What is a School Accountability Report Card (SARC)?

Since November 1988, state law has required that schools receiving state funding are to prepare and distribute a SARC. A similar requirement is also contained in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The purpose of the report card is to provide important information about each school so parents/caregivers can make meaningful comparisons between public schools that will enable them to make informed decisions on the school in which to enroll their children. A SARC can be an effective way for a school to report on its progress in achieving goals. The public may also use a SARC to evaluate and compare schools on a variety of indicators.

What information does the SARC contain?

Although there is great variation in the design of school report cards, they generally begin with a profile that provides background information about the school and its students. The profile usually summarizes the school's mission, goals, and accomplishments. State law requires that the SARC contain the following:
 

• Demographic data
• School safety and climate for learning information
• Academic data
• School completion rates
• Class sizes
• Teacher and staff information
• Curriculum and instruction descriptions
• Postsecondary preparation information
• Fiscal and expenditure data