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What is a Snapshot?
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across Wisconsin collect school data and submit it to DPI every day. This data is live, ever-changing day by day, as corrections are made, new information is added, and updates are completed. But on a pre-determined day twice a year, a "picture" of the data in our DPI data base is taken: a data snapshot.
Snapshots create a static collection of data. This data is used by researchers of all natures to analyze education outcomes in Wisconsin, including accountability report cards. The permanency of a snapshot is useful in that it supports current and future, short-term and longitudinal data reporting and data study. The static nature of a snapshot also facilitates reporting from an unchanging set of attributes because it provides consistent, repeatable query results that are unaffected by the dynamics of real-world changes and corrections.
On the snapshot date, the collection process occurs. DPI WISE applications are momentarily disabled to prevent glitches while data is captured. These 'forever frozen' pieces of data that are copied from active, dynamic tables in the DPI Data Warehouse (DW) are then saved to a “permanent” location.
Snapshot dates are announced to LEAs months in advance. It is recommended that LEAs focus on resolving existing errors well in advance of the designated snapshot date because once a snapshot of data is taken, the data is considered certified and final.
Who Participates in Snapshot?
All LEAs that submit data to DPI via WISEdata participate in student snapshot reporting. While there is also an annual staff snapshot for public schools, this webpage focuses on student data snapshots.
There are different data collection criteria for different types of LEAs. For details on required data elements, please reference the following sections:
Why Do Snapshots?
Snapshots will serve as the permanent data source for certified reporting by DPI. Snapshot data is used for the following:
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Federal reporting, including ESSA
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Public Reporting in the WISEdash Public Portal
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Some funding determinations, such as IDEA, high poverty aid, maintenance of effort (MOE), and others.
Snapshot Dates
Track important dates and deadlines in the WISE Events Calendar:
- May 13, 2025: Date of May Demographics Snapshot
- December 9, 2025: Date of December Student Snapshot
Snapshot dates are set to meet federal and state requirements. The dates are hard and fast. No extensions can be given.
May Demographics Snapshot: What's Collected?
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 9:00 a.m. Central Standard Time
On this day at 9:00 a.m. (CT) the orange "Queue Import & Validation" button in the WISEdata Portal is disabled, preventing LEAs from manually triggering the validation processes. Other aspects of WISEdata Portal, as well as other applications, may be "locked" during the morning of snapshot to prevent errors in the system.
We recommend that LEAs proactively address issues well before snapshot day. The DPI Customer Services Team initiates data quality outreach to our schools starting in August, giving our local education agencies months of support to prepare snapshot data. A basic aspect of data quality includes making sure data is flowing from your vended student information systems (SIS) applications, including specialty vendors (i.e., special education or discipline vendors) to DPI, and that you have addressed all validation errors and warnings to the best of your ability.
Information captured in this snapshot will be used for state and federal accountability purposes this year as well as in future years. The specific required reporting captured in the May Demographics Snapshot links student enrollments and student demographics to assessment results of the following assessments: Forward, DLM, PreACT Secure, ACT, and ACCESS for ELLs. These data, once validated and processed, will display on the WISEdash Public Portal and on WISEdash for Districts.
WISEdata Portal validation warnings and/or errors will throw if values are unexpected or missing for the following:
- Current Year’s Data: DEMOGRAPHICS, Choice and Public Schools
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All LEAs (public school districts and Choice schools) collect the following demographics for all students:
- Special Education Data Reporting: Info, Help and Scenarios
- This snapshot also annotates any student that had an IEP at any point during the assessment window (Dec-Jun). This data can be viewed on the WISEdash for Districts May Demographics Snapshot dashboard, using the SPED Assessment filter. For more information visit the Students with Disabilities and Statewide Assessment webpage.
- ACCESS score** (This is a calculated value)
- ELP codes**
- ** Choice schools receiving Title III funding are required to report their EL data This ensures compliance with federal guidelines and supports English learners effectively. Conversely, for Choice Schools not receiving Title III funding, EL data remains optional.
- sLIPA Record data elements: for students with English Learner (EL) Language Instruction Education Programs (LIEP records)
Economically disadvantaged status
- It may be very handy to use the "Student Demographics" export in WISEdata Portal during your preparations for May Demographics Snapshot data.
- Visit the Snapshot Preparation, How-To Audit for: Economic Disadvantaged Status Data webpage for details on how to use this export.
- Visit the Data Elements for Students Who Are Transgender webpage for details on how to maintain accurate student records for LGBTQ+ students.
- Remember that as of 2024-25 school year, PK is not a grade. PK is a code, signifying students who: have not reached the age for first grade (aged 3, 4 or 5), and are not enrolled in K4 or KG, have an IEP, and receive primary educational services from the LEA/Agency.
