November 8, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives Mursau, Edming, Myers, Armstrong, Brandtjen, Dittrich, Goeben, Murphy, O’Connor, Rettinger, Rozar, Schraa, Snyder, Joers, Novak, Conley and Rodriguez, cosponsored by Senators Felzkowski, Larson, Taylor, Marklein and Cabral-Guevara. Referred to Committee on Education.
AB646,,22An Act to amend 118.19 (14) (b) (intro.) of the statutes; relating to: requirements for an initial license to teach grades kindergarten to five, an initial license as a reading teacher, and an initial license as a reading specialist. AB646,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, an applicant for certain initial teaching licenses, as a condition for receiving the license, must pass an examination identical to the Foundations of Reading test, commonly called the FORT, in addition to all other requirements for licensure by the Department of Public Instruction. The FORT requirement applies to the following licenses:
1. An initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in grades kindergarten to five.
2. An initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in special education.
3. An initial license as a reading teacher.
4. An initial license as a reading specialist.
Current law also provides an exception to the FORT requirement for an applicant for a special education initial teaching license, under which the applicant may demonstrate to DPI that the applicant completed a course of study in the teaching of reading and reading comprehension, rather than passing the FORT. This bill extends the exception currently available only to applicants for a special education initial teaching license to applicants for all licenses to which the FORT requirement applies. Specifically, the bill expands the exception to applicants for a license to teach in grades kindergarten to five, an initial license as a reading teacher, and an initial license as a reading specialist. Under current law and the bill, a teacher who passes the FORT exam must notify DPI and DPI must add a notation to the teacher’s license indicating that the teacher passed the FORT.
AB646,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: AB646,15Section 1. 118.19 (14) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read: AB646,,66118.19 (14) (b) (intro.) The department shall waive the requirement under par. (a) for an applicant seeking an initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in special education if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the applicant has successfully completed a course of study that satisfies all of the following:
