Shortened School Day: Special Education

Shortened School Day: Special Education

NEW for the 2025-26 School Year and Onward: Shortened School Day data elements

Shortened School Day data elements collection (three {3} data elements). Shortened school day data elements are a part of the student’s sSEPA record.

Shortened school day is a True/False indicator in WISEdata Portal that refers to a student schedule that permits the student to attend fewer instructional hours than the standard full-day/full-week schedule for their grade level and peers. The shortened school day accommodation must be outlined in the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

If the value for this data element is set to True, WISEdata will also expect a numeric value entered for the Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers data element. Error 7500 will throw when these two data elements are not aligned.

Using a reduced school schedule as an IEP accommodation should only be selected after all other possible accommodations and interventions have been exhausted to ensure that the student with an IEP is not denied access to educational services.

Other data elements in this collection are:

• Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers
• School Weekly Hours data element page
   

Think of the Shortened School Day data elements as an addition equation:

School Weekly Hours + Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers = Standard Peer Attendance Hours

25 hours of school per week + 5 hours less than peers attend school = 30 hours per standard school week.

 

For example, if the student's School Weekly Hours is 25 and their Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers is 5, that means their peers attend 30 hours per week, or, 25 + 5 = 30.

Make sure that the value for School Weekly Hours (e.g., 25) is greater than the value for Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers (e.g., 5). 25 > 5.

NOTE: These data elements should only be reported for students with shortened school day annotated as a placement in their IEP. These data elements should not be reported for students without IEPs. For example, these data elements should not be reported for high school seniors that qualify for late start and early release based on the number of credits they have earned/need to complete for graduation.

USES: This data is used by the DPI Special Education Team for compliance monitoring of the Procedural Compliance Self-Assessment (PCSA) by pulling data samples from the district level. The DPI SPED team uses this data to identify instances where a reduced school schedule may be used inappropriately.

FAQs, Details, and Use Cases

1. WISEdata Reporting Requirements: Submit the following on the student’s SSEPA record:
   1. Shortened School Day indicator set to True.
   2. School Weekly Hours set to the number of hours per week the student attends school.
   3. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers set to the difference in hours for the standard peer attendance hours and the student’s School Weekly Hours.
      1. You can think of the Shortened School Day data elements as an addition equation:
      2. School Weekly Hours + Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers = Standard Peer Attendance Hours
      3. For example, if the student's School Weekly Hours is 25 and their Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers is 5, that means their peers attend 30 hours per week, or, 25 + 5 = 30.
2. Student transitions from a full-day schedule to a shortened school day schedule, or vice-versa: This change also constitutes a change in placement. A change in placement requires an IEP team meeting to determine if the proposed placement is appropriate and should occur after a periodic review. If it is determined to be appropriate, then revise the student’s IEP accordingly. A change in placement does not require a reevaluation of the student. \
   1. End the current SSEPA record. Be sure to include IEP End Dates as well as Reason Exited Special Education.
   2. A new SSEPA record should be submitted whenever the IEP is ‘Reviewed’, ‘Revised’ or ‘Changed.’ Be sure to include IEP Begin Dates.  
   3. For a student transitioning to a shortened school day:
      1. Follow the guidance in FAQ #1.
   4. For a student transitioning back to full day:
      1. Shortened School Day indicator should be set to False.
      2. School Weekly Hours should be left blank (NULL)
      3. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers should be left blank (NULL)
3. Revising Shortened School Day Hours: Should IEP Team update the weekly instructional hours for a student with a shortened school day, either by increasing or decreasing the weekly instructional hours, submit the following to WISEdata Portal:
   1. End the current SSEPA record. Be sure to include IEP End Dates as well as Reason Exited Special Education.
      1. A new SSEPA record should be submitted whenever the IEP is ‘Reviewed’, ‘Revised’ or ‘Changed.’ Be sure to include IEP Begin Dates. 
   2. Shortened School Day indicator should still be set to True.
   3. School Weekly Hours set to the adjusted number of hours per week the student attends school.
      1. Increasing instructional hours example: Hours increase from 15 to 25 while their peers attend 30 hours.
      2. Decreasing instructional hours example: Hours decrease from 25 to 15 while their peers attend 30 hours.
   4. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers set to the adjusted difference in hours for the standard peer attendance hours and the student’s School Weekly Hours.
      1. Increasing instructional hours example: Hours increase from 15 to 25 while their peers attend 30 hours. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers is now “5.”
      2. Decreasing instructional hours example: Hours decrease from 25 to 15 while their peers attend 30 hours. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers is now “15.
4. Student with a Shortened School Day is transferring from one public LEA to another public LEA: Transfers and Continues with Shortened School Day, WISEdata Reporting:
   1. A student transfers to a new LEA. The receiving district holds an IEP meeting and continues the shortened school day placement.
   2. End the current SSEPA record. Be sure to include IEP End Dates as well as Reason Exited Special Education.
   3. A new SSEPA record should be submitted whenever the IEP is ‘Reviewed’, ‘Revised’ or ‘Changed.’ Be sure to include IEP Begin Dates. 
   4. Shortened School Day indicator set to True.
   5. School Weekly Hours set to the number of hours per week the student attends school.
   6. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers set to the difference in hours for the standard peer attendance hours and the student’s School Weekly Hours.
5. Student with a Shortened School Day is transferring from one public LEA to another public LEA: Transfers and Discontinues with Shortened School Day, WISEdata Reporting:
   1. A student transfers to a new LEA. The receiving district holds an IEP meeting and discontinues/stops the shortened school day placement.
   2. End the current SSEPA record. Be sure to include IEP End Dates as well as Reason Exited Special Education.
   3. A new SSEPA record should be submitted whenever the IEP is ‘Reviewed’, ‘Revised’ or ‘Changed.’ Be sure to include IEP Begin Dates. 
   4. Shortened School Day indicator should be set to False.
   5. School Weekly Hours should be left blank (NULL)
   6. Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers should be left blank (NULL)
6. Student transfers from a Choice school to a public LEA (ISP transfers to an IEP), WISEdata Reporting:
   1. A student transfers from a choice school to a public school.
   2. Student enrollment status changes from parentally placed private (PPP) to primarily enrolled in a public school district (P).
   3. Whenever there is a change to the PPP flag, new IEP date(s) are triggered. Therefore, a new sSEPA record is submitted with these changes.
   4. The receiving district holds an IEP meeting and decides whether to continue the placement.
   5. Follow guidance listed in FAQ #4 above for either:  Transfers and Continues with Shortened School Day, WISEdata Reporting OR Transfers and Discontinues with Shortened School Day, WISEdata Reporting.

Resources

• sSEPA Record data elements
• Shortened Weekly Hours Compared to Peers data element page
• School Weekly Hours data element page

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