SB554: Bill Text

November 8, 2019 - Introduced by Senator Bernier, cosponsored by Representatives Kulp, Wittke, Tusler, Dittrich, Skowronski, Wichgers, Krug, Kerkman and Murphy. Referred to Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families.

SB554,1,6 An Act to renumber and amend 115.28 (7) (a); to amend 115.28 (7g) (a) (intro.), 115.28 (7g) (a) 1. and 115.383 (2) (intro.); and to create 115.28 (7) (a) 3. b., 115.28 (7) (a) 3. c. and 115.28 (7) (a) 4. of the statutes; relating to: requirements for teacher preparatory programs in this state, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, an individual must complete a teacher preparatory program approved by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to qualify for a license to teach under the traditional licensure pathway. A teacher preparatory program is a sequence of courses included in a bachelor's degree program or post baccalaureate degree program designed to prepare individuals for licensure. Current law requires the SSPI to establish standards, requirements, and procedures related to approving teacher preparatory programs.

Under the bill, in order to be approved by the SSPI, a teacher preparatory program must provide at least six credits of instruction in literacy theory, skills, and processes (literacy instruction) to individuals in the program who intend to apply for a license to teach kindergarten to fifth grade, a license to teach special education, a reading teacher license, or a reading specialist license. Under the bill, the literacy instruction must align with the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading from the International Dyslexia Association. The bill also requires each teacher preparatory program to submit syllabi, names of textbooks, and other instructional material that will be used in the literacy instruction to the Department of Public Instruction prior to offering the required literacy instruction. Finally, under the bill, the SSPI must post on DPI's Internet site the information received from a teacher preparatory program related to the literacy instruction before the teacher preparatory program offers the literacy instruction.

Under current law, DPI must consult with the governor's office, the chairpersons and ranking members of the education committees in the assembly and senate, the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities when performing specific duties related to evaluating teacher preparatory programs. Under the bill, DPI must also consult with the chairpersons and ranking members of the higher education committees in the assembly and senate.

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:

SB554,1 Section 1. 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 115.28 (7) (a) 1. and amended to read:

SB554,2,3 115.28 (7) (a) 1. License all teachers for the public schools of the state; make.

SB554,2,7 2. 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.

SB554,2,10 3. Prescribe by rule standards, requirements, and procedures for the approval of teacher preparatory programs leading to licensure, including a all of the following:

SB554,3,3 a. 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.

SB554,3,5 5. File in the state superintendent's office all papers relating to state teachers' licenses; and register each such state teacher license.

SB554,2 Section 2. 115.28 (7) (a) 3. b. of the statutes is created to read:

SB554,3,13 115.28 (7) (a) 3. b. A requirement that, beginning on August 1, 2020, each teacher preparatory program located in this state provide at least 6 credits of instruction in literacy theory, skills, and processes that align with the most recent Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading from the International Dyslexia Association to individuals in the program who intend to apply for a license to teach grades kindergarten to 5 or special education, a license as a reading teacher, or a license as a reading specialist.

SB554,3 Section 3. 115.28 (7) (a) 3. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB554,3,18 115.28 (7) (a) 3. c. A requirement that, before offering instruction required under subd. 3. b., a teacher preparatory program submit syllabi, names of textbooks, and other instructional material to the department to demonstrate that the teacher preparatory program complies with subd. 3. b.

SB554,4 Section 4 . 115.28 (7) (a) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

SB554,3,24 115.28 (7) (a) 4. Post information received from teacher preparatory programs under subd. 3. c. on the department's Internet site. The state superintendent shall ensure that information from a teacher preparatory program is posted on the department's Internet site before the teacher preparatory program provides the instruction required under subd. 3. b.

SB554,5 Section 5 . 115.28 (7g) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB554,4,7 115.28 (7g) (a) (intro.) The department shall, in consultation with the governor's office, the chairpersons of the committees in the assembly and senate whose subject matter is elementary and secondary education and ranking members of those committees, the chairpersons of the committees in the assembly and senate whose subject matter is higher education and ranking members of those committees, the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, do all of the following:

SB554,6 Section 6. 115.28 (7g) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB554,4,16 115.28 (7g) (a) 1. Determine how the performance of individuals who have recently completed a teacher preparatory program described in s. 115.28 (7) (a) 3. and located in this state or a teacher education program described in s. 115.28 (7) (e) 2. and located in this state will be used to evaluate the teacher preparatory and education programs. The determination under this subdivision shall, at minimum, define “recently completed" and identify measures to assess an individual's performance, including the performance assessment made prior to making a recommendation for licensure.

SB554,7 Section 7. 115.383 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB554,4,25 115.383 (2) (intro.) If the student information system is established under sub. (1), each school district, charter school, and private school using the system under sub. (1) shall include in the system the following information for each teacher teaching in the school district or school who completed a teacher education program described in s. 115.28 (7) (a) 3. or (e) 2. and located in this state on or after January 1, 2012, or, for each teacher teaching in a private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, who obtained a bachelor's degree from an institution located in this state on or after July 1, 2010:

SB554,8 Section 8. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB554,5,8 (1) Emergency rule authority. Using the procedure under s. 227.24, the department of public instruction may promulgate rules under s. 115.28 (7) (a) 3. that are necessary to implement the changes in this act. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a) and (3), the department is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.

SB554,5,9 (End)