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 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
Spring 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.
Be Sure to “Close Out” Each School Year in your SIS
At the end of each school year, you will need to complete several important tasks to prepare for the Year End WISEdata collection. These tasks include general “closing out” tasks and ensuring year end data collections are flowing and being reviewed for the next Snapshot.
Please consult your school’s SIS vendor for more specific instructions on how to accomplish these tasks.
Civil Rights Data Collection
Spring / Summer of 2025 Data Quality Post Collection:
Review the data for quality, using the data quality manuals.
DPI Begins Review and Outreach of Year-End Data Each Fall
When the Customer Services team begins their fall Data Quality Outreach, it is coordinated with WISEdata Portal 'opening' data from two-years prior.
For example, in the Fall of 2024 (with the beginning of the 2024-25 school year), WISEdata Portal will present validation messages from:
- the 2023-24 school year AND
- from the 2022-23 school year.
With the opening of these 'older' school years' data, schools may see unresolved errors and warnings. While this may be confusing, we have guidance on what to focus on and what is safe to ignore:
| School Year | Data/Record | Data/Record | Data/Record | Data/Record | Data/Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Year (e.g. 2024-25) | Oct 1 Counts | Special Education records | Student Demographics | Student Enrollments | TFS Counts |
Prior Year (Last Year)(e.g., 2023-24) |
Attendance | Discipline | Diploma Information | Exit Dates | Exit Types |
| Program Data | Roster Data | Special Education Records | Student Enrollment Records | ||
2nd Prior Year (2 Years Ago)(e.g., 2022-23) |
Only Resolve Data Issues (i.e., errors and warnings) with any outstanding full term dropouts from two-years-prior school year | Ignore Data Issues Ii.e., errors and warnings) with dropout data. | |||
- End Dates
- Exit Date is the last day a student receives services in your district. At the end of the year, this will be the last day of school. Make sure to enter your students Exit Dates in your student information system (SIS).
- Exit Types
- 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).
- 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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- ELP (English Language Proficiency) scores*
- English language proficiency classifications are defined in PI 13.08 Wis. Admin Code. Students with English language proficiency classifications of 1-5 are considered Limited English Proficient (LEP). For students in grade levels KG to 12, the value reported is expected to correspond to the results from the most recent administration of the ACCESS for ELLs exam. This data element is optional for Choice schools not receiving Title III funding; Choice schools receiving Title III funding are required to report ELP.
- sSEPA Record End Date
- Make certain to end each Student Special Education Program Association (sSEPA) record in your special education system.
- While IEP (Individualized Education Program) dates can cross school years, sSEPA records must end within the school year - usually the last day of the student’s enrollment.
- Other important collections included in year-end are:
- Attendance
- Discipline*, and
- Roster*
Visit Spring Snapshot/School Year Close Out Season Training on Slides and Videos webpage