WISEadmin: User Guide - District Library Plan Screen
The district library plan has been a part of Wisconsin state statute since 1974, but the collection is housed in WISEadmin Portal since the 2023-24 school year. The district library plan is referenced in Wisconsin Administrative Code PI8.01(2)(h). Find more information on the DPI Future Ready Library Planning webpage.
A district should have only one active, approved plan. When a new plan is submitted and approved, the previously approved plan will be set as inactive. DPI recommends that district library plan timelines align with the academic calendar.
Data from the district library plan is collected in the annual December snapshot. For detailed information about Wisconsin's annual data snapshots, please visit the Snapshot Preparation Guidance page.
Click the links below to navigate to different sections of this page:
WISEsecure Roles
The user role "District Admin" for WISEadmin Portal is required to submit the District Library Plan. This is also the only role that can edit a District Library Plan.
Users with the "Agency" role for WISEadmin Portal can access the plan in view-only mode.
How to Access Your District Library Plan within WISEadmin Portal
You can access information about your current district library plan by either clicking the "District Library Plan" tile on the WISEadmin Portal landing screen or by clicking “District Library Plan” from the purple menu bar across the top of the screen.
Tile Notifications
You will find a message within the District Library Plan tile on the home screen of WISEadmin Portal. This message is at the bottom-center of the District Library Plan tile. It will communicate the current status of your district library plan and will inform you if you need to take action. The Library Media Specialist identified as the District Library Plan contact and the 'District Admin' will both receive emails pertaining to notifications.
Library Plan is Required
This warning means your LEA has no active plans and no 'submitted' plans. This notification can refer to the following scenarios:
- A previous plan was approved, but this plan is now expired.
- A plan was saved but not submitted. Only plans that are submitted trigger a notification to the DPI.
- A plan was submitted but has been returned.
- Required Action: Submit a district library plan for DPI to approve.
Library Plan Added
This is the default message indicating the district has submitted a library plan. This notification can refer to the following scenarios:
- Your LEA has an approved, active, district library plan.
- Required Action: None. Current, approved plans will get re-verified, not resubmitted, for the span of the district library plan.
- Your LEA has submitted a library plan, but it is not yet active.
- Required Action: You need to confirm status of the library plan. You may need to make changes and resubmit your plan.
Library Plan is Expiring soon
This warning means your LEA has an active plan that is set to expire soon. District library plans expire on Dec 31 of the last year of an active plan.
Required Action
Submit a new district library plan for DPI to approve.
Library Plan is Expired
This warning means your LEA had an "Approved" plan, but the implementation to/from date has passed without a new active plan.
- Required Action: Submit a district library plan for DPI to approve.
- NOTE: Expired plans cannot be re-opened, edited and re-submitted. Expired plans serve as historical records. You must submit a new library plan when the previous plan expires.
The District Library Plan Screen
Instructions:
The District Library Plan screen in the WISEadmin Portal provides expanded instructions and the statute requiring a long-range library plan.
- Include Required Information: There are four required data elements, along with the one optional data element. These data elements will be captured/verified every year as part of the annual December snapshot. The district library plan data elements are:
- Date of Board Approval
- Implementation Year From/To
- District Library Media Specialist
- District Library Plan Link
- Link to Board Meeting: optional but highly encouraged. District Library Plans will not be approved until the DPI can verify this action item in the board minutes.
- NOTE: If any of the above data elements are inadequately provided, a submitted library plan can be returned. A returned library plan indicates that a submitted plan has issues preventing it from being approved. Address the DPI provided feedback, then save and resubmit your district library plan. Visit the Returned Library Plans section (below) for more details.
- Plan Duration: Drop-down menus allow districts to choose a timeline of up to five years for library plans. The recommended length is three years. Multi-year plans will get re-verified, not resubmitted, for the span of the District Library Plan.
- Year-Round Submission: District library plans can be submitted at any time throughout the school year. Once submitted, DPI must review the plan before the plan becomes a valid plan. District library plans are usually either approved or returned within a period of 8-10 business days, provided all information needed is available. Submitted plans are associated with an “Active” status of either Yes or No. The "Active” status indicates whether a district library plan is currently considered the primary, valid plan for an LEA.
