SPSA and School Site Council in California: A Guide for Principals and SSC Members

October 25, 2026

A School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is the one-year improvement plan a California school writes, with its School Site Council (SSC), to say how it will raise student outcomes and spend its consolidated application (ConApp) and related funds. Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools that receive Title I funds and run a schoolwide program must have one, and so must schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI). Any school that has to write an SPSA also has to have a School Site Council.

Below are the rules in plain words, a yearly rhythm and common mistakes. This is not legal advice; your district's policies come first.

What is the legal basis for the SPSA and the School Site Council?

The SPSA and the SSC are set out in the California Education Code (EC), sections 64001 through 65001. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), Assembly Bill 716 took effect on January 1, 2019, renamed the old "Single Plan for Student Achievement," and aligned state and federal planning rules.

The key sections, as the CDE summarizes them:

EC 65000(b): a school that runs a ConApp program which requires an SPSA must set up a School Site Council.
EC 64001(g)(1): the SSC develops the content of the SPSA.
EC 64001(g)(2)(A): the plan must rest on a comprehensive needs assessment that includes analysis of verifiable state data.
EC 64001(c): the plan is developed with the review, certification and advice of advisory committees such as the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC), where one is required.
EC 64001(i): the SSC reviews and updates the plan every year, and the local governing board approves it.

Who has to sit on a School Site Council?

The CDE describes the standard council this way:

At least 10 members, split evenly: half school staff, half parents, community members and (in high schools) students.
School group: the principal or a designee, classroom teachers and other school personnel. Classroom teachers must be the majority of the school group.
Elementary schools: the other half is parents or community members, chosen by their peers.
Secondary schools: the other half includes at least one parent or community member and at least one student; the rest of the mix is set locally.
Selection: except for the principal or designee, members are chosen by their own peer group. The CDE notes that the law does not set an election method or term limit, so your bylaws should.

Smaller schools have options. A school with fewer than 300 students may use a reduced council of at least six members, with bargaining unit approval where it applies. Up to three nearby schools with combined enrollment under 1,000 may share one 10-member council.

The council's meetings follow the Greene Act: agendas are posted 72 hours ahead, meetings are open to the public, and the public may comment. The CDE also notes that SSC records should be kept for three years under federal rules.

What does the annual review and board approval involve?

The SPSA is a one-year plan. Under EC 64001(i), as the CDE explains it, the SSC must review and update the plan every year, including the proposed spending of ConApp funds and any LCAP funds spent at the school.

The CDE's planning guidance says the annual review looks at four things: how the plan was implemented, how effective it was, the differences between planned and actual spending, and any changes to goals. That analysis "should be the basis for making updates to the plan moving forward." Unlike the LCAP, an SPSA's baselines are updated each year.

After the SSC approves the plan, it goes to the district's governing board. The board approves the SPSA at a regularly scheduled meeting when material changes affect the school's academic programs. If the board does not approve it, the board must give the SSC its specific reasons.

How does the SPSA line up with the LCAP and the California School Dashboard?

The CDE designed the LCAP and SPSA templates to work together. The LCAP covers the whole district for three years; the SPSA covers one school for one year. The superintendent reviews the school plans to make sure they are consistent with the LCAP. Single-school districts and charter schools may use the LCAP as their SPSA if it meets the ESSA and educational partner requirements.

The California School Dashboard is the main source of evidence. Improvement plans must be informed by all state indicators. For timing, the CDE has said the 2026 Dashboard will be released by October 15, 2026, and by October 15 each year after that, so councils can now review fresh data early in the school year.

What changes for CSI, TSI and ATSI schools?

The SPSA can also serve as a school's federal improvement plan. The CDE publishes separate SPSA templates for CSI, TSI and ATSI schools. Eligibility is set by formula from the Dashboard, with no appeal process.

CSI covers low graduation rate schools and the lowest-performing Title I schools. CSI and ATSI are identified every three years; the cycle began with the 2023 Dashboard and the next determinations are based on the 2026 Dashboard. That makes this school year an identification year.
TSI is decided in the years between, based on student groups that meet the low-performing criteria. Both Title I and non-Title I schools can be identified.
ATSI applies to schools where a student group meets the low-performing criteria in an ATSI entry year.

Every improvement plan must be informed by all state indicators and include evidence-based interventions. CSI plans must be based on a school-level needs assessment (recommended for TSI and ATSI). CSI and ATSI plans must identify resource inequities, which may include a review of district and school budgets. The district approves and monitors each plan.

What does a simple SSC calendar look like for the year?

The CDE does not set a minimum number of meetings, so treat this as a sample rhythm to adapt to your district's deadlines:

Early fall: hold elections, approve bylaws, and train new members on their roles and the Greene Act.
Fall, after the Dashboard release: review the data and check for any new CSI, TSI or ATSI identification.
Winter: do a mid-year check on implementation and spending, and adjust strategies if needed.
Late winter: complete the annual review, update the needs assessment, and get ELAC and advisory group input.
Spring: the SSC approves next year's SPSA and sends it to the district for governing board approval.

What are the most common SPSA and SSC mistakes?

Wrong council make-up: no parity, teachers not a majority of the school group, or no student member at a secondary school.
Staff writing the plan alone: the law says the SSC develops the content, so the council needs to do real work on it, not just sign it.
A thin annual review: no comparison of planned and actual spending, or no link between results and next year's goals.
Weak links to data: goals that do not trace back to the Dashboard and a needs assessment.
Greene Act slips: agendas posted late, or acting on items that were not on the agenda.

Where can I find an SPSA template and SSC forms?

The official SPSA templates for CSI, TSI and ATSI are on the CDE's SPSA planning summary page, linked in the sources below. For the paperwork around the plan, our School Site Council & SPSA Toolkit for California Schools (EN/ES) has 29 printable pages, including an election plan, a bilingual ballot and call for candidates, a Greene Act checklist, a Dashboard data review protocol, a map of the CDE SPSA template, a mid-year check and an annual review. It is not affiliated with the CDE.

Schools that want new resources through the year can look at the School Membership, which includes the full Schools & Programs library. Our materials run on paper and never collect student data; see our Student Data and Privacy page.

FAQ

Does every California school need an SPSA?

No. Schools that receive Title I funds and run a schoolwide program must have one, as must schools identified for CSI, TSI or ATSI. Any school that runs a consolidated application program requiring an SPSA must also have a School Site Council.

How many members does a School Site Council need?

At least 10, split evenly between school staff and parents, community members or students. Classroom teachers must be the majority of the staff half. Schools with fewer than 300 students may use a reduced council of at least six members.

Does a high school SSC need a student member?

Yes. At a secondary school, the parent, community and student half must include at least one parent or community member and at least one student.

Who approves the SPSA?

The School Site Council approves the plan and recommends it to the district governing board, which approves it at a regularly scheduled meeting when material changes affect academic programs. If the board does not approve it, it must give the council specific reasons.

What goes into an SPSA annual evaluation?

The annual review covers how the plan was implemented, how effective it was, the differences between planned and actual spending, and any changes to goals. That analysis is the basis for next year's updates.

Can a charter school use its LCAP as its SPSA?

Yes. Single-school districts and charter schools may use the LCAP as their SPSA if it meets the ESSA school planning and educational partner requirements.

Sources

Written by Isaac, U.S. Navy veteran and founder of Creator Supply Co.