SB607: Bill Text

LRB-4352/1

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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Senate BILL 607

October 30, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Knodl, Ballweg and Tomczyk, cosponsored by Representatives Dittrich, Nedweski, O'Connor, Magnafici, Armstrong, Murphy, Maxey, Goeben, Duchow, Brandtjen, Rozar and Rettinger. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB607,1,3 An Act to amend 115.28 (7) (a) and 118.19 (3) (a); and to create 118.1913 of the statutes; relating to: issuing a license to teach based on equivalency and granting rule-making authority.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to offer a statutory pathway to teacher licensure based on equivalency. Prior to August 1, 2022, DPI offered a similar pathway under its administrative rules.

Under the bill, DPI must grant a provisional teaching license to an individual who 1) has a bachelor's degree; 2) has at least six semesters of teaching experience, which may include experience in a public school, private school, postsecondary institution, or industry setting; and 3) successfully completes a standards-based assessment program approved by DPI and an assessment approved by DPI of the individual's knowledge, skills, and disposition. The bill also requires DPI to approve a standards-based assessment and an assessment of knowledge, skills, and disposition, which are required under the pathway, by no later than approximately six months after the date on which the bill becomes law. Finally, the bill specifies that an individual who obtains a provisional teaching license under this pathway is eligible for a lifetime license if the individual successfully completes six semesters of teaching experience under the license.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB607,1 Section 1. 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB607,2,14 115.28 (7) (a) License all teachers for the public schools of the state; make rules establishing standards of attainment and procedures for the examination and licensing of teachers within the limits prescribed in ss. 118.19 (2) and (3), 118.191, 118.1913, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, 118.195, and 118.197; prescribe by rule standards, requirements, and procedures for the approval of teacher preparatory programs leading to licensure, including a requirement that, beginning on July 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, each teacher preparatory program located in this state shall submit to the department a list of individuals who have completed the program and who have been recommended by the program for licensure under this subsection, together with each individual's date of program completion, from each term or semester of the program's most recently completed academic year; file in the state superintendent's office all papers relating to state teachers' licenses; and register each such license.

SB607,2 Section 2. 118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB607,3,14 118.19 (3) (a) No license to teach in any public school may be issued unless the applicant possesses a bachelor's degree including such professional training as the department by rule requires, except as permitted under par. (b) and ss. 115.28 (17) (a), 118.191, 118.1913, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, and 118.197. Notwithstanding s. 36.11 (16), no teacher preparatory program in this state may be approved by the state superintendent under s. 115.28 (7) (a), unless each student in the program is required to complete student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. No license to teach in any public school may be granted to an applicant who completed a professional training program outside this state unless the applicant completed student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. The state superintendent may grant exceptions to the student teaching requirements under this paragraph when the midyear calendars of the institution offering the teacher preparatory program and the cooperating school differ from each other and would prevent students from attending classes at the institution in accordance with the institution's calendar. The state superintendent shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. If for the purpose of granting a license to teach or for approving a teacher preparatory program the state superintendent requires that an institution of higher education be accredited, the state superintendent shall accept accreditation by a regional or national institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. department of education or by a programmatic accrediting organization.

SB607,3 Section 3. 118.1913 of the statutes is created to read:

SB607,3,19 118.1913 License based on equivalency. (1) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (4m), (6) to (9), (12), and (14), the department shall grant a provisional teaching license to an individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10) and who satisfies all of the following:

SB607,3,20 (a) The individual possesses a bachelor's degree.

SB607,3,23 (b) The individual has at least 6 semesters of teaching experience. In this paragraph, teaching experience includes teaching in a public school, private school, postsecondary institution, or industry setting.

SB607,3,24 (c) The individual successfully completes all of the following:

SB607,4,2 1. A standards-based assessment program approved by the department under sub. (2) (a).

SB607,4,4 2. An assessment approved by the department under sub. (2) (b) of the individual's knowledge, skills, and disposition.

SB607,4,6 (2) By the first day of the 7th month after the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], the department shall approve all of the following:

SB607,4,7 (a) A standards-based assessment program for a license under this section.

SB607,4,9 (b) An assessment of an individual's knowledge, skills, and disposition that includes at least all of the following categories:

SB607,4,10 1. Communication skills.

SB607,4,11 2. Content knowledge for subject area programs.

SB607,4,12 3. Pedagogical knowledge.

SB607,4,13 4. Reading.

SB607,4,16 (3) A provisional license under sub. (1) authorizes an individual to teach the subject and educational levels for which the individual has successfully demonstrated equivalency, as determined by the department by rule.

SB607,4,24 (4) The department shall issue a lifetime license to an individual who obtains a provisional license under sub. (1) if the individual successfully completes 6 semesters of teaching experience, as defined by the department by rule. An individual who does not successfully complete 6 semesters of teaching experience, as defined by the department by rule, within the 3-year term of a provisional license issued under sub. (1) may apply to renew the provisional license. There is no limit to the number of times an individual may renew a provisional license under this subsection.

SB607,4,25 (End)