Preliminary Joint Federal Notification Packets - available in SAFE

Dear District Administrator,

Preliminary joint federal notification packets are available today in Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE). Packets contain information about identifications under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Whether or not your district or schools are identified for support and improvement, the information in your packet can inform your continuous improvement efforts to eliminate opportunity gaps. Reviewing ESSA school-level reports alongside IDEA district-level reports provides a more well-rounded picture of student outcomes. 

What’s in Your Packet and How to Access It

Your preliminary notification packet contains reports for your district and all its eligible schools.  Packets include:

1. For IDEA: new preliminary LEA Determinations for all school districts, and
2. For ESSA: new preliminary ESSA identifications for schools. Schools that previously received a Comprehensive Support and Improvement or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement identification will also receive an updated Progress to Exit Report.

A “Next Steps” section in the report details required actions related to the identifications.

You can find your new reports in SAFE by clicking on 2021-22 under Joint Federal Notification Packet (ESSA/IDEA).  If you need access to SAFE, please 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. 

Please note that the reports are preliminary and should not be shared publicly. In addition, the LEA Determination reports may contain student-identifiable information and should never be shared publicly.

Where Can I Go for More Information or Help?

If you are an administrator of a district with any new school- or 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 (Note: districts identified under IDEA are required to participate in a technical assistance phone call). DPI staff will walk you through your preliminary identifications, share information about continuous improvement requirements related to your identifications, tell you more about available supports, and address your questions. Before the call,

• 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, and
• Consider inviting 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 for a technical assistance call.

To strengthen your improvement efforts, we urge you to take advantage of the DPI’s continuous improvement website. You’ll find an overview of federal identifications, links to free and low-cost supports, information about continuous improvement planning, and grant information for schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI).  The Technical Assistance Network is free professional learning available from your local CESA to support you 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 technical assistance 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.

If you have questions regarding this information, please contact Sam Bohrod, samuel.bohrod@dpi.wi.gov.