WISE

July 2026 WISE Insights

July 2026: Data Worthy of Fireworks

Spotlight on Data

2027 WISE Conference: Save the Date, Choice Schools: Opt-In or Opt-Out Selection is Due August 3, School Directory Management Portal: Required Annual Updates

Data Quality Outreach

WISEdata, Annual Tasks Checklist

App & Web Feature

WISEhome Transition to MyWisconsin ID, Reminder of Timeline

WISEdash

Exploring Student Achievement to Inform Systems and Practices

Upcoming Data Related Events

Back to School Kickoff Training, Recurring Trainings

Spotlight on Strong Data

2027 WISE Conference: Save the Date

The 2027 WISE Conference dates are:

  • March 9, 10, and 11, 2027

DPI Partner Support is already in 'Go' mode.

Your input matters! We make every attempt to design our conference based on what you need and want. Your opportunity to tell us is right here in the 2027 WISE Conference Planning: Attendee Voice Opportunity survey.

This survey:

  • only takes five minutes to complete,
  • includes questions about session content, food options, and logistics, and
  • closes Friday, July 24, 2026.

Thank you so much for your valuable input!

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Choice Schools: Opt-In or Opt-Out Selection is Due August 3

Choice schools should have a current selection identified (i.e., opt-in or opt-out) regarding the Private School – All-Students Report Card. Submit your selection by the first weekday in August. Locate the form on the Private School Choice Programs: School Submitted Reports and Forms webpage, in the right-hand column, “Other Reports and Forms.”

Schools new to the Parental School Choice Program must select to either opt in or opt out. Continuing schools only need to submit a new form if they want to change their previous selection. Selections cannot be changed once submitted for the current school year. Schools can change their selection for the following year.

  • Opt-in: Yes, all students will be: 
    • submitted to WISEdata and
    • represented on the All-Students Report Card.
  • Opt-out: Not all students, only Choice participants will be: 
    • submitted to WISEdata and
    • represented on the All-Students Report Card.

NOTE on Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) Integration Tool and the All-Students Report Card

Opting out of the All-Students Report Card only allows the use of WIR immunization data for the students on which you report. Choice schools may not obtain WIR data for all students when only a portion of the students are being reported. Schools that opt out should only pull records for Choice participants.

Opting into the All-Students Report Card allows schools to obtain WIR data for all students, so long as the SIS vendor has the ability to integrate with WIR. Schools should not pull all student records using the WIR tool unless they have opted in to the All-Students report card.

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School Directory Management Portal: Required Annual Updates

All local education agency (LEA) types are required to update their information at the beginning of every school year within the School Directory (Management) application.

The School Directory Management Portal is OPEN for updates to your school directory data for the 2026-27 school year. 

These updates ensure that DPI has accurate information about Wisconsin schools. DPI requires these updates from all public school districts, private schools, or charter schools that submit to WISEdata. If schools do not make these updates, it can result in validation messages, lack of proper communication, and potential funding issues.

Choice and SNSP Schools

Please note that if your school is participating in the Private School Choice Programs (Choice) or Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP), you must submit changes that impact those programs using the update forms on the Choice or SNSP webpage. For example, changing the main contact email address through the form for the Directory will only change it for emails related to the Directory. That will not change the email address used for Choice program or SNSP correspondence. 

School Directory requires both agency-level and school-level data. 

You must have the Directory Update user role for the School Directory Management Portal to make these updates. If you do not have this user role assigned to you, please request the user role from your District Security Administrator using the WISEhome application. DSAs in large districts may need to assign this role to multiple users.

Please read the School Directory User Guides for greater detail on how to update all required data. 

School Closing and Opening New Schools: School Modification App

 Summer is a common time for new schools to open and other schools to close. Whenever a local education agency (LEA) is experiencing one of these scenarios, the information must be submitted to DPI through the School Modification application. This application does not require WISEhome credentials. 

