School Category/Program: School Directory Public Portal
School Category/Program is a filter on School Directory Public Portal. It allows search results to be refined by a school's category and/or the programs it offers.
This is different from School Type, which refers to the grade levels offered within a school (e.g., elementary or high school).
School Directory public portal informs viewers of any available school-specific categories or programs. Examples of school categories include whether the school provides special education or vocational education, is a charter or magnet school, or if a school is fully virtual or has virtual options. Programs may be defined by their curriculum concentration. The screenshot below shows that items appearing in black text are available for a selected school/district, while items listed in gray text are not available. This filter can also be used without selecting a location. Just click the expander icon at the end of the filter name, select the items you want, and School Directory will find matching schools for those selected options throughout the state.
USES: This data element is part of the School Directory, used to provide detailed information about schools in Wisconsin.
| Category Name or Program Name | Description of Category or Program - Link to webpages with further information |
|---|---|
| Alternative School |
An alternative education school is a public school which:
See the FAQ below for more information about the alternative education school classification. |
| Career and Technical Education School | A career and technical education school is a public elementary/secondary school that focuses primarily on providing secondary students with an occupationally relevant or career–related curriculum, including formal preparation for technical or professional occupations. |
| Charter School | Please visit the Parental Education Options (PEO) webpage on Charter Schools in Wisconsin for details. |
| Choice School | This option is only availabe for private schools. indicates if a school is participating in the Choice program. |
| International Baccalaureate Program: Career-related Programme | Please visit the DPI International Baccalaureate Programme webpage for details. |
| International Baccalaureate Program: Diploma Programme | Please visit the DPI International Baccalaureate Programme webpage for details. |
| International Baccalaureate Program: Middle Years Programme | Please visit the DPI International Baccalaureate Programme webpage for details. |
| International Baccalaureate Program: Primary Years Programme | Please visit the DPI International Baccalaureate Programme webpage for details. |
| Magnet School | A magnet school is a public school that offers special instruction and programs not available elsewhere. These schools are designed to attract a more diverse student body from throughout a school district. |
| Partnership School | info coming soon! |
| Regular School | A regular school is a public elementary/secondary school that does not focus primarily on career and technical, special, or alternative education, although it may provide these programs in addition to a regular curriculum. |
| Special Education School | A special education school is a public elementary/secondary school that focuses primarily on serving the educational needs of students with disabilities (IDEA) and which adapts curriculum, materials, or instruction for these students. |
| Title I School | Please visit the DPI Title I and School Support webpage or the DPI Title I, Part A webpage for details. |
| Virtual School: Exclusively Virtual | Please visit the Virtual School Status data element page for details. |
| Virtual School: Primarily Virtual | Please visit the Virtual School Status data element page for details. |
| Virtual School: Supplemental Virtual | Please visit the Virtual School Status data element page for details. |
FAQs, Details, and Points to Note
- What is an alternative education school? Alternative education schools serve students whose needs cannot be met in a traditional classroom setting. These may include students who:
- Are at risk of academic failure or dropping out of school
- Have been suspended or expelled or are at risk of being suspended or expelled
- Are pregnant or parenting
- In dropout recovery or credit recovery
- Are juvenile offenders or “delinquents”
- Engage in high-risk health behaviors
- Are disruptive or exhibit behavioral or discipline problems
- Are chronically truant or absent
- Have health problems that prevent attendance at a regular school
- Alternative education schools may be sited in locations other than a traditional school building such as hospitals, mental health centers, jails, or juvenile detention centers. However, a school should NOT be classified as an alternative school solely because it is a residential institution. If it serves the general student population and not one of the student groups listed above, a school should be classified on the basis of the curriculum it offers as a regular, special education, or vocational school.
- Schools that primarily serve children with disabilities should NOT be classified as alternative education schools; they should be classified as Special Education Schools.
- Charter, magnet and virtual schools should NOT be classified as alternative schools solely because of their status as charter, magnet or virtual schools. Unless they serve a particular student population, they should be classified on the basis of the curriculum they offer as regular, special education, or vocational schools.
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