Preliminary Joint Federal Notification Packets - available in SAFE

Dear District Administrator,

As outlined last week, your preliminary joint federal notification packets are available today in Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE). Whether or not your packet reflects an identification for support under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) or preliminary identification under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the information in your packet can inform your continuous improvement efforts to eliminate achievement gaps. Reviewing ESSA school level reports in conjunction with IDEA LEA Determination and IDEA Racial Equity in Special Education (Disproportionality) reports provides a more well-rounded picture of student outcomes.  

What’s in Your Packet and How to Access It

The preliminary notification packets contain reports for all districts and certain identified schools.  These packets include:

1. For IDEA - new preliminary LEA Determinations for all school districts, and
2. For ESSA - no new federal ESSA identifications will be issued this year. Schools with existing identifications will receive an updated Progress to Exit Report; however, only CSI-Low Graduation Rate schools will be able to exit this year.

To access your district’s packet, you will need access to the SAFE application. If you need access to SAFE, you can submit a request through WISEsecure via WISEhome. If you need help accessing the system, please visit the SAFE landing page or complete a Help Ticket.  Once you are in SAFE, you can find your new reports by clicking on 2020-21 under Joint Federal Notification Packet (ESSA/IDEA).  

Please note that the LEA preliminary determination detailed report may contain student-identifiable information and should never be shared publicly.

Flexibility during COVID-19

The U.S. Department of Education granted an accountability waiver to DPI for the 2021-22 school year, which required a ‘freeze’ in ESSA accountability identifications. Because there are no new identifications under ESSA, please continue your improvement work this year based on reports from previous years and, if applicable, your updated Progress to Exit report.

There are new identifications under IDEA this year because the U.S. Department of Education did not waive them. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is exercising the maximum flexibility allowed under IDEA as it relates to required actions for districts identified during this school year. Please see preliminary LEA Determination for required action, if any.

Where Can I Go for More Information or Help?

If you are an administrator of a district with any school- or preliminary district-level identifications, we urge you to organize your team of general and special education leaders and set up a 30-minute technical assistance phone consultation with us as your first step. Ensure team members have access to the reports in SAFE and WISEgrants Continuous Improvement Performance Reporting (CIPR), as well as the Continuous Improvement Process Criteria and Rubric. DPI staff with expertise in these federal systems will walk you through your preliminary identifications, share information about continuous improvement requirements for federal identifications, and address your questions. We urge you to invite others to participate in the call, such as CESA staff focused on improvement efforts and building leaders from schools with preliminary identifications. Click here to reserve a time slot through JFN Support.

If your school or district is preliminarily identified for support, you can strengthen your existing improvement efforts by taking advantage of continuous improvement supports. These resources are optional, and the cost, if any, will be minimal for districts and schools. Supports include online tools related to continuous improvement planning, future availability of funding for schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement, and professional development. Specifically, CESA staff are available to provide you with support in meeting requirements and engaging in continuous improvement.

Again, if you have questions about federal accountability, the data related to the preliminary identifications, or the available supports, please sign up for a JFN Support technical assistance phone call so we can assist your district directly.

Thank you for partnering with us in the work of ensuring every student graduates college and career ready. These preliminary federal identifications provide an opportunity to better understand your schools' and district’s performance and to continue to improve outcomes for each and every student. DPI and CESAs are your partners in this work, and we stand ready to assist.