Report Card Related Notification Requirements

School Boards

Annually, by January 31, school boards must:

• Publish a Class 1 notice, under ch. 985, that includes
  • The most recent performance category rating assigned as part of the school and district report cards to each school within the district boundaries, including independent charter schools and choice schools;
  • A statement informing parents that the complete school and district report cards are available on the school board’s Internet site; 

    AND

  • A description of the educational options (see details under “Additional Notes” section) available to children in the district; AND

• Post on its Internet site
  • The published, complete school and district report cards (see details under “Additional Notes” section); AND
  • A description of the educational options (see details under “Additional Notes” section) available to children in the district.

Public Schools

Annually, within 30 days after DPI publishes the report cards, public schools, including charter schools, that maintain Internet sites must:

• Prominently link on the home page of that Internet site to the published report card (see details under “Additional Notes” section) concerning the public school.

Annually, public schools, including charter schools, must provide to the parent or guardian of each pupil enrolled in or attending the school (see details under “Additional Notes” section):

• A copy of the school’s published report card (see details under “Additional Notes” section); AND simultaneously
• A list of the educational options (see details under “Additional Notes” section) available to children who reside in the pupil’s resident district.

Choice Schools

Annually, within 30 days after DPI publishes the report cards, the governing bodies of choice schools that maintain Internet sites for those choice schools must:

• Prominently link on the home page of that Internet site to the published report cards (see details under “Additional Notes” section) concerning the private school:
  • The Choice Students report card (all choice schools); AND
  • The All Students report card, if applicable (for choice schools receiving both report cards).

Annually, choice schools must provide to the parent or guardian of each pupil enrolled in or attending the school (not just to those parents of pupils participating in the choice program) (see details under “Additional Notes” section):

• A copy of the school’s Choice Students published report card (and a copy of the All Students published report card for choice schools receiving both report cards) (see details under “Additional Notes” section); AND simultaneously
• A list of the educational options (see details under “Additional Notes” section) available to children who reside in the pupil’s resident district.

Additional Notes:

Published Report Card

Use published report card results found in the report card application for the most recent report card year to meet the report card notification requirements. The published report cards that are available to the public are redacted to protect student privacy.

Complete School and School District Report Cards

A school board could publish on its website the complete district report card and the complete report cards for schools listed under the District Summary of the district report card.

Educational Options

The educational options required for public and choice schools to include are below. Each option also includes a link with more information regarding that educational option.

• Public schools
• Private schools participation in a parental choice program
• Charter schools
• Virtual schools
• Full-time or part-time open enrollment in a non-resident district
• The youth apprenticeship program under s. 106.13
• Early college credit program; and
• Options for pupils enrolled in a home-based private educational program.

The description of educational options school boards must include differ slightly from the list of educational options public and choice schools must include above; school boards do not need to include the options for pupils enrolled in a home-based private educational program.

Additionally, a school board that does not operate high school grades is not required to include an educational option that is offered only to high school pupils in the description of educational options. Schools that do not operate high school grades are not required to include an educational option that is offered only to high school pupils in the list of educational options under this requirement.

How Can Schools Provide the Required Information to Parents

This section provides suggestions for how schools can meet their notification requirements to parents. It does not address other notification requirements above for school boards, public schools, and the governing bodies of choice schools, which also must be met.

To notify parents, a school could:

• In addition to providing a link to the school’s most recent report card, also prominently link, from the school’s website homepage, information about the list of educational options available in the district. A district or school could then provide notice to parents through email, if the school has a working email for every student’s parent/guardian, or other school communications such as a newsletter, that the report card and list of educational options are available on the school’s website; OR

• Provide parents and guardians with a copy of the school’s report card and list of educational options.
  • A school might provide hard copies of these materials to each student to take home; OR
  • Email a copy of the school’s report card and the list of educational options if the school has a working email for every student’s parent/guardian.

Optional Resources:

Schools can use Parent Letter Templates, available on the Report Card Resources webpage, to provide additional context to parents.

Additionally, schools and districts may - if they wish - post their own local report card alongside the School and District Report Card that DPI produces or provide information noted in the local report card in parent letters and on the school or district website in addition to the information required above. An optional template for a local report card is available on the Report Card Resources webpage, for schools and districts to customize as they see fit.

Statutory Language

Below are the statutory citations for the notification requirements. Click on the links to reference the statutory text.

• s. 115.385 (4), Wis. Stat., regarding the requirement to provide information to the parent or guardian of each student in the school
• s. 118.57, Wis. Stat., regarding the requirement to provide notice of educational options and accountability report performance categories
• s. 118.60(9m), 

  Wis. Stat., regarding posting accountability reports for private schools

• s. 119.23 (9m), Wis. Stat., regarding posting accountability reports for private schools
• s. 120.123, Wis. Stat., regarding posting accountability reports for public schools

If you have questions about these notification requirements, please contact oeamail@dpi.wi.gov. As always, the department encourages school boards and governing bodies to consult their own legal counsel with questions pertaining to legal requirements.