WISEdata - Economic Status and Food Services Eligibility Data by 12/5 Snapshot

Date: 11/16/2023 

Subj: WISEdata - Economic Status and Food Services Eligibility Data by 12/5 Snapshot 
 
 

Hello,  
 

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) would like to offer guidance regarding the WISEdata submission of Economically Disadvantaged Status and Food Services Eligibility data. We want to clarify reporting of these data points for districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a Choice program prior to the collection of the data in the December 5 snapshot.  
 

It is always imperative to review your Economically Disadvantaged Status and Food Services eligibility data prior to any snapshot and for all years included in the snapshot (prior year and current year). This data is used for many purposes and programs including public reporting via WISEdash Public, EDFacts federal reporting, School and District Report Card scores, E-rate, Achievement Gap Reduction program, and Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness program, among others. 
 

Economic Status and Food Services Eligibility 
 

Schools should obtain the most up-to-date economic status and food services eligibility data for the 2023-24 school year. Be sure to submit new values to WISEdata for both the Economically Disadvantaged Status and Food Services Eligibility data elements for the 2023-24 school year. For all students, these two data elements should be submitted to WISEdata, reviewed in WISEdash for Districts (public LEAs only), and deemed complete and accurate prior to the December 5, 2023, WISEdata snapshot. For the remainder of the 2023-24 school year, these elements should be kept up to date for current students and submitted for newly enrolled students on a regular basis, for example, weekly. 

Schools that normally participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and thus have access to Direct Certification (DC) should continue to run DC a minimum of four times in the 2023-24 school year according to the regular DC schedule. Best practice is to run the full student enrollment through DC monthly. Schools that normally participate in NSLP should also continue to distribute USDA Free and Reduced-Price Meal applications to households in order to gather current meal benefit eligibility information that may not be obtained through DC.  

Schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) should continue to distribute the Alternate Household Income Form to households to gather socioeconomic data that may not be obtained through DC. Applications for free or reduced-price meals should be submitted as soon as possible.  
 

For more information on reporting Economically Disadvantaged Status data, review the e-learning module. If you have questions or need assistance, please submit a help ticket.