- Current Year’s Data: DEMOGRAPHICS, Additional for Public Schools Only
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Public schools also collect these additional, required data elements:
Homelessness Program Association Status: For students experiencing homelessness, report all of the following data elements:- Homeless Status data element page
- Homeless Primary Nighttime Residence Type data element page
- Homeless Unaccompanied Youth data element page
- Homelessness Begin and End Dates
- Current Year’s Data: DEMOGRAPHICS, Additional for Choice Schools Only
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Choice schools also collect these additional, required data elements:
Choice School Program Participant Indicator: For students attending a private school participating in the Milwaukee, Racine, or Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and if the student has met the qualifications for MPCP, RPCP, or WPCP. If a school chooses to report all students, then the non-voucher students should be reported as No. A WISEdata Portal Data Quality Alert will be generated for Choice schools with zero non-Choice students when that Choice school has opted in to the All Students Report Card. Visit the Report Card Selection data element page for more information.
A great resource for public schools/districts is the WISEdash for Districts: Spring Demographics Snapshot Dashboard webpage.
Spring Snapshot Training Videos and Slides for 2023-24
For training materials from the May 2024 snapshot (from the 2023-24 school year), please visit the WISEtraining, Slides and Videos webpage (window will open in another tab).
Student Snapshot: What's Collected?
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 9:00 a.m. Central Standard Time
On this day at 9:00 a.m. (CT) the orange "Queue Import & Validation" button in the WISEdata Portal is disabled, preventing LEAs from manually triggering the validation processes. Other aspects of WISEdata Portal, as well as other applications, may be "locked" during the morning of snapshot to prevent errors in the system.
We recommend that LEAs proactively address issues well before snapshot day. The DPI Customer Services Team initiates data quality outreach to our schools starting in August, giving our local education agencies months of support to prepare snapshot data. A basic aspect of data quality includes making sure data is flowing from your vended student information systems (SIS) applications, including specialty vendors (i.e., special education or discipline vendors) to DPI, and that you have addressed all validation errors and warnings to the best of your ability.
WISEdata Portal validation warnings and/or errors will throw if values are unexpected or missing for the following:
- Previous Year's Data: Year-End
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Year End Completion data is used to calculate Graduation Rates and Chronic Absenteeism.
All data submitted from the previous school year (i.e., discipline records, attendance...) are associated with student enrollment records from that school year. As such, data collected from the previous year require enrollments and demographics data to be correct as well.
Year-End Data for December Student Snapshot
PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY All LEAs (public school districts and Choice schools) collect the following data for all students, from the previous school year: Public schools also collect these additional, required data elements: Attendance Discipline data Graduation snapshot requirements represent multiple, specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements, please visit the following pages: Roster data... ...including CTE data Discipline, CTE, and roster snapshot requirements represent a multitude of specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements for each collection, please visit the following pages: Student Special Education Program Association (sSEPA) record information. 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 (i.e., Exit All Enrollments). Check the October 1 Child Count section for more helpful links. Language Instruction Education Program (LIEP) LIEP snapshot requirements represent multiple, specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements, please visit the following pages: Timely Special Education Evaluations (Indicator 11) data.
- December 10, 2024 is the first time Indicator 11 data is being collected for a snapshot.
- This snapshot will capture Indicator 11 data from the 2023-24 school year.
- Current Year's Data: Demographics
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Demographics - Current Year Data for December Student Snapshot PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY All LEAs (public school districts and Choice schools) collect the following data for all students, from the current school year:
Public schools also collect these additional, required data elements: English Learner (EL) status** ** Choice schools receiving Title III funding are required to report their EL data (ACCESS score, ELP codes). This ensures compliance with federal guidelines and supports English learners effectively. Conversely, for Choice Schools not receiving Title III funding, EL data remains optional. Economically disadvantaged status Homelessness status represent multiple, specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements, please visit the following pages: Food services eligibility Economically disadvantaged status and food services eligibility status snapshot requirements represent multiple, specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements, please visit the following pages: - Student Homeless Program Association Record (Programs data element page)
Parent in military Tribal affiliation - optional, but strongly recommended
- Current Year's Data: Digital Opportunity Gap
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Digital Opportunity Gap- Current Year Data for December Student Snapshot PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY Optional, but highly recommended.
Optional, but highly recommended.
Choice schools do no report this data, but are strongly encouraged to do so. Digital Opportunity Gap snapshot requirements represents multiple, specific data elements.For a list of data elements for this collection, please visit the: - Current Year's Data: District Library Plan
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District Library Plan - Current Year Data for December Student Snapshot PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY Choice schools do no report this data. District library plan snapshot requirements represent multiple specific data elements.For additional information, including a list of data elements, please visit the following page:
- WISEadmin Portal User Guide, District Library Plan Screen section
- Current Year's Data: Graduation Plan
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Graduation Plan - Current Year Data for December Student Snapshot PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY Choice schools do no report this data. Graduation Plan is submitted through WISEdata. For more information visit the following pages:
- Current Year's Data: October 1 Child Count
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October 1 Child Count - Current Year Data for December Student Snapshot PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY Choice schools do no report this data. October 1 data should not be reported in WDP without the associate sSEPA record.
