ACADEMICS / PUBLIC EDUCATION
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’s 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 North Street
Sacramento 916-319-0800
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
Education Data Partnership
Online Fiscal, Demographic & Performance Data
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:
Statewide Information
California Department of Education
Charter School Information
916-322-6029
www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ch/cefcharterschools.asp
Information by County
Fresno County Office of Education
1111 Van Ness Avenue
Fresno 559-265-3000
www.fcoe.org
Merced County Office of Education
632 West 13th Street
Merced 209-381-6600
www.mcoe.org
San Joaquin County Office of Education
2922 Transworld Drive
Stockton 209-468-4800
www.sjcoe.org
Stanislaus County Office of Education
1100 H Street
Modesto 209-238-1700
www.stancoe.org
