School Accountability Report Cards
All public schools are required to issue an annual School Accountability Report Card (SARC). A SARC is also mandated for charter schools and non-public schools, although the requirements are less comprehensive. More information about SARC requirements is available at the CDE website.
Local schools have several options for preparing SARCs, as described below.
Free Web-Based SARC from SchoolCity
SCOE is partnering with SchoolCity to provide districts with access to the Single Plan & Accountability Report Card Suite (SPARCS), which was developed in collaboration with the Santa Clara County Office of Education. SPARCS offers free SARC preparation via a Web-based interface. The optional Single Plan for Student Achievement service may be purchased for $450 per school site.
Districts can use SPARCS to create free SARCs for all schools. The online template is pre-loaded with CDE-released data, then district personnel input narrative content online. A PDF report can be created for printing, emailing, and posting to the Internet. To revise the report at any time, the school/district may log back in, make corrections, and create a new PDF. A Spanish template also includes all the testing and demographic statistics; narrative sections must be translated and input by the school/district.
Note that individuals must register and create an account on the SPARCS website to access the free SARC service.
How-To Video Guides for SPARCS | Dec 2011
The following videos provide a brief overview of four key steps involved in completing the free School Accountability Report Card (SARC) on the SPARCS interface. A basic illustrated SPARCS guide (pdf) is also available.
Video: Login | Learn how to login to the SPARCS website. If you haven’t already received a user ID and password, contact Anne Dewey at adewey@scoe.org.
Video: School Setup Data | The first step in creating a SARC is called School Setup. This is where you enter your district and school address, phone number, administrator names, etc.
Video: SARC Input | This video shows you how to navigate through the various sections of the SARC and track which sections have been completed.
Video: Printing a Report | When you’re ready to generate a report, this video shows you how. You can generate a new report as often as needed during the editing process.
State Template from Ed-Data
School Accountability Report Card (SARC) coordinators can access SARC templates via the Ed-Data website. This free service replaces the SARC templates that were previously offered on the California Department of Education (CDE) website. To access the templates and get updates as data are released, SARC coordinators must first sign up at the CDE website.
- Access the Ed-Data SARC Template
- Sign up as a SARC Coordinator at CDE
- See this Quick Guide (pdf) for downloading the template
Commercial Vendors
There are several commercial vendors who prepare SARCs. When using an outside vendor, please make sure the product meets both state and federal requirements and includes a full SARC, not just the executive summary. Prices vary significantly from vendor to vendor. Selected vendors include:
- Axiom SARCBuilder
- Document Tracking Services (DTS)
- School Innovations and Advocacy (SI&A)
- Schoolwise Press
Other Information
SARC Requirements
- February 1 is the deadline for completing SARCs for the previous school year.
- SARCs must be translated into students’ home language if 15% or more of the school’s students speak a single primary language other than English. Translated templates are available from CDE.
Accessing Sonoma County SARCs
- As a public service, SCOE compiles links to all of the School Accountability Report Cards for Sonoma County schools. Access this listing.
Contact
- Anne Dewey, Information Specialist
(707) 524-2808,
