Chapter PI 8

Chapter PI 8

SCHOOL DISTRICT STANDARDS

PI 8.001   Definitions.

PI 8.01   School district standards.

PI 8.02   Compliance audits.

PI 8.03   Noncompliance hearings.

PI 8.001 PI 8.001 Definitions. In this chapter:

PI 8.001(1) (1) “Access” means an opportunity to study through school district course offerings, independent study, cooperative educational service agencies, or cooperative arrangements between school district boards under s. 66.0301, Stats., and postsecondary education institutions.

PI 8.001(2) (2) “Career exploration and planning” means the process by which elementary and secondary pupils identify and evaluate life and work choices, explore and plan career goals, and acquire realistic life and work decision-making skills.

PI 8.001(2m) (2m) “Charter school” means a school established under s. 118.40, Stats.

PI 8.001(3) (3) “Children at risk” has the meaning set forth in s. 118.153 (1) (a), Stats.

PI 8.001(4) (4) “Days” means calendar days unless otherwise specified.

PI 8.001(5) (5) “Department” means the Wisconsin department of public instruction.

PI 8.001(5m) (5m) “Direction” includes planning, consultation, inservice training and periodic review.

PI 8.001(6) (6) “Hours” means clock hours.

PI 8.001(6g) (6g) “Innovative Instructional Design” means an instructional program aligned to school district standards and used to improve student academic achievement through instruction offered outside of the normal school day, virtually, or in an alternative setting.

PI 8.001(6m) (6m) “Instructional staff” for the purposes of charter schools, means all professional employees who have as part of their responsibility direct contact with students or with the instructional program of the school. Instructional staff includes, but is not limited to, teachers, librarians, pupil services staff, and administrative staff who supervise licensed staff.

PI 8.001(7) (7) “Kindergarten” means 5-year old kindergarten unless otherwise specified.

PI 8.001(8) (8) “Licensed” means holding a valid license issued by the department as required under ss. 118.19 and 121.02 (1) (a), Stats.

PI 8.001(8m) (8m) “Middle level format” means an organizational pattern which includes part or all of grades 5 to 9.

PI 8.001(9) (9) “Postsecondary education institutions” means public and private colleges and universities, and vocational and technical institutions and schools.

PI 8.001(10) (10) “School district board” means the school board in charge of the schools of a public school district.

PI 8.001(11) (11) “School term” has the meaning set forth in s. 115.001 (12), Stats.

PI 8.001(12) (12) “State superintendent” means the state superintendent of public instruction.

PI 8.001(13) (13) “Vocational education” means instructional programs designed to assist pupils in achieving mastery of the skills set forth in s. 118.01 (2) (b), Stats.

PI 8.001 History History: Cr. Register, November, 1986, No. 371, eff. 12-1-86; cr. (5m) and (8m), Register, December, 1987, No. 384, eff. 1-1-88; cr. (2m), (6m), Register, October, 1994, No. 466, eff. 11-1-94; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register October 2001 No. 550; CR 16-016: cr. (6g) Register July 2016 No. 727, eff. 8-1-16.

PI 8.01 PI 8.01 School district standards.

PI 8.01(1) (1) Purpose. To assure that the children of Wisconsin will have available an educational program meeting statutory standards and pursuant to s. 121.02, Stats., each school district board shall meet all of the school district standards set forth in sub. (2). A school district board may request approval from the state superintendent to comply in an alternative manner with any of the school district standards as specified in sub. (3).

PI 8.01(2) (2) School district standards.

PI 8.01(2)(a) (a) Licensure.

PI 8.01(2)(a)1. 1. Each school district board shall certify annually that every teacher, supervisor, administrator, and other professional staff member has been issued a valid certificate, license or permit by the department for the position for which he/she is employed before entering on duties for such position and that a copy of the valid certificate, license, or permit is on file in the district.

PI 8.01(2)(a)2. 2.

PI 8.01(2)(a)2.a. a. Each school district board shall ensure that all instructional staff of charter schools located in the school district hold a department issued license or permit to teach at the level and in the subject of their assignments or a tier I charter school license or permit issued under s. PI 34.031.

PI 8.01(2)(a)2.b. b. For purposes of this subdivision, a virtual charter school is located in the school district specified under s. 118.40 (8) (a), Stats. Virtual charter school instructional staff shall meet the requirements under s. 118.40 (8) (b), Stats.

PI 8.01(2)(a)2.c. c. The liability immunity provisions of ss. 115.31 (5) (b), 118.126 (2), 118.257 and 118.295, Stats., shall apply to charter school instructional staff.

