SB917: Bill Text

LRB-5553/1

FFK:emw

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Senate BILL 917

January 16, 2024 - Introduced by Senators Feyen, Jacque, Knodl, Bradley and Tomczyk, cosponsored by Representatives Penterman, Armstrong, Maxey, Mursau and Binsfeld. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB917,1,4 An Act to renumber and amend 115.28 (7g) (b); to amend 118.19 (3) (a); and to create 115.28 (7g) (b) 1. to 3. and 118.19 (19) of the statutes; relating to: student teaching requirement for teacher preparatory programs and granting rule-making authority.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the state superintendent of public instruction must 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; and prescribe by rule standards, requirements, and procedures for the approval of teacher preparatory programs leading to licensure. Currently, the state superintendent may not approve a teacher preparatory program unless the program requires the student to complete one full semester of student teaching following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school. Under this bill, the state superintendent may not approve a teacher preparatory program unless it requires a student to complete at least one but not more than four full semesters of student teaching following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school. In addition, the state superintendent may approve a teacher preparatory program that requires two to four semesters of student teaching only if the institution of higher education awards general education credits to the student for the second, third, and fourth semesters of student teaching, as applicable.

Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction must annually report certain information for each approved teacher preparatory program in this state, including the first attempt passage rate for students and graduates on examinations that are required for teacher licensure. Under the bill, beginning in the 2025-26 school year, DPI must report this information for all students and graduates of the program, those students and graduates who completed one semester of student teaching, and those student and graduates who completed more than one semester of student teaching.

The bill also requires DPI to establish a teacher apprenticeship program for students who are participating in a teacher preparatory program that requires two to four semesters of student teaching. Under the bill, the teacher apprenticeship program must include various components, including the conditions under which an individual may serve as a teacher apprentice, a requirement that the individual enter into an apprentice contract, and a requirement to be registered with DPI.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

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

SB917,1 Section 1. 115.28 (7g) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 115.28 (7g) (b) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB917,2,9 115.28 (7g) (b) (intro.) Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, the department shall use the system developed under par. (a) 3. to annually report for each program identified in par. (a) 1. the passage rate on first attempt of students and graduates of the program on examinations administered for licensure under sub. (7) and any other information required to be reported under par. (a) 1. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the department shall separately report the information required under this paragraph for each of the following groups:

SB917,2 Section 2. 115.28 (7g) (b) 1. to 3. of the statutes are created to read:

SB917,2,11 115.28 (7g) (b) 1. All students and graduates of a program.

SB917,2,13 2. Students and graduates of a program who completed one semester of student teaching.

SB917,3,2 3. Students and graduates of a program who completed more than one semester of student teaching.

SB917,3 Section 3. 118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB917,4,7 118.19 (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, 118.1915, 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 at least one but not more than 4 full semester semesters following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. If a teacher preparatory program requires more than one semester of student teaching, the state superintendent may approve the teacher preparatory program only if the institution of higher education that offers the teacher preparatory program awards general education credits to a student for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th full semesters of student teaching that the student completes. 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.

SB917,4 Section 4. 118.19 (19) of the statutes is created to read:

SB917,4,15 118.19 (19) The department shall establish, by rule, a teacher apprenticeship program for students participating in a teacher preparatory program in this state that requires students to complete student teaching consisting of full days for at least 2 but not more than 4 full semesters following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. The department shall include all of the following in the teacher apprenticeship program established under this subsection:

SB917,4,16 (a) Conditions under which an individual may serve as a teacher apprentice.

SB917,4,19 (b) Requirements for the supervision and evaluation of teacher apprentices, including a requirement that teacher apprentices are supervised by licensed teachers or licensed administrators.

SB917,4,22 (c) A process for teacher apprentices to register with the department and a requirement that each teacher apprentice be registered before performing duties as a teacher apprentice.

SB917,4,24 (d) Criteria and a process for the suspension or revocation of registrations issued to registered teacher apprentices.

SB917,5,2 (e) A requirement that each individual commencing a teacher apprenticeship enter into an apprentice contract under s. 106.01.

SB917,5,3 (End)