December 9, 2025

Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS) Updates

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is requiring several compliance changes that will take effect July 1, 2026. School district administrators should begin discussing these changes now to understand how future Medicaid SBS billing may be affected.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is currently advancing three SBS projects:

• Two federally mandated to meet new CMS compliance requirements
• One state-initiated to expand SBS for Medicaid-eligible students

Expansion Updates

The DHS has updated the Resources for School-Based Providers webpage with materials that support the expansion of services for Medicaid-eligible students without IEPs, including:

• New School-Based Services Expansion Checklist
• Updated School Based Services Expansion Frequently Asked Questions
• ForwardHealth July Update on expanded SBS
• ForwardHealth August Update on claim submission guidance
• Training video and a Q&A session: School-Based Services Expansion for 2025-26

Upcoming Compliance Resources

This spring, the DHS will release additional bulletins and FAQs on required CMS compliance changes. The DHS and the DPI have also created a slide deck, Revisions to Medicaid School-Based Services, presented at the 2025 State Superintendent’s Conference on Special Education and Pupil Services Leadership. The slide deck outlines required compliance revisions affecting reimbursement after July 1, 2026 and opportunities related to service expansion.

To receive future Medicaid School-Based Service updates, visit the DHS Medicaid email subscription page. Under “BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid,” select the “School-Based Services” topic to subscribe.

Xello Selected as Wisconsin’s Academic and Career Planning Software (2026-2031)

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has selected Xello as the state's official Academic and Career Planning software. The selection follows a competitive, partner-driven procurement in alignment with the Department of Administration requirements. The five-year contract begins July 1, 2026.

This renewed partnership preserves familiar tools while adding unique statewide coordination, local support, and expanded features to better serve Wisconsin students and schools.

Key Takeaways

• New features: Expanded work-based learning tools that easily connect schools and employers, high school career pathway profiles that help students explore related careers, career cluster exploration, and Wisconsin-based support staff will help students understand how they can get a head start in their careers before they graduate from high school.
• Local support: Xello will hire a full-time ACP PD coordinator and a statewide work-based learning coordinator to boost local implementation.
• Continuity and familiarity: Districts can continue using Xello’s career profiles, assessments, portfolios, and ACP lessons.

Selection Process Highlights

• An advisory team of 19 representatives from the DPI, universities, independent colleges, economic development, school counselors, employers, and students informed the process.
• Input from 833 respondents across 206 districts shaped the Request for Proposal requirements.
• Ten vendors were evaluated using a 77-point rubric. The top three were presented in person.
• Xello scored the highest for educator-prioritized features and cost.

Next Steps

• Please share this news with your community using the resources available on the DPI’s ACP webpage, including social media posts, newsletter text, and talking points.
• The DPI and Xello will provide technical assistance to ensure smooth adoption and maximize ACP impact.

AP Business with Personal Finance – Key Information

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, AP Business with Personal Finance will be offered as a yearlong course aligned with introductory college-level business curriculum. Students will learn entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, and management through real-world applications, case studies, and project-based learning. 

Although AP Business and Personal Finance includes some personal finance topics, they are taught within a broader business curriculum. As a result, this course does not meet 2023 Wisconsin Act 60’s requirement for standalone 0.5 credit personal financial literacy course. This course will be recognized as a business elective credit and may apply toward business subject area graduation requirements, but it cannot be used to satisfy the personal financial literacy graduation requirement effective for students graduating in 2028 and beyond.

For related questions please contact Jen Jackson at jennifer.jackson@dpi.wi.gov.

Improved Professional Learning Opportunities Coming in 2026

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is launching a new learning management system (LMS) called LearnProfessional in 2026. This system supports the DPI’s strategic goals of Educator Recruitment and Retention and Modernizing Operations, and will become the central hub for all DPI professional learning for adult learners — including required annual courses for school staff.

LearnProfessional Offerings

The new platform will streamline and enhance the user experience by providing:

• Centralized content: A single course catalog, intuitive interface, built-in knowledge checks, and easy access to related materials.
• Progress tracking: Tools for monitoring learner progress, reviewing assessment results, and generating reports.
• Personalized learning: Self-paced options that adapt to individual needs.
• Automation: Automatic course notifications and other administrative supports.

The DPI is currently in the design and development phase and will soon begin early implementation with selected districts. LearnProfessional is expected to be available statewide by late spring 2026. Additional details will be shared in the coming months.

Invitation to Join the Teacher Voice & Leadership Working Group

A coalition of education organizations is inviting Wisconsin educators to participate in a new project focused on developing a statewide Teacher Voice and Leadership Framework. This working group will help shape how teacher leadership is recognized and supported across Wisconsin.

This initiative is jointly led by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators.

The first working meeting is in-person in February 2026 (but will include a virtual option) with subsequent, monthly virtual meetings being held during the spring/summer of 2026.

Learn more about this project here and apply here be part of the working group by Jan. 9, 2026.

For questions, please contact Amy Traynor at atraynor@cesa10.org