Looking to learn more about federal grants, fiscal compliance, and DPI's all-in-one federal grants management portal WISEgrants?
Join us for The WISEgrants Podcast, where members of the WISEgrants team will provide software and federal grant-related updates, and the field can ask questions during the time slot. The structure of the podcast will be free form with no pre-set agenda with the team focusing on providing up-to-the-minute information to the field.
Please register for The WISEgrants Podcast. You will receive notifications and the link for the upcoming episodes.
The podcasts will be scheduled for roughly twice a month, with some variation due to holidays, conference schedules, etc. Upcoming dates are posted below, along with a link to register to access the podcast and receive podcast notifications. All podcasts will be recorded and will be available for your convenient viewing shortly after the podcast airs.
The WISEgrants team would like to thank the dedicated staff of CESA 4, who have partnered with us to help make this platform for valuable technical assistance available.
Upcoming Dates (7:45 am to 8:30 am Tuesdays):
| November | 18 | December | 16 | ||
| January | 20 | February | 3 | ||
| March | 17 | 31 | April | 14 |
Recorded Podcasts:
(Also available, recordings prior to June 2023)
| Date | Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| 10/28/2025 | IDEA MOE Compliance Monitoring Phase 2 - Addressing reconciliation issues; ESEA Equitable Participation Monitoring Updates | View |
| 10/14/2025 | FY 2025-2026 ESEA Monitoring Updates; PI-1207 Private School Report - LEA responsibilities; Reminder that WISEgrants uses School Directory for contact information so agencies must ensure contact names and contact types are up-to-date. | View |
| 9/16/2025 | TI Comparability - What it is, why its important, and how an LEA can determine if they are required to complete the report and/or for what grade spans; Tydings; IDEA MOE Compliance - Review Reconciliation Issues with Fund 27 Project 341/347 and the Fund 10 Operating Transfer | View |
| 8/19/2025 | Title Funding and Programmatic Updates (other than Title I); Multi-District Charter Schools and ESEA Enrollment Data; IDEA MOE Compliance - Doing the initial results check | View |
| 8/5/2025 | IDEA Formula and Title I applications are open for FY 2025-2026. Brief overview of the new "Grant Funding" page looking at allocation amounts and how to add preliminary carryover (with brief comments about Tydings). Application webinars will be held during August. FY 2025-2026 WUFAR Changes - reviewed the significant impact on Fund 27 accounting. | View |
| 7/8/2025 | Discussion on Potential Timeline of FY 2025-2026 IDEA Formula and Title I-A Opening; Possibility of opening FY 2025-2026 with "Carryover" only for some ESEA programs; Everything Needs a Final claim; very generic description of Tydings; Lunch and Learn opportunities; Special Education Non-Valid License Audit for State Special Education Categorical Aid and ESEA End-of-Year Report mention | View |
| 6/24/2025 | Demo of IDEA and ESEA Formula Application Updates for FY 2025-2026 | View |
| 6/10/2025 | Requests for FY 2024-2025 Special Education Vehicle Categorical Aid Requests due June 15; Instructions for Disposal of Special Education Vehicle purchased with IDEA Formula or Transition Readiness; FY 2025-2026 WUFAR Changes - reviewed the significant impact on Fund 27 accounting. | View |
| 5/27/2025 | View | |
| 5/13/2025 | Reminders for FY 2025-2026 - Assurances, ESEA Private School Affirmations, IDEA Proportionate Share discussion; Submit Federal Grant Claims! | View |
| 4/1/2025 | Assurances for ESEA / IDEA loaded for FY 2025-2026 - updates to the language and process; verifying FY 2025-2026 public school configuration for ESEA applications; and a quick glance at Amending Claims. | View |
| 3/4/2025 | ESEA Affirmation Forms reminders and timelines for FY 2025-2026 (hopefully opening WISEgrants in late March to begin collecting forms); differences for IDEA and affirmation forms (no collection through WISEgrants); very brief touch upon WUFAR changes starting with FY 2025-2026 for purchased instruction functions. | View |
| 2/4/2025 | Federal Funding Conference Reminder, but also inviting anyone who would like to meet with us to use our Bookings sites (demo of where to find the sites) and an overview of Education Stimulus Funding (ESF) Reporting updates and due dates. | View |
| 1/7/2025 | Overview of the differences between ESEA Universal Monitoring and ESEA Equitable Participation monitoring - note, this was a preview of ESEA Universal Monitoring (which is not available yet); discussion on how SAIPE Census data affects Title I-A allocations; new tool demo - IDEA Formula "Unspent Funds" tracking. | View |
| 12/10/24 | Federal Funding Conference registration is open; Highlight of the IDEA Determinations / IDEA Racial Disproportionality monitoring meeting process integrated into WISEgrants; demo of ESEA Equitable Services Targeted Monitoring system. | View |
| 11/12/24 | Brief updates on Fund 27 Special Education Report (WisFIP); Reminders on the December 10 2024 WISEdash Snapshot - impact on Federal Grants (IDEA MOE, CEIS / CCEIS, IDEA Equitable Services, ESEA Centralized Enrollment, IDEA formula allocations); Forecasting of ESEA Equitable Services Targeted Monitoring. | View |
| 10/15/24 | Updates on the PI-1207 Private School Report process, the automated message that went out accidentally and what happens if a private school does not complete; Updates to the SF-429 Construction and Remodeling submission process to highlight percent of federal interest and issues with getting property value; Upcoming: Alternate Assessment Justifications submissions. | View |
| 10/1/24 | Quick reminder that LEAs should be clearing Fund 27 validations for data submitted through WISEdata Finance and that IDEA MOE compliance will also be reconciling; an overview of Title I Comparability and a look at the upcoming Title I webinar series; and announcement that the SF-429 Remodeling and Construction Status report form is open and being collected for all ESF grants. | View |
