Plain English Breakdown
The official text does not specify whether tribal affiliation data collection is voluntary or mandatory for students/parents, leaving uncertainty about non-response scenarios.
Collecting Tribal Affiliation Data for American Indian and Alaska Native Students
This law requires California schools to collect and report the tribal affiliation of students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native in a state data system starting in the 2027–28 school year.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the State Department of Education to define how to record tribal affiliation for specific students in CALPADS.
- Mandates that schools collect and report this information for new American Indian or Alaska Native students starting in the 2027–28 school year.
- Orders schools to gather data on current American Indian or Alaska Native students by July 1, 2027.
- Requires the State Department of Education to provide technical help to schools as they implement these new rules.
- States that if collecting this data costs local agencies money and is determined to be a state mandate, reimbursement will follow existing laws.
Who It Names or Affects
- School districts
- County offices of education
- Charter schools
- Students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native
Terms To Know
- CALPADS
- The California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, a state database that holds student information like demographics and test scores.
- Tribal affiliation
- A record showing which Native American tribe or Alaska Native group a student belongs to or identifies with.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not specify exactly how schools must ask students for their tribal information.
- Reimbursement depends on whether the Commission on State Mandates determines that costs are mandated by the state.
- The text does not explain what happens if a student or parent chooses not to share their tribal affiliation.