Receipt and filing of appeals
Provided that a pupil's ECCP notification was submitted by the appropriate deadline, a pupil who was denied participation in an ECCP course may file an appeal of a school board's decision under s. PI 1.01. A pupil may file an appeal for one or more of the following reasons:
- The pupil does not agree with the decision as to whether or not the ECCP course fulfills a high school graduation requirement.
- The pupil does not agree with the number of high school credits to be awarded for the ECCP course.
- The pupil does not agree that the district offers a comparable course.
- The comparable course must be offered between the date of the ECCP notification and the pupil’s date of graduation.
- The comparable course does not have to be offered at the high school the pupil is attending if there is another high school in the school district that offers a comparable course.
- A high school course is considered "comparable" if at least 80 percent of the postsecondary course covers content of the high school course.
Appeals must be submitted to the state superintendent within 30 days after the school board's decision, as specified in s. 118.55 (3) (b), Stats. Failure of the appellant to file an appeal within the 30 day time period specified in s. 118.55 (3) (b), Stats. prevents the state superintendent from being able to hear the appeal.
All appeals must be in writing (can be submitted via email) and must include:
- A copy of the original ECCP notification form submitted to the district
- A copy of the notice stating the district's decision
- Specify what decision is being appealed and the specific reasons for the appeal
- Any other facts relevant to the appeal including the course syllabus, if available, the number, length and description of the postsecondary class periods per week as well as the relevance of the postsecondary course to the pupil's course of study or occupational goals
- The pupil's email and mailing address. If the pupil is a minor, also include the email and mailing address of a parent or guardian.
All appeals shall be signed by the pupil submitting the appeal or the representative of the pupil. If the pupil is a minor, the appeal shall also be signed by a parent or guardian. Appeals can be emailed directly to Karin.Smith@dpi.wi.gov.
Procedure
- Upon receipt of a timely written appeal, the state superintendent will acknowledge receipt of the appeal in writing to the pupil and will send a copy of the appeal to the school board.
- The state superintendent will base his or her decision on the guidelines under s. 118.55 (3) (b), Stats. and
- Will issue a decision based on a review of the record of the school board, and argument from the parties.
School board responsibility
A school board which receives a notice of an appeal must deliver, within 7 working days, the official record of the school board's determination under s. 118.55 (3) (b), Stats and the specific reasons for its determination.
Decision
The decision of the state superintendent will be in writing stating separate findings of fact and conclusions of law. Decisions will be served on all parties by emailing and mailing a copy to each party's last known address.
The DPI's decision shall be final and is not subject to further review.
Withdrawal
At any time prior to the issuance of a final decision, the pupil may withdraw the appeal in writing.
Start College Now Appeals
Appeals for decisions related to the Start College Now Program will follow the same procedures as appeals for the Early College Credit Program. Decision regarding Start College Now appeals will be based on the guidelines under s. 38.12(14), Stats.