March 17, 2026

DPI Website Updates Underway to Meet ADA Digital Accessibility Requirements

As part of the Department of Public Instruction’s strategic plan and commitment to modernizing and improving the agency and in preparation for the April 24, 2026, Title II ADA digital accessibility deadline, our department is currently undertaking a major update to our external website (dpi.wi.gov)

Over the next several months, you will notice changes to portions of our website, including updates to information and various resources. During this transition, some resources or information may be temporarily unavailable on our website or relocated as we review, revise, and remediate content to meet accessibility standards.

These improvements are part of our commitment to making our website and materials more usable for you and fully accessible to all. We understand how important these resources are to your work, and ensuring they are accessible to everyone is our primary focus during this effort.

Please contact DPI staff contacts if you are unable to locate a resource you need or have questions about information that may have been moved or temporarily unavailable during this update.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this important update.

Questions About 4K and Get Kids Ready

District administrators have asked how the Get Kids Ready initiative relates to local 4K and 4K Community Approach (4KCA) programs. The DPI has updated the Four-Year-Old Kindergarten webpage to clarify the differences and how these programs interact. Please share this page with staff as needed.

For questions, please contact Laura Adams at Laura.Adams@dpi.wi.gov.

FAFSA Filing Status Now Available in WISEdash for Districts

Districts can now access 12th grade FAFSA completion status in WISEdash for Districts. The U.S. Department of Education provides states limited student-level FAFSA status data to designated staff with a legitimate educational interest.

This data helps districts identify students who have not submitted a FAFSA so staff can provide targeted counseling, application support, and resources. Use of the data is limited to this purpose and must comply with the district’s FAFSA Data Sharing Agreement.

The DPI recommends assigning school counselors and homeless liaisons the “Detail FAFSA Access” or “Economic FAFSA Access” roles in WISEdash so they can support students with FAFSA completion. Districts must submit a FAFSA Data Sharing Agreement once to access the data; it does not need to be renewed annually.

As of late January, 35 percent of Wisconsin seniors had filed a FAFSA, compared to 40 percent nationally. Resources to support students are available on the DPI’s FAFSA webpage, including FAFSA Student Assistance Resources for sharing with students.

For questions about the agreement or FAFSA support resources, please contact DPI School Counseling Consultant Andréa Donegan via email at andrea.donegan@dpi.wi.gov.