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Configuring the Private School Report Card Selection, Designating Choice Students, and Student Enrollment Period Records
KBA-01270-R7M6P2
Summary

This WISEdata knowledge base article provides schools participating in the Private School Choice Program (Choice) information on configuring the Private School Report Card selection in the school’s SIS, designating (indicating/marking) Choice students in the school’s student information system (SIS), and sending student enrollment period records from the school’s SIS to WISEdata. Schools should work with their SIS vendor directly to address any additional questions regarding these tasks. Specific student scenarios are provided to help schools with this process.


It is very important the data reported each year by Choice schools is complete and accurate because the data is used in the school’s current year report card(s) and in future years to calculate growth.



Configuring the Private School Report Card Selection in the School’s SIS


All private schools participating in the Choice program will receive a Private School - Choice Students Report Card. The Private School - Choice Students Report Card includes only Choice students at the private school.


Choice schools have the option of receiving a Private School - All Students Report Card in addition to the Private School - Choice Students Report Card. The Private School - All Students Report Card includes both Choice and non-Choice students at the private school.


The student enrollment period records sent from the school’s SIS to WISEdata vary depending on whether or not the school opted in to or out of the Private School - All Students Report Card.


Schools should configure the school’s Private School - All Students Report Card opt in or out selection within the school’s SIS. Schools should contact their SIS vendor with questions on this process.


In July, the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) Choice team invites schools via email to inform DPI of their Private School Report Card selection. The report card selection is due to DPI by August 1 and cannot be modified until the following August 1. Please see https://dpi.wi.gov/sms/choice-programs/school-reports for further information.



Designating Choice Students in the School’s SIS  


After configuring the school’s SIS for the school’s report card selection, schools must designate Choice students in the school’s SIS. Designation in WISEdata does not guarantee a school will receive a Choice state aid payment for a student. No aid will be paid to a private school for a Choice student unless the private school has met program requirements. In order to designate a student as a Choice student in the school’s SIS, the first two criteria below must be met. After each of the count dates (3rd Friday in September and 2nd Friday in January), the school must remove the Choice designation associated with the Choice enrollment period record in the school’s SIS for any student not meeting the third criteria.


  1. School has verified the student’s application as eligible and submitted the application in the Online Application System (OAS).


  1. The student must be in a grade level of K4-12 and meet the eligibility requirements below.

  • Students ages four through 20 on or before September 1 are eligible for the Choice program. A student who is age 21 at the time of application or as of September 1, whichever is later, is not eligible. Additionally, a Choice student must be at least the following age on or before September 1 to be eligible: four years old for K4, five years old for K5, and six years old for grade 1. K4 students in a community K4 program at the private school are considered public school students for the purposes of state aid, WISEdata, and the Private School Report (PI-1207) and must be excluded from reporting. The private school should not send data for these students from the school’s SIS to WISEdata. The private school should also not send data from the school’s SIS to WISEdata for any student who is not four years old on or before September 1 or students enrolled in daycare rather than educational programming. Choice schools with a community K4 program, students less than four years old on or before September 1, or students enrolled in daycare rather than educational programming should contact their SIS vendor to determine if the SIS vendor’s product has the functionality to not send the student data for these students to WISEdata if the students are in the school’s SIS. If the SIS vendor has this functionality, the school should work with the vendor to understand the SIS setup process so the student data is not sent to WISEdata. If the SIS vendor does not have this functionality, the school should not include these students in the school’s SIS.


  1. The student must be enrolled, receiving educational services, and counted on one or both of the count dates.

 

Choice schools must indicate/mark in the school’s SIS the students who meet the first two criteria above to designate the students as Choice students. Schools may designate these students as Choice students in the SIS prior to the start of the school year or when the students begin attending the school.


