California’s Model SARB Recognition Program

What Is SARB and How It Is Structured

School Attendance Review Boards were established in California in 1974 and operate at three levels:

• • Local SARBs at the district level
  • County SARBs through County Offices of Education
  • The State SARB, which provides oversight, guidance, and recognition

The California Department of Education (CDE)outlines this organizational structure and the roles of each level on its SARB webpage, which serves as the foundational reference for districts implementing SARB processes.

SARB functions as a multi-tiered system of support for attendance, designed to ensure regular school attendance through:

• • Prevention
  • Early intervention
  • Intensive intervention, used only after other strategies have been exhausted

The Purpose of the Model SARB Recognition Program

According to CDE, the Model SARB Recognition Program identifies leaders in providing comprehensive, timely services to high-risk youth with school attendance problems. While the program is California-based, David emphasized that many of the criteria apply to attendance programs in other states as well.

Model SARBs are formally recognized by:

• • The California Department of Education
  • The California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance (CASCWA)

Recognition takes place at CASCWA’s annual conference.

Who Can Apply and How Applications Are Reviewed

The recognition program is open to:

• • California school districts
  • County Offices of Education
  • Attendance supervisors from other states

Applications are evaluated by members of the State School Attendance Review Board and California Department of Education consultants, using a standardized scoring rubric.

Each application is scored across four content areas, for a total of 100 possible points. David noted that a low score in one or two areas can disqualify an application, even if other areas are strong.

The Four Content Areas of the Model SARB Application

Content Area 1: Analysis of Student Population

Applicants must:

• • Identify numerically significant student subgroups
  • Report chronic absenteeism rates, excused versus unexcused absence rates, and suspension rates
  • Identify significant language groups and describe translation services provided
  • Describe barriers to attendance for each subgroup

Districts must also explain how they communicate in a culturally proficient manner that builds trust and collaboration, how data is used to reduce chronic absenteeism, dropout, and suspension rates, and how they rely on alternatives to suspension and expulsion.

As required by Education Code Section 48273, districts must submit SARB outcome reports to their county superintendent. CDE provides sample formats for these reports.

Content Area 2: Multi-Tiered Attendance Interventions

This section requires a full description of:

• • Prevention, early intervention, and intensive intervention strategies
  • Staff roles and responsibilities within each tier
  • Referral and early warning systems are used to identify attendance concerns
  • How district leadership supports the use of attendance platforms to identify patterns among significant subgroups

Districts must also document support for students with unique needs, including English learners, students with exceptional needs, foster youth, and students experiencing homelessness.

Recognition programs for good and improved attendance, procedures for timely truancy notifications, family engagement in multiple languages, and monitoring of student social-emotional well-being are also required.

Content Area 3: SARB Roles, Collaboration, and Qualifications

Applicants must describe:

• • How staff identify attendance problems across all instructional settings, including independent study
  • Professional development provided to attendance-related staff
  • The SARB referral screening process and documentation requirements
  • SARB membership and alignment with Education Code Section 48321
  • Collaboration among agencies and organizations
  • Use of special education representatives when appropriate

County Boards of Education must certify supervisors of attendance pursuant to Education Code Section 48245, and districts must provide specific examples of SARB collaboration for individual cases.

Content Area 4: Letters of Support

Applicants must submit three letters of support:

• • Two from non-district participants, such as parents, caregivers, students, or community partner
  • One from a school employee describing collaboration with SARB before referral
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At least one letter must describe a school or district recognition system for improved attendance or behavior.

Recognition and Statewide Examples

Each year, the California State Superintendent issues a formal letter inviting districts and county offices to apply for Model SARB recognition. Following review, a separate announcement letter recognizes districts and county offices selected for the honor.

David referenced the most recent recognition announcement, which highlighted two County Offices of Education and seventeen school districts recognized at the CASCWA conference in Garden Grove, California. Among them was the Val Verde Unified School District, which utilized the RaaWee attendance+ platform as part of its attendance improvement work.

Using Model SARB as a Learning Framework

David emphasized that Model SARBs are intended to serve as examples of effective attendance systems, not isolated programs. The goal is to ensure that all significant student subgroups receive timely, coordinated support and that districts establish systems to accurately track and respond to attendance data.

He encouraged districts to review CDE’s Model SARB guidance, study recognized programs, and apply proven practices within their own local context.

Connect With David Kopperud

Districts and County Offices of Education seeking guidance on strengthening their attendance improvement programs or understanding the Model SARB Recognition process are encouraged to reach out directly to David Kopperud at David.Kopperud@RaaWeeK12.com or 972.782.4287