WISEgrants Technical Assistance for Auditors
Auditing the Education Stabilization Funds - Presentation given at the WICPA conference May 2022.
WISEgrants for Auditors (Google Doc) technical assistance document.
On July 1, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education released more than $3 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds to states to support infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. The Department’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) will administer and monitor the ARP section 2014(a) funds to states and other designated agencies. In general, these awards are subject to the same requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Uniform Grant Guidance as IDEA formula funds.The awarded ARPA-IDEA funds are “supplemental” to the original IDEA Part B award and the funds follow the existing IDEA allowable costs and procedures (including the 27-month availability time frame). For more information on funding and coding procedures please view the following link ARPA-IDEA Funding/Coding Procedures for Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
This information is also available in a recorded presentation: IDEA ARPA Funds - Tracking - Single Audit
Question: Can an Audit firm create one WAMs ID to share among several auditors?
DPI Response: DPI’s IT security policy is that a WAMS ID assigned to an application, such as WISEgrants, within DPI's Application Security Manager (ASM) system must be associated with an actual person and not be generically assigned to an agency. The WAMS ID is a secure user ID and password that is needed to access various applications in the department because of student privacy, confidentiality of student data, state and federal privacy laws, district regulations, policies and procedures established to maintain the confidentiality of student data (PII - Personally Identifiable Information). DPI’s use of the Wisconsin Web Access Management System as the tool to protect student PII has been audited by the Legislative Audit Bureau and monitored by the U.S. Department of Education.