If a student’s Choice or non-Choice designation changes during the school year, the school must update the designation in the school’s SIS. Schools must also follow the procedures under the Student Enrollment Period Records section below for these students. Examples:


  • Students who initially attend the school as non-Choice students who are then accepted into the Choice program must be updated in the school’s SIS to be Choice students.

  • Students who were previously designated as Choice students in the school’s SIS who are not enrolled and receiving educational services on one or both of the 3rd Friday in September and 2nd Friday in January count dates must be updated in the school’s SIS to be non-Choice students.

  • Students who were previously designated as Choice students in the school’s SIS who are determined ineligible per an audit must be updated in the school’s SIS to be non-Choice students.



Student Enrollment Period Records  


An enrollment period is defined as the time period between and including the student’s first day of attendance (entry date) and the student’s last day of attendance (exit withdrawal date) within one school year.


WISEdata requires schools every year to send a new student enrollment period record for each school year a student is enrolled. All Choice schools will send student enrollment period records from the school’s SIS to WISEdata for Choice students. Choice schools that opt in to the Private School - All Students Report Card will also send student enrollment period records from the school’s SIS to WISEdata for non-Choice students (excluding any community K4 students, students who are not four years old on or before September 1, and students enrolled in daycare rather than educational programming).


If a student’s Choice designation changes during the active school year, the school must update the student enrollment period records within the school’s SIS. The Private School - All Students Report Card selection configuration (i.e., opt in or opt out) within the school’s SIS determines how these the enrollment records are sent from the school’s SIS to WISEdata.


  • A Designated Choice Student Becomes a Non-Choice Student:


  • Student was not counted as a Choice student on the school’s 3rd Friday in September Membership Count Report in the Choice Online Application System (OAS):

    • Update existing enrollment record for the student to change the designation of the student to non-Choice (i.e., student is non-Choice student since date student started attending school).  

    • For schools that have opted out of the Private School - All Students Report Card, your SIS should then remove the enrollment record from WISEdata.


  • Student was not counted as a Choice student on the school’s 2nd Friday in January Membership Count Report in OAS:

    • End the existing enrollment the last day the student is considered a Choice student (i.e., exit date in enrollment record is day student withdrew from school).


  • Student is determined ineligible for the Choice program in the school’s student enrollment audit:

    • Update existing enrollment record for the student to change the designation of the student to non-Choice (i.e., student is non-Choice student since date student started attending school).

    • For schools that have opted out of the Private School - All Students Report Card, your SIS should then remove the enrollment record from WISEdata.


  • A Non-Choice Student Becomes a Choice Student:

      • Student was first counted as a Choice student on the school’s 3rd Friday in September Membership Count Report in OAS:

        • Update existing enrollment record for the student to change the designation of the student to Choice (i.e., student is Choice student since date student started attending school).

      • Student was first counted as a Choice student on the school’s 2nd Friday in January Membership Count Report in OAS:

        • End the existing non-Choice enrollment by entering an exit date of the day before the student is considered a Choice student (i.e., exit date is one day before the student starts attending the school with an accepted Choice application).

        • Add/Start a new enrollment record for the student designated as a Choice student starting with the first day of attendance with an accepted Choice application.


      • Student is determined eligible in the school’s student enrollment audit:

        • Update existing enrollment records as noted above depending on whether or not the student was first eligible for inclusion on the September or January Count Report.

    Choice schools should assume a student will attend the school through the last day of the school year in the new or additional student enrollment period record(s) sent from the school’s SIS to WISEdata (i.e., the exit withdrawal date will be the last day of the school year). If a student withdraws (exits) from the school, the school will modify the existing student enrollment period record to include the new exit date information.

    WISEdata Community Resources


    Google+ Community:

    Weekly WISEdata User Group Calls:

    • WISEid/WISEdata for Choice Schools: The agenda contains webinar meeting notes and QA, as well as a link to watch previous recordings of past webinars and registration links to sign up for future webinars.

Additional Comments

Keywords: Choice student, Private School Report Card, opt in, opt out, school enrollment