Annual Data Collections: Tasks and Checklist
DPI has an annual cycle of data collections for each school year.
July 1 is the start date for each school year.
March is when the WISEdata Conference takes place.
December and May are typical months for snapshots.
June 30 is the end date for each school year.
This page provides a chronological checklist for the multiple annual data collections supported by the Customer Services Team.
The goal of this page is to make you aware of and help you prepare for these annual data collections by informing you of.
- Who (which schools, public or private) participates in a collection,
- What data elements are a part of a collection,
- When the data collection occurs and when the data will be used,
- Which WISE application is used, and
- How to complete required tasks.
The "why" for the data collections is the same, by and large: to satisfy state and federal school data reporting requirements.
Click the links below to navigate to different sections of this page:
Training Opportunities
We have a number of different ways by which you can receive training: self-paced, in-person, and virtually through webinars. The best web resources for training information are linked below:
- The WISEdata Events Calendar to view valuable events related to student reporting and add them to your calendar with a simple click of a button.
- Look for the Weekly WISE User Group Webinar and the Weekly WISEstaff Webinar
- Visit the WISEtraining webpage and the Slides and Videos webpage for a wide variety self-paced training materials.
- Visit the Snapshot Preparation Guidance page for details on why snapshot data is so important, and to view preparatory slide decks and webinars.
- Visit the Snapshot Data Quality Auditing webpage for detailed 'how-to' information about how to locate and audit your data.
- Submit a Help Ticket if you need direct assistance from Customer Services Team to address specific student, staff, or school data.
Back to School Season Tasks
To start off each school year, you'll need to complete important tasks to prepare for the year's collections. The tasks are listed alphabetically because they cover a variety of LEA roles.
Some tasks have prerequisite tasks that are annotated within each section (e.g., you need a WAMS ID before you can access a WISEsecure application).
Printable Companion Checklists
We are pleased to present you with both a public school and Choice school version of the printable task checklist to help make sure you accomplish your data tasks for the beginning of a new school year. Please use it as a companion document along with this webpage. The checklist does not provide tutorial details, but does contain hyperlinks to other DPI resource webpages. Download to use digitally, or print it off if you prefer!
December Student Data Snapshot Season
Mostly due to the December student data snapshot, and for a variety of other collections, this is a very busy time of the school year for data collection and data quality!
- Civil Rights Data Collection
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December 09, 2024
CRDC system opens for SEA Starter File data load. Districts that opted into using the DPI Starter File should delay entering and modifying data in the CRDC submission system until Monday, 12/16/24.
December 16, 2024
Review and Submit Data: Collection open to submit the data via the file upload process or manual data entry.
- Customer Services Team Conducts Round 2 of Data Quality Outreach
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The DPI Customer Services team makes outreach calls to LEAs across the state, Choice and public, to touch base on data ‘trouble-spots’ to help LEAs get started on data repair and preparation for the December student data snapshot.
This round focuses on communicating to LEAs that we will be starting snapshot DQ reviews, including information about the alert feature again. CST also sends communications to District and Choice Admins about the snapshot.
- December Student Data Snapshot
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The December Student Data Snapshot occurs annually in December. LEAs should spend these “snapshot season” months preparing data for the December student data snapshot. Check the WISE Events Calendar for snapshot training opportunities, such as the regional snapshot workshops. The Customer Services Team is busy conducting data quality outreach.
- October 1 Child Count
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The October 1 Child Count is only for public LEAs. This collection includes data from student enrollment records from any students receiving special education services on this day. sSEPA record data and other special education data is also required.
- PI-1207 Form for Private Schools Closes in October
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Private Schools, time is almost up! The PI-1207 Private School Report closes on October 15! PI-1207 audit results conclude December 15.
- School Directory Closes in December
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School Directory User Guides will help you make all required annual updates to the School Directory Management Portal. You can continue to make updates to School Directory until the application closes in December or January each year for annual maintenance.
When School Directory closes, no more changes can be made to data for the current school year, so please make all required annual updates by the close date. Visit the School Directory Management Portal: Annual Updates webpage for more information.
- Preliminary WISEstaff Certification Opens*
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The Preliminary Certification section of the WISEstaff User Guide should be heavily referenced at this time of year to assist LEAs with meeting the Preliminary Reporting deadline, which usually falls during early – mid-November.
