CPACE California Education Law and Policy 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under California Education Code, a principal has mandatory reporting obligations regarding suspected child abuse under:
- FERPA (Federal)
- California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) (Correct answer)
- California Education Code Section 48980
- Title IX Federal Regulations
Correct answer: California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA)
CANRA designates school administrators as mandated reporters required to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse or neglect to law enforcement or child protective services.
Question 2: California's Williams Act (Education Code 35186) primarily protects students' rights to:
- Free extracurricular activities and athletics
- Sufficient textbooks, clean facilities, and qualified teachers (Correct answer)
- Guaranteed after-school tutoring programs
- Access to advanced coursework in every school
Correct answer: Sufficient textbooks, clean facilities, and qualified teachers
The Williams Act ensures students in California have access to instructional materials, decent facilities, and properly credentialed teachers.
Question 3: Under California Education Code, compulsory school attendance applies to children aged:
- 5 through 16
- 6 through 18 (Correct answer)
- 5 through 18
- 7 through 16
Correct answer: 6 through 18
California compulsory education law requires attendance for children between ages 6 and 18, with limited exceptions for homeschooling, private school, and work permits.
Question 4: A student's suspension under California Education Code 48900 must be preceded by an informal conference UNLESS:
- The student is a repeat offender
- The student's presence poses an immediate danger or threat to others (Correct answer)
- The incident occurred off campus
- The parent requests that no conference be held
Correct answer: The student's presence poses an immediate danger or threat to others
California Education Code requires a conference before suspension except when the student's continued presence poses an imminent danger or threat to school safety.
Question 5: California Education Code 48980 requires school districts to notify parents annually of:
- Teacher salary information and district budget details
- Their rights and school policies, including curriculum content and opt-out options (Correct answer)
- All student discipline incidents that occurred during the previous year
- Detailed academic performance data for every class
Correct answer: Their rights and school policies, including curriculum content and opt-out options
The annual parental notification (EC 48980) informs families of their rights, school policies, and options such as opting out of certain instructional content.
Question 6: Under California law, which party has the authority to expel a student from school?
- The school principal alone
- The classroom teacher with department head approval
- The governing board of the school district (Correct answer)
- The county superintendent of schools
Correct answer: The governing board of the school district
Only the school district governing board has the legal authority to expel a student under California Education Code Section 48918.
CPACE California Education Law and Policy 1
Under California Education Code, a principal has mandatory reporting obligations regarding suspected child abuse under: