WISEdata Annual Tasks Checklist
Data collection helps LEAs measure growth over time. There are a few busy times in every school year where data collection needs to be as accurate as possible: the start of each school year, and during the fall and spring snapshots.
Each year, DPI collects data from WISEdata in multiple collections for snapshots. This page is intended to be a general guide for helping you ensure you complete the necessary tasks and prepare the necessary data elements for each of these collections or snapshots.
Click the links below to navigate to different sections of this page:
Training Opportunities
DPI will be providing snapshot preparation training, which will include year-end data, before the December 5, 2023 snapshot. Visit the Snapshot Preparation Guidance page for details on why snapshot data is so important, and to view preparatory slide decks and webinars.
DPI doesn’t provide training for how to complete the year-end tasks (“rollover”) in your SIS. Your SIS vendor may offer training.
We encourage you to frequently check the WISE Events Calendar for upcoming dates and times of training. Snapshot training is typically provided both in person and virtually.
Note for Private Choice Schools
On the lists below, some steps or data elements do not apply to private Choice schools. Data elements marked with an asterisk (*) symbol do not need to be submitted by private Choice schools.
To start off each school year, you'll need to complete several important tasks to prepare for the year's WISEdata collections. These tasks include general SIS preparation, collecting student demographic data, uploading WISEids for students and staff, and ensuring that you and other staff have access to the WISEdata applications they need to perform necessary data collection and data quality tasks throughout the school year.
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General Preparation
- Make sure you have entered your schools, their start and end dates (First Day of School/Last Day of School), as well as school grade level information in the School Directory application.
- Ensure you have the correct set of schools in School Directory and that the correct grades offered are listed. If you no longer offer a grade in a particular school, it should be removed.
- The Grade Level Placement data element page can provide more details.
- Security Administrators should review who has access to DPI applications in WISEsecure.
- Revoke access for staff who are no longer working with your school.
- Add access for new staff.
- Both of the above tasks can be done quickly with the upcoming WISEsecure Mass Update tool (not yet available).
- Check your SIS software versions and update to the latest release.
- If you have changed SIS products or added a special education-only system to report to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for the upcoming school year, please start a support ticket to let us know. We will do some additional review to make sure everything is set up correctly to report current and prior years.
- Assemble a data team with an identified lead for each data collection area. The team should learn about and review how to collect and enter the data into your SIS and submit to WISEdata. For public schools, for example, the Roster data team should solicit input and assistance from course work and CTE experts in addition to current WISEdata users.
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Collect Student Demographic Information
Note: Data elements marked with an asterisk (*) symbol do not apply to private Choice schools.
- During your registration process, collect the basic student demographic information that is needed for WISEdata at the beginning of the year:
- Gender
- Race/Ethnicity
- Grade Level
- Economic Disadvantage Status
- Economic Disadvantaged Status is determined on household income information. Economic Disadvantaged Status must be reported for students regardless of whether or not the school participates in the National School Lunch Program.
- Food Service Eligibility
- Disability Status
- English Language Proficiency
- Students with English language proficiency classifications (ELP code) of 1-5 are considered Limited English Proficient (LEP). Students with limited English proficiency are also known as English Learners (EL) or English Language Learners (ELL). For former ELs the value reported is expected to be 6, and for students who were never ELs, an ELP code of 7 should be used.
- Homeless Status*
- Parent in Military*
- Parent in Military is a self-reported data element from a student's parents. If the student meets one or more of the qualifications by answering Yes to at least one of the following questions, the student should be submitted as true for Parent in Military.
- Digital Equity data, including:
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Upload WISEids
- DPI recommends you upload a full Active Student WISEid file to the WISEid application once a week. This accomplishes the following:
- Obtaining WISEids for new students
- Updating existing students’ WISEid records with corrections made in your SIS
- Updating your SIS with corrected WISEid numbers when DPI finds and corrects duplicate ID numbers
- Eliminating WISEdata Portal validation messages about differences in the data between WISEdata and WISEid
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Get Ready in WISEdata Applications
- The first time you log in to WISEdata Portal you will be asked to confirm your contact information and acknowledge your responsibility for data collections and data quality by signing off on the Acknowledgment screens.
- Staff new to WISEdata state reporting are invited to complete e-learning modules.
- Familiarize yourself with new data elements and how to submit them.
- Learn about new features by reviewing release notes for WISEdata and WISEid.
- Use WISEdash for Districts (does not apply to private Choice Schools) for:
- Improvement Planning (all dashboards)
- Early Warning (DEWS, CCREWS, Absenteeism, FAFSA)
- Data Quality Reviews (snapshot dashboards). Pay special attention to Graduation Rate, Dropouts, Absenteeism, and Cohorts.
- Review error and warning validations, especially persistent ones from the prior school year. Resolve and acknowledge as appropriate. Learn more about validations in this tutorial.
- Attend CESA and SIS vendor trainings and conferences.
- Bookmark and use the WISEdata Events Calendar to find upcoming events, trainings, conferences, snapshot dates, webinars, and deadlines.
- Register for and attend User Group calls.
Extend the accordions below for a full and detailed description of all required data elements for the fall and spring snapshots.
December Snapshot
The WISEdata Student Snapshot takes a snapshot of data from three collections:
- Year-End Collection,
- Third Friday of September Collection, and
- October 1 Child Count Collection.
Spring Snapshot
After these collections, there is a student demographics snapshot in the spring. Collections and the specific data elements they include are listed below.