Districts that use a third-party Special Education SIS vendor must still report the October 1 flag from their main SIS vendor tool. IEPs should be locked before the snapshot. Locked IEPs work to ensure October 1 Child Count numbers are valid, and that all students that have an IEP are reported.
October 1 Child Count snapshot data requirements represent multiple, specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements for each collection, please visit the following pages: - SEORA Record for students below compulsory age
- Current Year's Data: Third Friday of September Enrollment
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Third Friday of September Enrollment - Current Year Data for December Student Snapshot PUBLIC AND CHOICE SCHOOLS Third Friday of September (TFS) is the date DPI uses for enrollment data review. No data is collected in WISEdata until the December Student Snapshot. If TFS data is not entered into WISEdata completely or correctly on the TFS date, LEAs still have until December to make any corrections.
Snapshot requirements for TFS data represent multiple, specific data elements. For additional information, including a list of data elements, please visit the following pages:
December Student Snapshot Training Videos and Slides for 2023-24
For training materials from the December 2024 snapshot (from the 202-25 school year), visit the WISEtraining, Slides and Videos webpage (window will open in another tab).
Snapshot Resource Links
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WISEdata Annual Tasks Checklist / Choice Schools Annual Tasks Checklist
- Visit the Snapshot Data Quality Auditing inventory of webpages for details on how to audit your data for various collections, such as Graduation, Economically Disadvantaged Status and more.
Snapshot and Data Errata
What are Data Errata?
The data sent to WISEdata Portal by Wisconsin schools through their student information system(s) (SIS) is a 'live' collection. It is constantly changing with updates, corrections, and new submissions.
As stated in the introduction: a snapshot is static; it is taken on a predetermined date to capture the data that exists in WISEdash data warehouse at the time of the snapshot.
Despite all of our best efforts to get data accurate, this process is not perfect and there are times when data is misreported or not reported in time to be accurately represented on the snapshot report.
This is when data errata letters come in to play. Translation of this Latin phrase means, "a correction of published information."
Errata address changes to data errors identified after final publication. Errata should be consulted for any dataset downloaded or used in educational research. At the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), we maintain this master errata webpage that contains changes brought to DPI's attention by school districts AFTER the data has been published on WISEdash, the DPI Public Staff Reports, or on another DPI page.
Once the snapshot has been taken, that report is permanently frozen as is, much as we are in a family photo -- it is how we look at that point in time. So, while the snapshot itself cannot be altered, LEAs still have an opportunity to provide the most accurate information they can by writing a letter that states the nature of the data errors that are, and will ever remain, reflected on a snapshot report.
Please visit the data errata webpage for detailed explanations, FAQ, templates you can download, and examples on how to present your corrections with high-level language and other information. There is also a WISEstaff data errata page.
We present data errata because:
- Snapshot data cannot be corrected. Once collected, the data stands.
- DPI is diligent in providing you with the most accurate information possible. The data errata letters are in lieu of actual data correction.
The DPI Customer Services Team has an extensive process of reaching out to our stakeholders by conducting data quality outreach (where we reach out to LEAs via electronic communications and phone calls) starting every August and continuing through the December Student Snapshot date.
NOTE: Data Errata letters are PUBLIC RECORD. Student data-related letters SHOULD NOT CONTAIN S/PII!
Snapshot FAQs
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What are the differences between the snapshot dashboards and the topic dashboards in WISEdash for Districts?
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The Snapshot dashboards in WISEdash for Districts provide you with tools to query data captured in a snapshot and compare that data to their district’s current data from the main data warehouse tables. These comparisons can help the district identify and correct data reporting deficiencies in preparation for a future snapshot event. For more information on the snapshot dashboards, please see the About the Data Snapshots page. Note that the snapshot dashboards provide a way for districts to select the set of students that are/were attending a selected district/school or that are/were accountable by, but not necessarily attending, a given district/school.
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The topic dashboards in WISEdash for Districts only show data based on the attending district or school/district that submitted the student records through WISEdata.
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Why doesn’t data in the WISEdata Portal match data in WISEdash for Districts?
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Data flows nightly from WISEdata into WISEdash for Districts. Note that any data with errors have the potential to impact the data you see in the dashboards. The ‘critical’ icon in the WISEdata Portal notes specific errors that result in data not flowing from WISEdata to WISEdash. An easy way to think about it is that the data that you see in WISEdata Portal today will be in WISEdash tomorrow.
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NOTE: Depending on what time of day your LEAs SIS is configured to push data to DPI, it could miss the nightly sync job with DPI WISE applications.
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Will a student who transferred out continue to show in the WISEdash dashboard?
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Whether or not a student shows in the dashboard depends on where the student went after leaving your district. If the student transferred to another reporting agency, such as another public district, all reporting accountability follows to the new agency. If the student transferred out of state, to homeschool, or to a non-Choice private school, your district is still accountable for the student's data as the last reporting agency in WISE for the current school year.
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