Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction STATEMENT OF SCOPE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES | LEGISLATIVE POLICY & OUTREACH TEAM ATTN: CARL BRYAN 266-3275 or adminrules@dpi.wi.gov |
GENERAL INFORMATION |
Rule No. PI 34 | Relating to Pre-student teaching requirements for supplementary area licenses | Rule Type Permanent and Emergency |
SIGNATURE |
State Superintendent Review ☐ Approved. Begin Drafting Rule ☐ Disapproved. Reason for Disapproval | State Superintendent Signature Ø | Date Signed Mo./Day/Yr. |
NARRATIVE |
1. Finding/nature of the emergency (Emergency Rule only). School districts throughout the state are experiencing difficulties obtaining and retaining licensed personnel, particularly in the areas of adaptive education, bilingual-bicultural education, gifted and talented, and reading. As written, the rule may preclude eligible applicants from obtaining a license under subch. IX of ch. PI 34. These difficulties are negatively impacting the educational experiences of students in the state. An emergency rule is therefore necessary to ensure clarity in the processing and issuing of supplemental licenses as intended. A permanent rule would not be able to provide for this license in time for the current school year; therefore, an emergency rule is necessary until the process for promulgating a permanent rule can be completed. |
2. A description of the objective of the proposed rule. The proposed rule is a correction to ch. PI 34 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code by eliminating the pre-student teaching requirement under section PI 34.023 (1), Wis. Admin. Code, as part of the clinical program for students pursuing licensure in a supplementary license area. |
3. A description of the existing policies and new policies included in the proposed rule and an analysis of policy alternatives. Chapter PI 34 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code contains the rules governing the licensure of school personnel, including the rules governing clinical programs for students in a Wisconsin approved educator preparation program. Clinical programs must include pre-student teaching student teaching for programs leading to a teaching license, and a practicum program for programs leading to pupil services or administrative licensure. These experiences must follow a developmental scope and sequence, occur in diverse settings, and enable students to demonstrate knowledge of state standards through assessments and evaluations. For pre-student teaching specifically, each student must have onsite, supervised experiences with at least two written evaluations by the cooperating teacher or program supervisor. All clinical programs must use cooperating teachers or supervisors who meet criteria for licensure, experience, and training. Since the rules were promulgated, the department has identified a rule change which is necessary to clarify the pre-student teaching requirement as part of a clinical program. While the pre-student teaching requirement was never intended for individuals working in a supplementary license area under subch. I of ch. PI 34, the rules incorrectly require that applicants seeking several licenses must complete a clinical program in the license area, including pre-student teaching. To correct this issue, the department proposes a rule change that will ensure clarity in the processing and issuing of supplemental licenses as intended. The proposed rule change would remove the clinical program requirement to accurately reflect that only the student teaching requirement under s. PI 34.023 (2), Wis. Admin. Code, applies to this license area. Specifically, references to the term “clinical program” will be replaced with “student teaching” as it applies to the supplementary licenses listed under subch. IX of ch. PI 34. Without a rule, the department would be required to enforce the rules as they currently exist, and eligible applicants for supplementary licensure may be precluded from obtaining a license. |
4. The statutory authority for the proposed rule. The state superintendent is authorized under s. 115.28 (7) (a), Wis. Stats., to promulgate rules establishing the standards of attainment and procedures for the licensing of educators in the state: 115.28 General duties. The state superintendent shall: (7) Licensing of teachers (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, 118.1915, 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, to be approved by the state superintendent, a teacher preparatory program shall demonstrate that it provides instruction that prepares teachers to teach reading and language arts using science-based early reading instruction, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (b), and does not provide instruction on teaching reading and language arts that incorporates 3-cueing, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (c), and 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. |
5. An estimate of the amount of time agency employees will spend developing the proposed rule and of other resources needed to develop the rule. The amount of time needed for rule development by department staff and the amount of other resources necessary are indeterminate. |
6. A description of all of the entities that will be affected by the proposed rule. School districts, educator preparation programs, and applicants seeking licensure may be affected by this rule change. |
7. A summary and preliminary comparison of any existing or proposed federal regulation that addresses or is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the proposed rule. Because educator licensure in the United States is typically governed by each state and local government, federal regulations are generally silent with respect to the issuance of teacher licenses. As a result, the requirements for licensure vary by state. |
