Notifications History
View a listing of all Customer Services notifications regarding WISEdata.
Fall 2016
The Wisconsin Student Numbering System (WSLS) and the suite of Individual Student Enrollment System (ISES) applications, including 3rd Friday of September, Child Count, Coursework Completion, Discipline, and Year End was phased out beginning July 2016 and fully decommissioned in December 2016.
WISEid replaced the process in WSLS which assigns unique, permanent, unduplicated student identifiers. WISEdata now functions as a data collection pipeline from your student information system (SIS) vendor to DPI.
Summer 2016
The Wisconsin Student Numbering System (WSLS) was used through the end of the summer 2016 for student updates associated with the 2015-16 school year until it was replaced by WISEid. It was available to Public Schools July 11th. All students were exited from WSLS prior to the end of August 2016. With the September 2016 Release, districts began loading new students to request new WISEids. Both WISEid and WSLS ran concurrently in the fall of 2016. WSLS was used only to correct errors in enrollment and demographics specific to the 2015-16 school year. WISEid was and will be used for all students for 2016-17 and beyond.
All coursework and completion data was submitted, validated, and locked at the district level by July 14, 2016. All 2015-16 Year End and Discipline data was submitted prior to September 1, 2016.
2015-Early 2016
Districts selected the Student Information System (SIS) that best fit their needs after there was no longer a statutory mandate to change to a single vendor platform at the district level. Under the plan approved by the legislature, the department created a multi-vendor, open data collection system that allows school districts, Charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice program to submit data to the department from the Student Information System (SIS) vendor of their choice.
The system includes four specific projects described below.
1. Provide Privacy Protection to Users
2. Provide Unique ID Numbers for Students and Staff: The system creates a single, secure, and consistent statewide identification number assignment system to be used for both staff and students that protects and safeguards data.
3. Replace Outdated Data Collection Software
4. Integrate the New Data Collection Systems with the Department’s Data Warehouse: The department integrated the new data collection system with WISEdash, the Wisconsin K-12 data warehouse. These changes impacted both the secured version of WISEdash (WISEdash for Districts), accessible only to school district staff, and the public version (WISEdash Public Portal).
January 2014 - Joint Committee of Finance Releases Funding
On Wednesday, January 8th the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) approved the department’s proposed open data collection system as mandated and funded in the current state budget. The JCF decision approves use of the funds in the 2013-15 biennium to begin development and implementation. Additional resources are required in the 2015-17 biennium to complete the project.
August 2013 - Withdrawal of Appeal
Regarding the status of the SSIS RFP # PA1150422, on August 9, 2013, Skyward, Inc. submitted a letter to DOA officially withdrawing its appeal. Despite the withdrawal of the appeal, due to the enactment of 2013 Wis. Act 20 (The Budget Act), the State could not proceed with the RFP to award a final contract.
July 2013 - Joint Committee on Finance Requires Multiple-Vendor Solution
Under 2013 Wisconsin Act 20, the biennial budget act, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is required to develop a proposal for a multiple-vendor student information system for the standardized collection of pupil data. The proposal shall allow schools and school districts to use their vendor of choice and include reporting requirements that can reasonably be met by multiple vendors.
Once the proposal is approved by the Joint Committee on Finance, the State Superintendent shall ensure that information about pupils enrolled in charter schools and about pupils enrolled in private schools participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, including their academic performance and demographic information, aggregated by school district, school, and teacher, is collected and maintained in the student information system.
For more information about the student information system, see the Wisconsin Legislature documents at:
May 2013 - Response to Protest
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) responded to the protest filed on February 15, 2013, by Skyward, Inc. regarding the state's letter of intent to award a contract for the statewide student information system (RFP #PA1150422).
After carefully reviewing the protest filed by Skyward, the DPI has found that Skyward's protest lacks merit and that no law was violated in the RFP process. As such, the DPI denies Skyward's request to vacate the department's intent to award a contract for the statewide student information system to Infinite Campus.
The DPI conducted a thorough review of the protest in reaching this conclusion. In addition, the DPI obtained the services of an independent, outside consultant, former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice and Marquette University Law School Professor, Janine Geske, to ensure that DPI properly and appropriately reviewed and responded to the protest.
Per Wis. Admin. Code § Adm 10.15, the protester may appeal this decision to the Secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA) within five working days of issuance of the procuring agency's decision. The DOA secretary, or designee, shall take necessary action to settle and resolve the protest and shall promptly issue a decision.
We will continue to keep everyone informed through this website as the process continues.
February 2013 – “Intent to Award” Announced
On February 1, 2013, DOA issued a Notice of Intent to Award Request for Proposal, stating that it intended to award a contract to establish and maintain a SIS to the successful proposer, Infinite Campus, Inc., which was the highest scoring proposer in the SIS competitive RFP process.
DOA also contracted with Cari Anne Renlund from law firm of DeWitt, Ross & Stevens to conduct an independent observation of the procurement, evaluation, and selection process of the SIS. Among the findings, her report found the following:
- The SIS procurement, evaluation, and selection process was open, fair, impartial, objective, and consistent with the RFP criteria;
- The State and the Evaluation Team carefully followed the statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the procurement process;
- All proposing vendors were afforded an equal opportunity to compete for the contract award; and
- The procurement, evaluation, and selection process satisfied the goals and objectives of Wisconsin’s public contracting requirements.