The School Modification application submits a request to DPI to either OPEN a new school or to CLOSE an existing school.

There are separate School Mod User Guides for public and private schools, as each of these agency types have unique requirements. 

Not sure if your agency is a school or not? Please read the Clarifying Information on the Definition of a School data element page. 

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Data Quality Outreach

WISEdata, Annual Tasks Checklist

The Annual Tasks Checklist is a great resource for all school types to know what data reporting requirements they are responsible for throughout the school year. The webpage is split into four ‘seasons’ of data reporting:

  • Back-to-School season (June, July, August)
  • December Student Snapshot season (September, October, November)
  • Mid-Winter Tasks season (December, January, February)
  • May Demographics Snapshot and School Year Close-Out season (March, April, May)
  • NOTE: School year close-out and back-to-school seasons have some overlapping tasks that assist LEAs in preparing for Year-End data reporting for the December Snapshot. 

If reading a webpage is good, but reading a paper checklist is better, take advantage of the Annual Tasks Checklist, Back-to-School Printables. There is one for public schools and another one for private Choice schools. 

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App Feature

WISEhome Transition to MyWisconsin ID: Reminder of Timeline

The DPI is upgrading our authentication systems, transitioning from Web Access Management System (WAMS) to MyWisconsin ID from now through September 2026. 

Here’s a timeline of events for our transition:

  • Now: If you already sign in with Google, you can keep signing in with Google. Alternatively, you can start signing in to WISEhome with MyWisconsin ID.
  • As soon as possible: Users who previously signed in with WAMS need to transition to MyWisconsin ID or Google sign-in to ensure a smooth transition experience. 
  • September 30, 2026: WAMS will be deactivated for WISEhome. 
  • October 1, 2026: Google and MyWisconsin ID will be the only login options.

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WISEdash Featured Dashboard

Exploring Student Achievement to Inform Systems and Practices

Understanding student achievement data is essential for school and district leaders striving to create equitable learning opportunities and improve outcomes for all students.

Data tells a story, one that reveals strengths, highlights gaps, and helps identify the next steps for instruction, support, and systems improvement.

As school districts dive into local and state data, including platforms like WISEdash for Districts, the goal is not just to observe trends but to ask the right questions, engage in collaborative inquiry, and use the information to drive action. The process begins with thoughtful reflection and analysis, and it must include multiple measures to give a fuller, more accurate picture of student learning and growth.

Relying solely on one type of assessment, such as statewide tests, may offer only a limited snapshot. Integrating multiple sources, such as formative assessments, classroom-based data, local benchmarks, and student voice, strengthens the process and leads to better informed decisions that reflect the complexity of student achievement.

A Process to Get into Your Data

Part 1: Evaluate and Frame the Purpose of Your Data Review

Before diving into charts and numbers, it is important to pause and ground your data review in purpose. What is your team hoping to learn, and why? Clarifying your intent helps focus your efforts, engage the right people in the process, and connect the data to your district’s broader goals.

WISEdash for Districts offers multiple entry points for data exploration, so a clear purpose will guide how and where you begin. Without framing, teams may rush to conclusions, focus on surface-level outcomes, or miss opportunities to connect data to district continuous improvement goals and plans.

Guiding questions may include:

  • What do we hope to learn or accomplish by reviewing this data and why?
  • How does it connect to our goals for students?
  • Do we have thoughtful inquiry questions to provide context and guide our investigation?

Part 2: Analyze Patterns and Gaps

Once your purpose is clear, the next step is to explore the data with curiosity. What patterns emerge across content areas, grade levels, schools, or student groups?

WISEdash for Districts allows users to disaggregate data by student group, assessment, and year, providing a powerful tool to investigate both progress and persistent challenges. This analysis should not be limited to a single test score or moment in time. Multiple measures, both quantitative and qualitative, enrich your understanding and help ensure decisions support each student’s success.