Preliminary Audit results are typically ready between December and January. Once they are available, preliminary staff audit results should be reviewed, and LEAs should begin making corrections for the final certification in March.
*WISEstaff reporting does not apply to Choice schools.
- OEA Inquiry Process for Accountability Report cards SAFE Release
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The preliminary secure release of the school and district report cards opens the inquiry period, a window of time in which schools and districts can notify OEA of suspected data submission errors.
Visit the Office of Educational Accountability (OEA) Inquiry Process webpage for more details.
- WISEstaff User Group Calls Begin in October*
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The WISEstaff data collection opens. This also indicates the return of the weekly WISEstaff User Group call.
*WISEstaff reporting does not apply to Choice schools.
Visit December Snapshot Training on Slides and Videos webpage
Mid-Winter Season
Data collection is slowest during these three months of the school year. DPI is busy processing the December snapshot data and preparing for accountability school report cards.
- Civil Rights Data Collection
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March 07, 2025: Close Date
Finalize and Certify Data: Review the submitted data, resolve errors and warnings and certify. Document an action plan(s) as needed and continue reviewing the data.
Spring / Summer of 2025 Data Quality Post Collection:
Review the data for quality, using the data quality manuals.
- Continue Reviewing WISEstaff Preliminary Data*
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Continue reviewing WISEstaff preliminary audit results and apply corrections for the final certification in March. Final reporting deadline for WISEstaff is March 18, 2025.
*WISEstaff reporting does not apply to Choice schools.
- Data Errata for Student Data December Snapshot
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Once the December student data snapshot occurs, data are considered certified and final. If you notice an error in your snapshot data, you can submit a Data Errata letter to acknowledge what was wrong in your snapshot data.
- Parental Choice Applications Open
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The Parental Choice applications opens at different times, depending on the Choice program, but this typically occurs sometime in January.
- Public School Open Enrollment
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Public School Open Enrollment usually opens up in February.
- Prepare Data for the Student Demographic Snapshot
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The spring Student Demographics snapshot is in May. Review the Snapshot Preparation Guidance webpage to get ready for that snapshot.
- Preliminary WISEstaff Certification Opens*
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The Preliminary Certification section of the WISEstaff User Guide should be heavily referenced at this time of year to assist LEAs with meeting the Preliminary Reporting deadline, which usually falls during early – mid-November.
Preliminary Audit results are typically ready between December and January. Once they are available, preliminary staff audit results should be reviewed, and LEAs should begin making corrections for the final certification in March.
*WISEstaff reporting does not apply to Choice schools.
- School Directory Re-Opens in January: Update Info for Next School Year
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When School Directory closed in December, so did updates for the current school year.
With the re-opening of the School Directory Management Portal in January for updates, schools are still in the middle of the ‘current’ school year, but can begin to make updates for the next school year.
School Directory User Guides are available to help you make updates.
Input and verify:
- Agency-level mandatory required contacts
- Educational service (PK)
- School-level mandatory required contacts
- High grade/Low grade for each school are listed
- Kindergarten schedules/locations
- WISEdata Conference
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The WISEdata Conference webpage usually starts filling up in January with agendas, the registration link, and slide decks. The WISEdata Conference takes place in March. Hope to see you there!
Visit Mid-Winter Season Training on Slides and Videos webpage
May Demographics Snapshot and School Year Close-Out Season
These final months get busy again for data.
The spring Student Demographics snapshot is in May. To prepare, the Customer Services Team will conduct minimal data quality outreach while LEAs review the Snapshot Preparation Guidance webpage. Check with your local CESA for additional training possibilities.
Once the May snapshot occurs, data are considered certified and final. If you notice an error in your snapshot data, you can submit a Data Errata letter to acknowledge what was wrong in your snapshot data.
School year close-out tasks for WISEdata are detailed below. The DPI school year ends on June 30 each year.
- Civil Rights Data Collection, Continued
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Spring / Summer of 2025 Data Quality Post Collection:
Review the data for quality, using the data quality manuals.
Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) Suupport for Districts webpage
- Finalize Data for the May Demographics Snapshot
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The May Demographics Demographics snapshot is in May.