May 2012 – Request For Proposal (RFP) Released
On May 2, 2012, DOA issued an RFP for the SIS on behalf of DPI with a final submission due date of July 10, 2012. The RFP document contained the mandatory requirements for the functional and non-functional technical features of the system, as well as the cost sheet requirements and the overall scoring rubric.
November 10, 2011 – Joint Committee on Finance Releases Funding and Specifies a Single Vendor
On November 10, 2011, the JCF, meeting under s. 13.10, first rejected a motion to require DPI to prepare an RFP for the SIS that would approve multiple approved vendors. The motion was defeated on a bipartisan 3-12 vote.
The Committee then approved a motion on a 14-1 vote for the release of $5,000,000 GPR to the DPI for establishment and implementation of the SIS during the 2011-13 biennium. An additional $5,000,000 GPR was held by the Committee to be released to DPI upon request if needed during the 2011-13 biennium, and another $5,000,000 was planned to be returned to the General Fund at the end of the biennium.
The Committee’s motion also approved the DPI and Governor’s request to pursue a single vendor for the SIS through the RFP.
The Committee also approved an exception to existing statutory language allowing school districts that met specific criteria to not implement the SIS in their district. At the time of this decision only the Tomah School District met these criteria.
DOA memo to JCF supporting Governor and DPI request
November 3, 2011 – Governor and State Superintendent Submit Updated Joint Request to JCF
On November 3, 2011, Governor Walker and Superintendent Evers submitted a revised joint recommendation to the JCF with the following changes/additions: 1) authorize a district to be exempt from the requirement to adopt the state’s SSIS if it could meet six technical requirement criteria; 2) the anticipated RFP release and scoring dates were moved back one month; and 3) provided an overview of the RFP process.
DPI and Governor’s updated request
August 30, 2011 – Governor and State Superintendent Submit Joint Request to JCF
On August 30, 2011, Governor Walker and Superintendent Evers submitted their joint recommendations for funding and implementation of the SIS to JCF. Two key recommendations included: 1) the department procure a single software vendor solution to provide a centralized system for all districts; 2) the majority of the $15 million will be used to offset district costs for migration, data conversion, training, and staff costs.
May 2011 – Joint Committee on Finance Modifies SIS Budget Item
On May 3, 2011, the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) took executive action on the SIS part of the 2011-13 biennial budget. The Committee modified the Governor’s SIS request by approving the following:
- Required the state superintendent to establish a SIS.
- Required the state superintendent and governor to jointly present a plan to JCF for implementation of the SIS.
- Appropriated $15,000,000 GPR for the SIS to the JCF, rather than directly in DPI, for release to DPI during the 2011-13 biennium pending JCF approval of the state superintendent and governor’s plan. The approved funds would be transferred to the appropriation s. 20.255(1) (e) in the department, as created in the budget bill.
- Required the state superintendent to ensure all school districts implemented the SIS within a five year window following establishment of the SIS.
- Authorized the state superintendent to promulgate rules to charge fees to users of the system.
June 2011 – Budget bill passed
2011 Wisconsin Act 32, the 2011-13 biennial budget, was enacted on June 26, 2011, and included the SIS provisions as established by JCF on May 3, 2011. Per Section 9137 of Act 32:
“The state superintendent of public instruction shall submit a plan for the expenditure of moneys appropriated under section 20.255 (1) (e) of the statutes, as created by this act, in the 2011-12 fiscal year to the governor for his or her approval. By October 1, 2011, the state superintendent and the governor shall submit the approved plan to the joint committee on finance for its approval.”
April – August 2011 – SIS Advisory Group Meets
After release of the Governor’s biennial budget request, the DPI organized a Statewide Student Information System Advisory Workgroup charged with gathering information to create a recommendation to the state superintendent on the steps which should be taken to implement a SIS. The 74-member workgroup included members from school districts, CESAs, private schools, and the department.
The group gathered documents, communicated with other states’ education department staff who manage such systems, and collected information from potential vendors. The focus of the workgroup was to learn of best practices as they relate to procurement, functionality, deployment and implementation, on-going maintenance and support, infrastructure, and other related topics. The workgroup leveraged experiences of other states and individual school districts in Wisconsin in order to make the best possible decisions for the state. The group met five times between April and June of 2011 via “Live Meeting” and once in person.
As part of their work, on May 18, 2011, the workgroup developed and released a Request for Information (RFI) in coordination with the Department of Administration (DOA). Seventeen vendor responses were received by the June 10, 2011, deadline.
In August 2011, the Advisory Group’s final recommendations were provided to the state superintendent. The Advisory Group recommendations included a single vendor solution for the SIS acquired through a state Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
March 2011 – Governor’s 2011-13 Budget Introduced
2011 Assembly Bill 40 was introduced by Governor Walker on March 1, 2011. The budget bill included statutory language requiring the state superintendent to establish a statewide student information system (SIS). The bill required the state superintendent to present a plan to the Governor for the implementation of a statewide SIS and for expenditure of appropriated funds. The bill appropriated $15,000,000 GPR to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for expenditures related to the establishment of the SIS. The bill also 1) required the state superintendent to charge a fee, on a per pupil basis, to any school district that uses the new student information system, and 2) permitted the state superintendent to charge a fee to any other person that uses the system.
Historical Links
ESEA Report Card Requirements