Guiding questions may include:

  • What trends are emerging across grade levels, content areas, or student groups?
  • What strengths and needs are clearly visible in the data?
  • What additional measures (e.g., classroom data, attendance, engagement) could deepen our understanding?
  • How are different student populations performing?

Part 3: Success for Each and Every Student

Data analysis is incomplete without considering the outcomes of each and every student. It’s not just about what the outcomes are. It’s also about who they affect and why. Districts can use WISEdash for Districts to examine disparities across race, socioeconomic status, disability, and other student characteristics.

This work requires more than identifying gaps. It calls for examining the systems and structures that shape student experiences. Educators can use this lens to identify and respond to barriers that prevent success for each and every student. Cross-referencing academic outcomes with other measures, like school climate, discipline data, or access to rigorous coursework, can highlight patterns and inform responsive action.

Guiding questions may include:

  • Which student groups are not yet meeting expectations?
  • What might be contributing to these outcomes?
  • Are there barriers in our systems (i.e., curriculum, access, or adult practices) that we need to address?

Part 4: Plan Action and Monitor Progress

Good data analysis leads to better decisions but only when it results in action. In this phase, teams identify priorities, strategies, and how they will monitor progress throughout the year.

With the dynamic tools in WISEdash, such as historical data views, crosstabs and cohort tracking, districts can revisit and refine their strategies over time. Progress monitoring also benefits from multiple measures. Consider how classroom assessments, student work samples, and student voice can offer real-time feedback alongside state-level trends.

The key is to move beyond data review and into data use that makes a meaningful difference for students.

Guiding questions may include:

  • What strategies or supports can we implement to address the gaps we see?
  • What additional voices (e.g., students, families) should inform our planning?
  • How will we track our progress and use multiple sources of evidence?
  • How will we revisit this data throughout the year?

Resources to Guide and Support:

WISEdash for Districts, especially the Forward, PreACT Secure, ACT and WIDA ACCESS Statewide dashboards, About the Data webpages for:

Need Support?

Every CESA in Wisconsin has highly qualified data specialists available to support your district’s data work. Whether you need help locating or navigating WISEdash, interpreting results, planning programming, or using data to drive improvement, your CESA Data Specialist can provide:

  • Coaching tailored to your district’s needs
  • Professional learning for individuals or teams
  • Customized district support to turn insights into action

Connect with your CESA to learn how a Data Specialist can partner with you to make meaningful, data informed decisions for your students.

Learn more about WISExplore on the Coaching and Additional Support webpage.

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Upcoming Events

View the WISE Events Calendar

Training Opportunities: Back-to-School Kickoff!

Thursday, August 13: In-Person, Back-to-School Kickoff

The 2026 Back-to-School Kickoff has a brand-new vibe! This in-person training allows registered attendees to see DPI in its brick-and-mortar setting. The morning will be jam-packed with high impact mini sessions covering everything you need to know to get right with your data reporting for the year. Partner Support and many adjacent teams will be there. There is also a separate session specifically for Choice schools.  After a networking lunch break in the courtyard, all of the same DPI staff will be available through afternoon office hours. Follow the map to find the subject matter experts you need to talk to the most, ask them direct questions, and complete your day feeling more ready than you ever have before.  Please join us!

  • 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Tommy G Thompson building

Tuesday, August 18: Virtual, Back-to-School Kickoff

If you can’t make the in-person Kickoff training, or just prefer a virtual training format, this is the training for you. All of the same content aspects of the in-person training (subject matter experts, Choice-specific content, etc.) will still be available through slideshow presentations and in breakout rooms. 

Recurring Training:

WISEdata New User Training​:​ First Wednesday of the month

The August New User training will be an expanded format to support new users for the “back-to-school” season. Along with the standard WISEdata information, this session will include presentations on WISEid, WISEsecure, and Ed-Fi Credential. 

  • Wednesday, August 5, 2026: 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.

WISE User Group Call​:  Summer 2026

  • Tuesday, August 11: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.​

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