To prepare, the Customer Services Team will conduct data quality outreach during the month of April. Check the WISE Events Calendar for these and other training, such as CESA hosted training.
Review the Snapshot Preparation Guidance webpage.
Stay tuned to WISEdata Portal for Data Quality Alerts on missing Economically Disadvantaged data, Migrant Alters and No Choice data.
Once the May Demographics Snapshot occurs, data are considered certified and final. If you notice an error in your snapshot data, you can submit a Data Errata letter to acknowledge what was wrong in your snapshot data.
School year close-out tasks for WISEdata are detailed below. The DPI school year ends on June 30 each year.
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: General Information
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At the end of each school year, you will need to complete several important tasks to prepare year-end data for the December Student Snapshot.
Please consult your school’s SIS vendor for more specific instructions on how to accomplish these tasks.
When the Customer Services Team begins their data quality outreach calls in August, they help LEAs know how to prioritize and address data for all three years’ worth of data within WISEdata Portal. Even though it also contains up to three school years of data, WISEdata Portal will typically only display validation messages from the current and from the previous school year.
This means schools may see unresolved errors and warnings spanning multiple school years. We have guidance on which data from what school year what to focus on, and what is safe to ignore detailed in the sections below.
Each of the accordions below provides you with more detailed information about a specific data collection. Please read them carefully!
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: Dropouts from Two School Years Ago
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WISEdata Portal can only hold three-years’ worth of data: the current school year, and the two prior school years (e.g., 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23).
The only use for the 2nd prior year’s data (data from two years ago) in WISEdata Portal is to resolve any outstanding full-term dropouts from the WISEdash for Districts Year End Completion Snapshot Dashboard.
Ignore all other errors and warnings for the 2nd prior school year that do not deal with dropout data.
Stay tuned for a soon-to-be-published mini-tutorial on dropouts data, including the difference for mid-term and full-term dropouts.
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: Dropouts from the Last School Year
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WISEdata Portal never has more than three-years’ worth of data: the current school year, the two prior school year (e.g., 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23).
Dropouts are calculated based on student enrollment exit data. Each enrollment record should be reviewed for accurate exit data:
- Exit Dates (Enrollment and Exit Date data element page)
- Exit Type
- Any subsequent enrollment communication needed (e.g., your school is informed in June that a student will not be returning next school year. Follow up with the receiving LEA to ensure enrollment for the student exists. if it doesn't, please attempt follow up communication with the family/guardians. Update the student's Exit Type accordingly.
Stay tuned for a soon-to-be-published mini tutorial on dropouts data, including the differences for mid-term and full-term dropouts.
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: Demographics
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DPI encourages LEAs to update their year end data before the next school year begins (ideally, before August). If you follow this guidance, the demographics data you'll be reviewing will be current year. If you don't follow this guidance, then you'll be reviewing the prior year's data.
This data will be very similar to/identical to your May Demographic Snapshot data. This should also be the same demographic data reported in December.
Please review the Year End accordion (further down) for details on specific program records and their required updates.
Common changes or updates can include:
- Student has a sSEPA record now that they didn’t previously have.
- Student race changes due to correcting a data entry error
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: Attendance
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Attendance: Attendance is also a part of the enrollment record. Be sure to include actual days and possible days of attendance.
Attendance is part of the student enrollment record.
Required Attendance data elements: Needed for all Enrollment Records
- Attendance
- Possible Days of Attendance
- Actual Days of Attendance
- Attendance
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: Discipline
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Discipline incidents are associated to the student’s enrollment record if/when they occur.
Discipline data element may not appear for all students.
Visit the Discipline: Info, Help and FAQ webpage for a full list of data elements and other information.
- School Year Close-Out Tasks: Year End Data
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Year-end completion data is about closing enrollment records from the previous school year and annotating completers/graduates from the previous school year.
All of this data is stored in the student enrollment record. When you are looking at a specific Student Detail screen in WISEdata Portal, you are viewing their enrollment record data.
Enrollment records contain a vast array of data elements. During year-end roll over, it is important to enter an exit type, a term completion indicator, and an end date for the enrollment record.
You will also need to provide end dates for various program records associated with an enrollment record, such as a special education/sSEPA record.
