What is the relationship between the WISEdata enrollment count and the PI 1563 membership count?
Both WISEdata and PI 1563 are used to produce counts of students. Both include data about students served within school buildings, outside of school buildings, by district employees, and by third parties. Differences in the purposes of these two collections affect which students count for which districts and whether or how much each student counts. WISEdata student counts are primarily used to meet federally-mandated accountability requirements. PI 1563 membership counts are used as a basis for state aid payments under state law. State aid payments and accountability for student outcomes do not always go hand in hand.
Generally state law provides that districts receive state aid for students who reside in their district and who attend district schools or for whom the district pays full-time tuition. These districts may have little or no control over services affecting the academic progress of certain students for whom state law requires that they pay tuition. Some examples include open enrollment (118.51), tuition waiver (121.84), integration transfer (ch. 220), and certain youth challenge academy (Department of Military Affairs) placements. Districts have only limited control over educational services provided to non-tuition private school students who attend district schools while taking only a course or two (118.145). These part-time private school students are counted for state aid purposes on a prorated basis to cover costs.
A district is accountable for a student's progress only if the district directly provides, or oversees the provision of, the primary educational services for the student. WISEdata information for a student is generally (but not always)submitted by the resident district. In relatively rare situations a district oversees the provision of the primary educational services by another district (e.g., IEP placements). In these situations, the latter district submits the data, but the former district may be accountable.
Total statewide counts under WISEdata and membership will not match. Certain students are outside the age range for state aid eligibility, so they don't count for membership. Enrollments in part-day or part-week kindergarten programs or in a high school course or two are prorated for membership purposes, and some pre-kindergarten students don't count in membership at all. All students who have not reached the maximum age of entitlement to a free public education count in WISEdata if they receive their primary PK-12 educational services either directly from a district or through a third party agreement/contract. This is true for WISEdata regardless of the number of hours the educational program operates. Many of the students enrolled in part-day or part-week pre-kindergarten/kindergarten programs would count in the WISEdata headcount (not prorated), but many of the students taking only a high school course or two would not count in WISEdata at all.
Wisconsin School Finance Portal (WiSFiP) - Pilot Project for 2022-23 SY - Pupil Count for Membership
DPI recognizes the burden on districts to report required data, including for the PI-1563 and WISEdata. The 2022-23 school year implemented a Pilot Program with several LEAs across the state to test a new, streamlined method for data collection. This Pilot Program continues through the 2023-24 school year. Visit the Pupil Count Pilot Program data element page to read in detail about the WiSFiP application testing.
For more information, go to: