Finding Text
2023-001 50000 – Title I, Part A – Annual Report Card, High School Graduation Rate
Federal Program Affected
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Pass-Through Entity: California Department of Education
Program Name: Title I, Part A, Basic Grants Low-Income and Neglected and School Improvement Funding for LEAs
Assistance Listing Number: 84.010
Compliance Requirement: N (Special Tests & Provisions) Annual Report Card, High School Graduation Rate
Criteria or Specific Requirements
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) must report graduation rate data for all public high schools at the school and LEA levels using the four-year adjusted cohort rate and, at an LEA’s discretion, one or more extended-year adjusted cohort rates. Graduation rate data must be reported both in the aggregate and disaggregated by the subgroups in Section 1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), homeless status, status as a child in foster care using a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (and any extended-year adjusted cohort rates) (ESEA
sections 1111(h)(1)(C)(iii)(II) and 8101(23), (25)(20 USC 6311(h)(1)(C)(iii)(II) and 7801(23), (25))). Written documentation must be maintained to remove a student from the cohort.
Condition
The District did not adequate maintain written documentation for five of the nine sampled students that were removed from the cohort.
Questioned Costs
There are no questioned costs associated with the condition identified.
Context
The condition was identified through review of supporting documentation for a sample of students who were identified as removed from the cohort on the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) 15.2 Cohort Outcome report. Five of the nine sampled students identified as removed from the cohort on the CALPADS 15.2 Cohort Outcome report did not have adequate written documentation to support the removal of the students from the cohort. We determined the condition to be systematic for students transferring to schools
within the United States.
Effect
The District has not complied with the requirement to maintain written documentation to remove a student from the cohort.
Cause
The condition arose due to lack of sufficient internal controls over compliance related to removal of students from the cohort. For students transferring to other schools within the United States, the District was not aware of the requirement to maintain documentation from the receiving school regarding the transfer.
Repeat Finding
No.
Recommendation
The District should ensure that they meet all of the requirements of ESEA. The District should revise their procedures to ensure that adequate written documentation for all students removed from the cohort is maintained and data inputted into the system is accurate.
Corrective Action Plan and Views of Responsible Officials
The District will revisit the drop protocols with staff to ensure that all required documentation is on file prior to processing drop code in the calpads.