Academic Record in WISEdata Portal:
This section refer to high school students who have completed high school and are graduating, or completing their high school education. "Completer" in this use case is synonymous with a student who has diploma record. This is slightly different for students who reach Max Age. Students completing high school due to max age use the exit type MA and do not receive an academic record (i.e., no diploma).
Enrollment, Required Data Elements:
Exit Types are a key factor in determining dropouts. Read the guidance carefully. You can attend the Weekly WISE User Group to ask questions or submit a Help Ticket to get help from Customer Service Team.
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For students receiving Special Education services, NOTE: sSEPA Record end dates must exactly match the enrollment record end date! If these dates do not match, you will trigger validation Error 7161. Fix the error verify by extending the SSEPA End Date to match the Enrollment End Date.
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- Enter an Exit Type for all of your students into your SIS.
- TC is the DPI-recommended default exit type code for batch jobs to exit students who are expected to continue schooling next year.
- If your school holds eighth-grade graduation ceremonies, do NOT enter credential values, as the student has not received an official credential.
- If you need help determining the appropriate exit type, refer to the Exit Type Decision Guides on the Exit Type data elements page, located below the table.
- Enter an Exit Type for all of your students into your SIS.
- Term Completion Indicator
- This is required in WISEdata, and in most cases will be set to ‘Yes’ so long as the student completes all the required courses and school requirements.
- Even if a student leaves for a summer trip or graduates early (if the student has met all the requirements), mark that the student completed the school term.
- If a 12th-grade student transfers to another school mid-year, at a point where he or she is expected to continue classroom work to finish course credits in the new school, the completed term should be set to ‘No’.
- This is required in WISEdata, and in most cases will be set to ‘Yes’ so long as the student completes all the required courses and school requirements.
- Credential Type (Diploma Type)
- If your school has 12th graders graduating, exit the students using the High School Completion (HSC) exit type and send the appropriate credential type (diploma type).
Graduation Record:
Graduation records are a critical component of enrollment records for students who complete their final year of high school, regardless of whether this occurs within the standard four-year timeframe, sooner, or takes more than four years.
- Required data elements: Needed for All Graduation Records
- Academic Credential Credential Type (Diploma Type)
- Conditional data elements: May Appear on Graduation Record if Conditions Apply
- Expected Transfer School/District and/or Expected Transfer Response (only for students who are expected or known to be transferring out of your school/district)
- Max Age Year Repeat Grade Indicator
Roster*:
- Please visit the Roster: Info, Help and FAQ webpage for very detailed information about what to submit for Roster data (Roster data elements).
- Every course needs an Attempt Status Descriptor = Sufficient
- Special attention should be paid to the following specific roster course categories:
- Career Education and CTE data, World Language, and Arts Participation as these courses are associated with Perkins grant funding.
- Visit the Career Education Data Training webpage for more information.
Exit Program Records:
Food Service Program Exit Date
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The Student School Food Service Program Association End Date refers to the month, day, and year on which the student exited the food service program or stopped receiving services for the school year being reported.
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Submit the date in mm/dd/yyyy format.
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Homeless Program Association End Date*: Only for students experiencing homelessness
Indicator 11*: Only for students with initial special education evaluations
Other Program Records*:
- 504 Program association (if applicable)
- CEIS program association (if applicable)
sLIPA Record End Date*: Only for students receiving language services
- Some students (e.g. English Learners or EL students) attending public district need language support services.
- In WISEdata Portal, this is the Student Language Instruction Program Association (sLIPA) record.
- Language instruction End Date
- For detailed information, visit the Language Instruction: Info, Help and FAQ page
sSEPA Record End Date*: Only for students receiving Special Education services
- An individualized education plan (IEP) for a student attending public district or an individualized service plan (ISP) for a student attending a private school.
- In WISEdata Portal this is the student special education program association or sSEPA record.
- sSEPA Record Exit Date: NOTE: sSEPA Record end dates must exactly match the enrollment record end date! If these dates do not match, you will trigger validation Error 7161. Fix the error verify by adjusting the sSEPA End Date to match the Enrollment End Date.
- sSEPA Record Special Education Exit Reason NOTE: sSEPA Record exit reason must exactly match the enrollment record!
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