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| Important 2008-09 Dates |
| • September 19 (3rd Friday) - Financial report due to DPI |
| • October 17 - Initial ENT form due to DPI |
| • November 17 (3rd Monday) - First SAGE aid payment (1/3) due to schools (based on October ENT form) |
| • January 16 (3rd Friday) - Additions to ENT form due to DPI (if funds are available) |
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| • February 17 (3rd Monday) - Second SAGE aid payment (1/3) due to schools (based on January ENT form) |
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| • March 13 (2nd Friday) - Final additions to ENT form due to DPI (if funds are available) |
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| • June 8 (2nd Monday) - Final SAGE aid payment (1/3) due to schools (based on March ENT form) |
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| • Late June - Transmission of SAGE Debt Service aid payment |
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| • June 30 - The following are due to the DPI: |
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| • Renewal Contract forms (if required) |
| • End-of-Year Report |
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SAGE Performance Objectives: Schools will no longer be required to submit revisions or year end results of the annual performance objectives to DPI. Schools will need to continue to develop, update, and monitor its annual performance objectives, however, maintenance of the performance objectives will now take place at the local school level. Schools should maintain a record of its current performance objectives and be able to provide this information if requested by DPI. |
| Eligibility |
| Who is eligible to participate in the SAGE program? |
The original law required a school district to have at least one school with a poverty rate of least 50%. An eligible district could then develop a contract for any school with a poverty rate of at least 30%. The 1999 budget bill eliminated both the low-income threshold and the limit on schools per district, which allowed any school to apply to participate beginning in 2000-01. Participating schools have a 5-year renewable contract with the state. Currently, no new applications are being accepted for the SAGE program.
A list of participating schools is available online at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sage/pdf/2007-08_sage_schools.pdf  |
| How is SAGE state aid calculated? |
The law provides up to $2,250 per low-income student in grades covered by the program (K-1 in year 1 of program participation; K-2 in year 2; K-3 in years 3, 4, and 5). The aid may be used to fund programs and services directly benefiting the students, staff members, and community relative to the SAGE contract or SAGE program requirements.
A list of schools receiving SAGE state aid is available online at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sage/pdf/sage_aid_2007-08.pdf |
| Can students that attend a district charter school be included when calculating SAGE aid? |
| Only if the district charter school currently has a SAGE contract with the DPI. If the district charter does not have a SAGE contract, those students attending that charter school may not be included when calculating SAGE aid. |
| Should migrant students that are only enrolled for part of the school year be included when calculating SAGE aid? |
| If the student is enrolled in the district as of third Friday count, the student should be included when calculating SAGE aid |
| Are new schools eligible to be part of the SAGE program? |
| No. Currently, the DPI is not authorized to issue new SAGE contracts. |
| Does a school need to stay in SAGE for 5 years? |
| No. In order for a school to terminate its contract, the district must provide at least 60 days written notice of its intent to withdraw from the contract during the school year and agrees to provide written notice no later than June 30 of its intent to end its participation after that school year. |
| Can a SAGE contract be transferred from one school to another? |
| Yes. The district may transfer a SAGE contract with approval from the DPI. A district's board of education must approve this request and provide the rationale for the transfer. The district must provide at least 60 days written notice of its intent to transfer a contract during the school year and agrees to provide written notice no later than June 30 of its intent transfer after that school year. |
| Can the DPI terminate a school's SAGE contract? |
| Yes. The DPI will provide written notice to the school board no later than June 30 of its intent to terminate the contract at the end of that school year if a determination has been made that the school board has violated the terms of the contract or the school has not made sufficient progress toward achieving its performance objectives. |
| Class Size |
| What are the SAGE program class-size requirements? |
| Class size is defined as the number of pupils assigned to a regular classroom teacher on the third Friday in September. The SAGE program requires schools to reduce class sizes to 15:1 In grades K-3. |
| What if a school will not receive enough SAGE aid to pay the salary and benefits for all new teachers needed to reach the 15:1 class size? |
| The intent of the law is for a regular classroom teacher to have no more than 15 pupils to which to provide instruction in all subjects including reading/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and other subjects that are considered the responsibility of the classroom teacher. A school that does not receive enough SAGE aid to pay for all teachers that may be needed is expected to allocate existing resources or provide local matching funds to ensure the class size requirement is achieved. Federal ESEA Title II A and Title V A can be utilized for class size reduction to supplement SAGE aid where necessary. Districts with schools that do not meet the SAGE class size requirement must apply for a waiver under the authority in s.118.38, Wisconsin Statutes. |
| May Title I teachers be used to meet the SAGE class size requirement in a Targeted Assistance school? |
| No. Title I teachers in Targeted Assistance schools provide supplementary instruction to identified students. The core instructional program in reading and mathematics is a basic operating cost of all school districts. Staffing for the delivery of that program in a Targeted Assistance school may not be supported by Title I funds. The use of Title I funding to reduce class size for basic reading and mathematics instruction in a Targeted Assistance school would be considered supplanting. |
| May Title I funding be used to reduce class sizes in Schoolwide schools? |
| Yes, if reducing class size was determined to be an appropriate strategy to improve student achievement in the development of the Schoolwide plan. Schoolwide plans must benefit all students in the school and must be reviewed annually to assess their effectiveness in meeting Schoolwide goals. |
| Waivers |
| How does a school apply for a waiver? |
State law (s. 118.43(4)(d), Wis. Stats.) requires that each SAGE contract include a description of any statute or rule to be waived if it is related to the contract. Section 118.38, Wis. Stats., requires the school board to:
| • hold a public hearing on the request before requesting any waiver |
| • specify in its waiver request the reason the waiver is needed |
SAGE Waiver Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions are available online at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sage/pdf/guidelines_waiver_faq.pdf
A waiver template is available online at : http://dpi.wi.gov/sage/doc/waiver_template.doc 
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