- If a family’s income rises above 175% of the federal poverty level, will their children be permitted to remain in the program?
- Yes. The initial income eligibility requirement has not changed. However, once a child enters the MPCP, a family’s income is allowed to increase to 220% of the federal poverty level, or $45,057 for a family of four in 2007-08. In addition, initial income eligibility for siblings of students already using a voucher is at the higher 220% threshold.
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- May I enroll a child at any time during the school year?
- No. A child may be enrolled ONLY during a school’s open application periods. Review your MPCP Intent to Participate form for your enrollment periods.
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- Do all schools in the MPCP have to administer standardized tests?
- Act 125 mandates that all schools participating in the MPCP give a nationally normed standardized test in reading, math and science to all MPCP students in grades 4, 8, and 10.
Examples of acceptable tests include (but are not limited to) the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam, and the Terra Nova. The results of these tests must be provided to the School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP) at the University of Arkansas beginning in 2006 and annually thereafter until 2011. The results of the SCDP analysis will be reviewed by the Legislative Audit Bureau.
Schools that do not have students in Grades 4, 8, or 10 do not have to administer standardized tests.
Schools with students in Grades 4, 8 or 10 that do not administer standardized tests and submit the results to the SCDP will be out of compliance with the MPCP law, and thus inelgible to participate in the choice program.
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- How do I complete the risk management and insurance evaluation that is required every three years? Who can do this evaluation for me?
- The DPI administrative rules state that this evaluation is to be done by a risk or insurance consultant. We suggest that you start by contacting your insurance agent. Your insurance company may be able to provide you with this service or may recommend someone who can conduct the service. We've surveyed schools on this issue and have found that some insurance agents are comfortable providing you with this evaluation themselves, while others are not. Our inquiry also identified companies who have provided this service to other schools in the MPCP.
DISCLAIMER: Below are the names of companies that schools provided as possible resources. This list is not all-inclusive. School Choice Wisconsin does not endorse these organizations, vouch for the quality of their work, or guarantee that they will be able to provide the services you need:
Insurance Companies
Acuity (800) 242-7666
Catholic Mutual (800)228-6108
Church Mutual (800) 554-2642
State Farm web site
Insurance/Risk Management Consultants
Schueller-Harrington & Associates (414) 765-2300
T.E. Brennan Company (262) 754-1160
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- DPI has returned student applications for corrections. How can I reduce application errors?
- Always use the DPI checklist to review each application. You can double check for completeness by reviewing our Best Practices for Enrolling Students list.
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- If a teacher is not able to provide a copy of his or her high school diploma but graduated from college, what should I do?
- All teachers at MPCP schools must have a high school diploma or a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation. Schools must retain documentation demonstrating compliance.
DPI will accept: a copy of the high school diploma; a letter from a high school stating that the individual graduated,; an identification of high school graduation on a high school, college or other post-secondary educational agency transcript; a copy of a high school equivalency diploma granted by the DPI; or an equivalent credential granted by another state. Wisconsin does not consider a General Educational Development (GED) Certificate to be the same as a high school graduation equivalency. If a GED certificate is presented as proof of having a high school graduation equivalency, the school should also request that the teacher to provide a high school graduation equivalency credential in addition to the GED certificate.
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- If a new school misses the December 31, 2006 deadline to apply for accreditation, will it be removed from the program?
- Yes. A new school that does not apply by December 31 is not in compliance with the new law, and will not be eligible to participate in the MPCP.
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- Why will DPI no longer permit administrators to pick up state aid payments in Madison?
- DPI found that allowing school administrators to come to Madison to pick up voucher checks reduced the time that it could spend processing applications by one week. If a student application is not processed by DPI, a voucher check cannot be cut for that student.
DPI has decided that it will serve schools better by using that additional week to process applications, resolve problems with schools, and distribute more voucher checks in a timely manner.
DPI will mail checks to schools a day earlier than before so that the payments arrive at the schools by the end of the month.
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- If I have questions about payments, whom should I contact at the Department of Public Instruction?
- Contact MPCP administrators:
Tricia Collins, 608-266-2853
e-mail tricia.collins@dpi.state.wi.us
or
Lisa Geraghty, 608-266-0523
e-mail elisabeth.geraghty@dpi.state.wi.us
Fax 608-267-9207
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- May I enroll a child that attended a charter school last year?
- Yes. Act 125 removed this and other restrictions. To qualify for a voucher, a student must live in the City of Milwaukee and meet the family income requirements. Other restrictions no longer apply.
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- If a continuing school misses the September 30, 2006 deadline for accreditation, will it be removed from the program?
- Yes. A participating school that does not apply by September 30 is not in compliance with the new law, and will be ineligible to participate in the MPCP.
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- What is the definition of a teacher?
- A “teacher” is defined under s. 119.23 (1) (d), Wis. Stat., as a person who has primary responsibility for the academic instruction of pupils. Effective July 1, 2006, all teachers at private schools participating in the MPCP must have graduated from high school or been granted a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation, section § 119.23 (2) (a) 6., Wis. Stat. If a private school fails to meet this requirement, the school is not eligible to participate in the program.
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