| 9/17/24 | IDEA Maintenance of Effort - Steps to check if failing all four comparison tests for FY 2023-2024 (most likely related to quality of data submitted to WISEdata Finance); Final Claims due September 30 for traditional formula claims (IDEA Flow-through, Preschool, ESEA Title I, Title II, etc.) - reminder to submit $0 final claim if a final claim has not yet been submitted; brief update on ESEA Monitoring timeline; very brief update on the collection of SF-429 Real Property Reporting (launching end of September 2024). | View |
| 8/20/24 | Overview of IDEA "Private School SwD Enrollment" application page (Equitable Services); Reminders: Title I-A carryover waiver and spending down funds | View |
| 8/6/24 | Updates to No Valid License Audit Report for FY 2023-2024 - changing how different staff can be reported; preview of SF-429 Real Property Reporting; Title III Applications are open | View |
| 7/23/24 | Special Education Not Valid or No Valid DPI License Reporting for Special Education Categorical Aid (FY 2023-2024) open in WISEgrants; review of "Return of Funds" for those who need to return federal grant funds claimed during the past year. | View |
| 7/9/24 | Short discussion on Tydings for IDEA and ESEA, more discussion on ESEA related end of year report and ending with off boarding former staff from WISEgrants. | View |
| 6/25/24 | IDEA and Title formula grant application for FY 2024-2025 are open; highlight of the new "inline" editing for currency amounts in the budget; IDEA formula update of program type "Private School" now "Equitable Services," ESEA highlights around displays of equitable participation. | View |
| 6/11/24 | Claims processing freeze between June 17 and July 7; ESEA and IDEA formula allocations posted - FY 2024-2025 applications will open in late June and be due August 30; Application updates include changes to the LEA-Level Racial Disproportionality process under IDEA and AFUA flexbility under ESEA; FY 2024-2025 IDEA and ESEA formula assurances DUE July 1; FY 2023-2024 IDEA MOE results correspondence will begn in July | View |
| 4/16/24 | New dates for Podcast (see above!); Federal Assurances for ESEA and IDEA are not published yet, but will be due July 1 - announcement will be sent out; brief update on preliminary IDEA and ESEA allocations; ESEA Private School Affirmations for FY 2024-2025; Updates on Stronger Connections - focus on Private School Affirmations | View |
| 3/19/24 | ESF Reporting - Open and Available; Updates on LETRS Funding for FY 2023-2024; collecting information regarding which schools are under a real property title for purposes of remodeling and construction using federal funds | View |
| 3/5/24 | All ESEA Titles Carryover Loaded in FY 2023-2024, explanation of why Title I School-Level allocations may need to be adjusted; Resources provided for ESEA Private School Consultation including Affirmation Forms; and FY 2024-2025 Perkins CTE Formula Application Open - Demo Provided | View |
| 2/6/24 | Reminder of the Federal Funding Conferece (February 26-27); FY 2023-2024 IDEA MOE Eligibility and steps necessary if not being met; Verifying decreases in the October 1 Child Count for purposes of IDEA MOE compliance; Title I carryover has been loaded; Updates on ESEA Universal Monitoring; ESEA Centralized Enrollment and planning for FY 2024-2025 | View |
| 1/23/24 | Touched upon School-Level Reporting and announced that the Special Education High Cost Program (managed by the School Financial Services team) is open for FY 2022-2023 student costs; Charter School grants are open; a deep discussion on ESEA Universal Monitoring & ARPA LETRS Participation (due February 16, 2023) | View |
| 12/12/23 | ARPA LETRS - Prior Year Unspent Funds loaded as Allocations in FY 2023-2024, ability to participate in FY 2023-2024 (or ask for additional funds) also available in WISEgrants - updated technical assistance to come soon, but the Podcast goes over the steps; ESEA Universal Monitoring Notifications | View |
| 11/14/23 | IDEA MOE; Tydings; Carryover | View |
| 10/31/23 | New Technical Assistance menu feature; Alternative Assessment Justification; APRA LETRS Grant 2023-24; IDEA MOE; Data Quality checks for IDEA | View |
| 10/17/23 | Title I Comparability | View |
| 10/3/23 | Safe Return to In-Person and Continuity Services sailed off into the sun on 9/30/2023; ESEA and ESF Monitoring Updates for FY 2023-2024; ESSER II Final Claim deadlines; and ending with a thorough explanation of the usual Final Claim process for standard formula grants (IDEA / ESEA) and the difference from drawing down the FY 2021-2022 Tydings amounts through the new fiscal year's first quarter claim. | View |
| 8/22/23 | General updates; Special Education No Valid License - Reclassify the costs to Project 019 if there was no license last year - "Pending" will most likely NOT result in back-dated licenses; Explained when the "Obligated" column on the grant claims are used in conjunction with Tydings amounts | View |
| 7/25/23 | Announcement of WISEdata Finance podcasts; Looking at IDEA MOE for FY 2022-2023 for WISEdata Finance issues first; walk-through of the Special Education No-Valid License Audit report requirements (no auditors this time); | View |
| 7/11/23 | Discussion on Tydings (several formula funds from FY 2021-2022 "expire" on 9/30/2023), tips on cleaning up budget validations at the end of the fiscal year, FY 2022-2023 IDEA Maintenance of Effort compliance, some ESEA End of Year report updates | View |
| 6/27/23 | Special Education Teacher / Related Services / Pupil Services license reminders and the new FY 2022-2023 No-Valid Special Education License Audit check process; ESEA End of Year Report updates | View |
| 6/13/23 | Opening of IDEA Formula Applications and ESEA Applications (there is a part in the middle where the recording) | View |