Census Day Search and Store files were saved securely on Census Day.
• ☐ SIRAS data has been submitted regularly and IVRs have been resolved.
• ☐ CALPADS CDDs, errors, and warnings have been reviewed and assigned.
• ☐ Certification reports and student lists have been compared with SIRAS/SIS evidence.
• ☐ The Special Education Director and/or SELPA reviewed material anomalies.
• ☐ LEA Approve occurred only after the team agreed the snapshot was accurate.
• ☐ The amendment window is being monitored for necessary corrections and reapproval.

Return to the beginning of the Fall 1 guide