ACADEMICS / PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM
Registration Information
Registration is usually conducted each spring at the closing of the school year, although school offices are open for registration two weeks before the school year begins to accommodate newcomers. Completing registration as early as possible is always advised. Some districts operate on a first-come, first-served basis. In order for a child to enter kindergarten, he or she must be five years of age before December 2 of the enrollment year. However, kindergarten is not mandatory and children are not required to attend school until age 6. To register your child for public school, bring proof of age in the form of an official birth certificate and proof of required immunizations. California also requires a health examination within 18 months before entering first grade, no later than 90 days after entering first grade.
It would be helpful in the case of transferring students to bring official transcripts from the previous school attended or contact information for procuring records. Newcomers must also provide proof of residence such as driver license, voter/motor registration card, utility bill, rent statement, income tax return statement, and proof of home ownership (including a mortgage statement) or any official document showing both name and address. For complete details on registration or answers to specific questions about immunizations, medical exams, or any other issues, contact your local school district. The following state and county offices may also be helpful:
California Department of Education
1430 N Street
Sacramento 916-319-0800
https://www.cde.ca.gov/
Testing & Accountability
Every district and public school in California is required by law to issue a yearly School Accountability Report Card or SARC. These SARCs present such important information as ethnic composition of the school or district, test results, dropout rates, curriculum descriptions, special programs, class size, teacher/pupil ratios, staff qualifications, and facility descriptions. If you are interested in a SARC for a specific school or school district, call the district office and state your request.
STAR (Standardized Testing & Reporting) is the California testing program that was developed after a beta run with a representative sample of students across the nation. Scores are nationally comparative, so a score of 75 would mean that California students are performing 75 percent better than students at other schools across the nation. For more information about STAR and other accountability issues, contact:
CAASPP Office
Department of Education
916-445-8765
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/
Education Data Partnership
Online Fiscal, Demographic & Performance Data
https://www.ed-data.org/
Charter Schools
These privately chartered public schools cover kindergarten through grade 12. California allows charter schools to restructure programs around local needs, so the specific goals and operating procedures are detailed in the agreement between the board and the organizers of the charter. Contact the charter school staff at the state department of education of your county office of education for more information:
California Department of Education
Charter School Information
916-322-6029
https://www.cde.ca.gov/
Alameda County Office of Education
510-887-0152
https://www.acoe.org/alameda
Contra Costa County Office of Education
925-942-3388
https://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/
Marin County Office of Education
415-472-4110
https://www.marinschools.org/
Monterey County Office of Education
831-755-0300
https://www.montereycoe.org/
Napa County Office of Education
707-253-6828
https://napacoe.org/
San Benito County Office of Education
831-637-5393
https://www.sbcoe.k12.ca.us/
San Francisco Unified School District
415-241-6000
https://www.sfusd.edu/
San Mateo County Office of Education
650-802-5300
https://www.smcoe.org/
Santa Clara County Office of Education
408-453-6500
https://www.sccoe.org/Pages/SCCOE%20Home.aspx
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
831-466-5600
https://santacruzcoe.org/
Solano County Office of Education
707-399-4400
https://www.solanocoe.net/
Sonoma County Office of Education
707-524-2600
https://www.scoe.org/
Vocational / Career Training
Regional Occupational Centers/Programs or ROCP was primarily developed to provide high school juniors and seniors with school-to-career programs. Each program includes job-search skills such as resume development and interviewing techniques. ROCP serves college-bound students by allowing them to explore a career field or acquiring skills that will enable them to support their higher education through part-time employment. Adult Programs enable residents to upgrade skills or train in exciting new areas. For more information about local resources, contact the regional ROCP office:
California ROCP Locations/Programs
916-327-6367
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/rp/
