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SDLA Compliance Resource

CALPADS Fall 1 Recommended Zero-Error Date

A recommended internal readiness milestone for clearing fatal errors and shifting attention to pupil-level report reconciliation before certification.

  • CALPADS
  • Fall 1
  • Data Certification
Date(s)November 20, 2026
Applies toLEAs reporting Census Day enrollment, ELAS, unduplicated pupil count and meal eligibility, special education, and prior-year dropouts

In Plain Language: By this recommended date, clear submission errors and have every certification report under active owner review. “Zero errors” is not certification and does not prove the data are accurate.

Why this matters

Report 1.17 approval drives the unduplicated pupil count used for LCFF supplemental and concentration funding.

Primary ownership

Primary owner: CALPADS administrator with enrollment, LCFF/FRPM, EL, special education/SELPA, and dropout owners. Certification owner: authorized LEA certifier with SELPA review/approval at the required stage.

From fatal errors to a certification-ready Fall 1: the SDLA ITO workflow

Zero errors is a readiness milestone, not certification, and it does not prove the data are accurate. This SDLA ITO (Input, Transformation, Output) graphic shows how the current error, warning, and certification reports, and local control totals become the error and variance log, the pupil-level and certification reports, and owner sign-offs.

SDLA ITO: eleven steps from the current error, warning, and certification reports, and local control totals, through report review, reconciliation, research, and source correction, to the error and variance log, the pupil-level and certification reports, and owner sign-offs.
Read down each column, then move to the next: Input identifies what to collect; Transformation covers report review, reconciliation, research, and source correction; Output covers the error and variance log, the pupil-level and certification reports, and owner sign-offs. Aim for the recommended date of November 20, 2026, leaving enough time for certification review.

Open the full-size workflow graphic

Operational workflow

  1. Run current fatal-error, warning, certification, and pupil-level reports.
  2. Reconcile each domain to local control totals and owner-maintained rosters.
  3. Research unexpected pupils, zeros, duplicates, dates, joins, and exclusions.
  4. Correct the responsible source, resubmit, and verify the changed posted state.
  5. Escalate unresolved items and preserve sufficient time for certification review.

Implementation pathway

Errors cleared
Reports reviewed
Variances corrected
Certification ready

Evidence to retain

  • Dated source/control rosters
  • Error and variance-resolution log
  • Pupil-level and certification reports
  • Program-owner signoffs
  • System certification/approval evidence

Official guidance and help

Source review completed August 30, 2026. Verify the live CDE calendar, current CALPADS/PADC instructions, local source records, required partner approvals, and final posted or certified state before acting.