Independent financial audits of private schools participating in a parental choice program, a civics exam as a condition for obtaining a high school diploma, and factors for determining school and school district performance on the school and school district accountability report

Current law requires that, beginning in the 2016-17 school year, before a school board, independent charter school, or private school participating in a parental choice program awards a high school diploma to a pupil, the pupil must receive a passing score on a civics exam that is identical to the civics exam required to be taken by persons seeking U.S. citizenship (mandatory civics exam). Current law provides an exception to this requirement for a pupil who has an IEP in effect. A pupil who has an IEP in effect must take the mandatory civics exam but is not required to receive a passing score as a condition of graduation. This bill expands this exception to apply to a parentally placed private school pupil with a disability.

This bill also requires an IEP team to include in a pupil's IEP a statement about whether it is appropriate to administer the mandatory civics exam to the pupil. If a pupil's IEP or services plan includes a statement that it is not appropriate to administer the mandatory civics exam to the pupil, completion of the mandatory civics exam may not be required as a condition of graduation for that pupil.

Financial information about private schools participating in a parental choice program.

This bill changes requirements created in 2015 Wisconsin Act 55 relating to independent financial audits of private schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Racine Parental Choice Program, or the statewide parental choice program (a parental choice program).

Under current law, each private school participating in a parental choice program must submit an annual independent financial audit to the department.

This bill clarifies that, for purposes of the annual independent financial audit, in order for a cost to be an eligible education expense an independent auditor must test the cost and confirm that the cost is reasonable for the private school to achieve its educational purposes, as determined by the private school in a written policy. The bill also replaces the audit certification process created in 2015 Wisconsin Act 55 with a process and deadline for notifying a participating private school of whether or not it has satisfied the audit requirements.

Under the bill, a private school participating in a parental choice program must maintain a cash and investment balance that is at least equal to the private school's reserve balance. In the event a private school ceases to participate in any parental choice program or is barred from participating in the parental choice programs, the private school must refund its reserve balance to the department.

School and school district accountability report.

This bill changes requirements created in 2015 Wisconsin Act 55 relating to how the department determines school and school district performance for purposes of the school and school district accountability report.

Current law requires the department to weight pupil test scores to account for the length of time pupils are enrolled in a school or school district before taking a test used for purposes of the accountability report and to exclude information about certain pupils who change schools for the ninth grade. This bill eliminates these requirements.