Student/Staff Name: WISEid/WISEdata/WISEstaff
The correct and proper use of a person's first, last, middle, suffix (e.g., Jr. or III) names. Including middle names and suffixes ensure the assignment of a unique, unduplicated WISEid to a student or staff member.
First and last names are required and shall be submitted as the student's or staff member's legal name, the name on the birth certificate. Schools may request documentation, but it's not required and shouldn't be photocopied.
Former names, nicknames, and other names are also collected in the Other Name fields but are optional. Nicknames are different than a transgender student's chosen name. Visit the WISEdata Uncommon Situations "Data Elements for Students Who Are Transgender" for more details about name changes for Transgender students.
- Middle name or initial are optional but recommended for assurance you're working with the correct student record.
- Acceptable suffix options include: I, II, III, IV, V, Sr, Jr, SJ.
- Acceptable characters include letters A-Z, hyphen, apostrophe, period, and spaces.
- Diacritical marks (for example, À, ç, è, Ñ, ö) are NOT accepted at this time and will be rejected.
USES: This data element is required for Choice and public schools. Student names (legal and other names) are used in the WISEid matching process. The legal name is especially critical because this name is most likely to be submitted consistently over time and across districts for any given student and is used in finding single exact matches. Other names are used in automatically finding possible matches and in the match review process.
FAQs, Details, and Points to Note
- Tips for a WISEid Person File Upload
- Use the student's legal name to identify the student. This would be the student's formal legal name, normally the name that appears on the birth certificate.
- If the student is or was commonly known by another name, include that name in the Other Name field. This is especially important if the student is coming from another district because both legal and Other names are used in the matching process. Use of both increases the chances of finding matches or near matches. Districts may even wish to request former names or nicknames at the time of registration.
- Carefully record birth date and gender. If the birth date or gender is recorded accurately in one district and inaccurately in another district, then WISEid will not necessarily be able to find the student.
- Tips for a WISEid Person Search
- Search for the student's legal first and last name.
- Search for the student using another name by which the student is commonly known, if applicable. Do not include date of birth, race/ethnicity, or gender, unless the list of possible matches is large.
- Search by the full date of birth.
- Match Review: Always review the list of possible matches.
- Student Definition: This entity represents an individual for whom instruction, services, and/or care are provided in an early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational program under the jurisdiction of a school, education agency or other institution or program. A student is a person who has been enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
- System of Record: As a student's Legal Name is entered and maintained in both WISEid and WISEdata, it's important to note that WISEid is the system of record. At the time of a snapshot, the WISEid value will be the value pulled into WISEdash and used in the collection.
For more information please visit the WISEid: Info, Help and User Guide page as well as the WISEstaff Info, Help and User Guide page.
If you need further assistance, please submit a Help Ticket.
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