The term "Williams" comes from a legal agreement made in 2004 that applies to California schools. This agreement resulted in new laws to ensure that schools provide a certain level of service to students, parents, guardians, and educators. It also set up regular checks on these "Williams" issues and a way for people to raise concerns if they think the laws aren't being followed.
Every year, the County Superintendent is required to produce a report about the state of schools that are monitored under the "Williams" agreement. These schools are visited at least once a year, and at least 25% of these visits are surprise visits.
The main goal of these visits is to check on three things:
- Whether there are enough textbooks and instructional materials.
- Whether the school buildings are safe and don't pose any immediate health or safety risks to students.
- Whether the information given on the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) about the availability of textbooks and the condition of the school buildings is accurate.
The Contra Costa County Office of Education is required to make these visits within the first four weeks of the school year.
You can find more information about Williams-monitored schools here.
Communications
Contacts