- DPI Review Process: Once the library plan is submitted, DPI staff will review it thoroughly. If the plan meets all requirements, it will be approved. If not, it will be returned with specific feedback for the district to address before resubmitting. Again, district library plans are usually either approved or returned within a period of 8-10 business days, provided all information needed is available.
District Library Plan Table
Reference the current status of a submitted district library plan in the table at the bottom of the screen.
Submitted plans = Active status of N (No).
Returned plans = Active status of N (No). Once the plan is approved by DPI = Active status of Y (Yes).
Not Considered = Active Status of N (No). Plans are "not considered" when a district submits multiple plans. The DPI will provide feedback as to why a plan has this status.
Once a plan is submitted, DPI is notified of your plan. DPI staff will then review your plan and provide feedback. This feedback will come to the LEA via email and will also appear in the WISEadmin Portal.
This table displays a history of all previous library plans.
To Reference an Existing District Library Plan: "View" Screen
When the Action column at the far right of the table displays “View”, click this to access the "View" screen for the District Library Plan. You will be able to view, but not change, an existing District Library Plan. You can also read any DPI feedback.
The view screen does not allow you to make edits.
This is because either:
The plan has been approved as the current valid plan when the Active indicator is Y (Yes), and no edits are required.
OR
- The plan has been submitted, but DPI has not responded to this yet. You will have to wait for a response from DPI before making edits or having the plan become a valid, primary library plan.
Returned Library Plans
When a plan is reviewed, and it does not meet requirements, it will be marked “Returned” to the LEA for review, repair and resubmit.
It is likely there will be feedback indicating what needs to be corrected on a plan that was returned. This feedback is date/time stamped to assist LEAs with the timeline involved in the review process. Keep the annual December snapshot date in mind, with a goal of having an active, approved library plan ready and in place for the December snapshot.
To Revise an Existing District Library Plan: "Edit" Screen
When the Action column at the far right of the table reads, “edit”, clicking this will bring you to the detailed screen for the district library plan. You will be able to edit an existing district library plan because it has not yet been approved. Please read any DPI feedback to know why your plan was returned, not considered, or not yet approved.
The edit screen allows you to make edits. The edit screen means that a plan has been submitted and that DPI has responded to the plan, but not by approving it. Returned plans must be revised according to the feedback provided. Then, resubmit the plan for approval. Only districts with approved plans will count as meeting this requirement.
When you are on this screen, you should:
- Make the required edits on this screen so that your plan can be approved.
- Look in the “DPI Feedback” section of the screen for any information provided by the DPI staff member who reviewed your plan. When a plan is reviewed that does not meet requirements, it will be marked “Returned” to the LEA for review. It is likely there will be feedback here indicating what needs to be corrected on a plan that was returned. This feedback is date/time stamped to assist LEAs with the timeline involved in the review process.
Common Reasons Why Library Plans Are Not Approved:
- Implementation years: If the dates in your library plan and/or the board minutes are not aligned with stated implementation from/to dates, the submission will be returned to the district.
- School Board approval. DPI confirms, through reviewing board minutes, that the library plan was approved by the school board. Board minutes reflecting this process will be requested if they are not publicly available online.
Once you have addressed all feedback comments, click Save to save the changes you have made. A banner appears across the top of the screen indicating, "District library plan successfully saved!"
NOTE: Clicking Save does not submit the Library Plan to DPI.
Click Submit to submit your updated Library Plan back to DPI for review. A banner appears across the top of the screen indicating, "District library plan successfully submitted!"
Library plans may be submitted and returned multiple times until all requirements are satisfied.
To Submit a New District Library Plan
To submit a new plan, click New District Library Plan in the upper-left corner of the table.
This brings you to the edit screen for the district library plan.
Notice that the "District Library Plan Status" is "New."
When you are on this screen, you should:
- Enter all required data elements (Listed above) on this screen so that your plan can be submitted.
- Click the “Save” button to save the changes you have made.
- NOTE: Clicking Save does not submit the Library Plan to DPI.
- Click the “Submit” button to submit your updated Library Plan back to DPI for review.
Remember, just because you submitted a district library plan does not mean it will automatically be approved. Continue checking the status of your library plan by regularly logging in to WISEadmin portal until the District Library Plan tile displays the notification "Library Plan Added."
Clicking the “Cancel” button will return you to the District Library Plan landing screen. You can also achieve this by clicking the back button on your browser or the District Library Plan link from the menu bar in WISEadmin Portal.