PI 8.01(2)(b) (b) Staff development. Each school district board shall annually establish a professional staff development plan designed to meet the needs of individuals or curriculum areas in each school. The plan shall be developed with the cooperative efforts of licensed support staff, instructional staff, and administrative staff.

PI 8.01(2)(c) (c) Remedial reading.

PI 8.01(2)(c)1. 1. In this paragraph “state minimum performance standard” means the state minimum performance standard on the test administered under s. 121.02 (1) (r), Stats.

PI 8.01(2)(c)2. 2. Each school district shall identify, diagnose, serve and monitor each pupil in reading in grades kindergarten through fourth if either of the following apply:

PI 8.01(2)(c)2.a. a. The pupil fails to meet district grade level objectives in reading as identified in curriculum plans developed under s. 121.02 (1) (k), Stats.

PI 8.01(2)(c)2.b. b. The pupil fails to score above the state minimum performance standard and a teacher in the school district and the pupil’s parent or guardian agree that the pupil’s test performance accurately reflects the pupil’s reading ability; or a teacher in the school district determines, based on other objective evidence of the pupil’s reading comprehension, that the pupil’s test performance accurately reflects the pupil’s reading ability.

PI 8.01(2)(c)3. 3. Identification and diagnosis of reading deficiencies shall be directed or performed by the district reading specialist required under s. 118.015, Stats., or by licensed personnel who have earned at least 6 semester credits in courses dealing with the measurement of reading skills and achievement or the diagnosis of reading difficulties. Children with identified and diagnosed reading deficiencies shall receive instruction and services directed toward the removal of the deficiencies. The instruction and services shall be coordinated with all other reading instruction. Monitoring of pupil progress shall occur on a regular basis and include parental involvement.

PI 8.01(2)(c)4. 4. If fewer than 80% of the pupils score above the state minimum performance standards, either in the district or in any individual school in the district, the district shall develop a written plan which includes the following:

PI 8.01(2)(c)4.a. a. A description of how the district will provide remedial reading services.

PI 8.01(2)(c)4.b. b. A description of how the district intends to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to remove reading deficiencies.

PI 8.01(2)(c)4.c. c. An assessment of the school district or individual school’s reading program.

PI 8.01(2)(c)5. 5. The department shall provide upon request technical assistance to districts required to develop a plan to provide remedial reading services.

PI 8.01(2)(d) (d) Kindergarten. Each school district shall operate a kindergarten program in which all 5 year old children of the district may be enrolled. The teachers shall be licensed by the department to teach kindergarten. Physical facilities, equipment and materials shall be provided for a program which includes opportunities for learning basic concepts and skills in language arts, fine arts, social studies, science, mathematics, health and physical education.

PI 8.01(2)(e) (e) Guidance and counseling services. Each school district board shall provide a program of guidance and counseling services for all pupils, which meets all of the following requirements:

PI 8.01(2)(e)1. 1. The school district shall maintain a school board approved plan for the provision of a program of guidance and counseling services.

PI 8.01(2)(e)2. 2. The program shall be developmentally based and available to every pupil in every grade of the school district.

PI 8.01(2)(e)3. 3. The program shall be:

PI 8.01(2)(e)3.a. a. Systematically planned by licensed school counselors in collaboration with other licensed pupil services staff, teachers, parents and community health and human service professionals.

PI 8.01(2)(e)3.b. b. Provided by licensed school counselors in collaboration with other licensed pupil services staff, teachers, parents and community health and human service professionals.

PI 8.01(2)(e)4. 4. The program shall provide developmentally appropriate educational, vocational, career, personal and social information to assist pupils in problem solving and in making decisions.

PI 8.01(2)(e)5. 5. The program shall include pupil appraisal, post-secondary planning, referral, research and pupil follow-up activities.

PI 8.01(2)(f) (f) Hours of instruction. Each school district board shall annually schedule and hold at least 437 hours of direct pupil instruction in kindergarten, at least 1,050 hours of direct pupil instruction in grades 1 through 6, and at least 1,137 hours of direct pupil instruction in grades 7 through 12. The school hours are computed as the period from the start to the close of the school’s daily instructional schedule. Scheduled hours under this subdivision include recess and time for pupils to transfer between classes but do not include the lunch period. No more than 30 minutes per day may be counted for recess. Scheduled hours may also include the hours of instructional programming offered through innovative instructional designs that apply to the entire school or grade level. In computing the minimum number of instructional hours under this subdivision, schools may not count days and parts of days on which parent and teacher conferences are held, staff development or inservice programs are held, schools are closed for inclement weather and no compensatory instruction is offered virtually, and when no direct instruction is provided.