Chapter 115

115.39(3)(d) (d) The office shall ensure that a school assigned a literacy coach under par. (a) or (b) does not request or require that the literacy coach perform duties outside the individual’s role as a literacy coach. For purposes of this paragraph, the role of a literacy coach is to provide support to administrators, school-based literacy coaches, principals, and teachers to build teacher and school capacity to teach reading and language arts using science-based early reading instruction, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (b), in order to increase the percentage of pupils who are reading at grade level by the end of grade 3.

115.39(4) (4) Report. By October 15, 2024, and by each October 15 thereafter, the office shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance that includes at least all of the following for the previous school year:

115.39(4)(a) (a) The number of literacy coaches assigned to schools under sub. (3) (a) and (b).

115.39(4)(b) (b) The number of schools that were assigned a literacy coach under sub. (3) (a) and the number of schools that were assigned a literacy coach under sub. (3) (b).

115.39(4)(c) (c) The number of contracts that the office entered into under sub. (2) (a) and the number of contracts under sub. (2) (a) that were terminated.

115.39(4)(d) (d) The number of requests submitted for a literacy coach under sub. (3) (b).

115.39(4)(e) (e) The results of the standardized reading test administered under s. 121.02 (1) (r) and assessments under s. 118.016 in schools that were assigned a literacy coach under sub. (3) (a) or (b).

115.39(4)(f) (f) A description of the training provided under sub. (2) (b).

115.39(4)(g) (g) For the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, the number of individuals who completed the mandatory professional development training under 2023 Wisconsin Act 20, section 27 (2).

Effective date note NOTE: This section is repealed eff. 7-1-28 by 2023 Wis. Act 20.

115.39 History History: 2023 a. 20; s. 35.17 correction in (2) (a), (3) (a) 2. b., (c) 1. a., b.

115.405 115.405 Grant program for peer review and mentoring.

115.405(1) (1) 

115.405(1)(a) (a) A cooperative educational service agency or a consortium consisting of 2 or more school districts or cooperative educational service agencies, or a combination thereof, may apply to the department for a grant to provide technical assistance and training for teachers who are licensed or have been issued a permit under ss. 115.28 (7) and 118.192 to implement peer review and mentoring programs. An applicant for a grant under this subsection shall submit to the department a plan identifying the school districts and cooperative educational service agencies that will participate in the peer review and mentoring program and describing how the grant funds will be allocated. As a condition of receiving a grant under this subsection, a cooperative educational service agency or a consortium shall provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 20 percent of the amount of the grant awarded. The matching funds may be in the form of money or in-kind services or both.

115.405(1)(b) (b) The department shall award grants under par. (a) from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (fk). The department may not award more than $25,000 to an applicant in a fiscal year.

115.405(3) (3) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.

115.405 History History: 1997 a. 237; 2005 a. 25; 2011 a. 32.

115.405 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. PI 38, Wis. adm. code.

115.41 115.41 Teacher improvement program. The state superintendent shall operate a program to provide prospective teachers with one-semester internships under the supervision of licensed teachers. The program may also fund in-service activities and professional staff development research projects. The state superintendent shall charge school districts fees for participation in the program. Program costs shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (hg).

115.41 History History: 1987 a. 27; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27.

115.415 115.415 Educator effectiveness.

115.415(1) (1) 

115.415(1)(a) (a) The department shall develop an educator effectiveness evaluation system and an equivalency process aligned with the department’s evaluation system for the evaluation of teachers and principals of public schools, including teachers and principals of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), as provided in this section. Subject to par. (b), each school board and the operator of each charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall evaluate teachers and principals in the school district or charter school beginning in the 2014-15 school year.

115.415(1)(b) (b) For the evaluation of teachers and principals in the 2019-20 school year, the school board and the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) may not consider pupil performance on statewide assessments administered under s. 118.30 in the 2019-20 school year and may not include pupil performance on those assessments in the evaluation score assigned to a teacher or principal under the educator effectiveness evaluation system developed under this section.

115.415(2) (2) The department shall develop an educator effectiveness evaluation system according to the following framework, and may charge a fee to a school district and the governing board of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) to use the system developed under this subsection:

115.415(2)(a) (a) Fifty percent of the total evaluation score assigned to a teacher or principal shall be based upon measures of student performance, including performance on state assessments, district-wide assessments, student learning objectives, school-wide reading at the elementary and middle-school levels, and graduation rates at the high school level.

115.415(2)(b) (b) Fifty percent of the total evaluation score assigned to a teacher or principal shall be based upon one of the following:

115.415(2)(b)1. 1. For a teacher, the extent to which the teacher’s practice meets the core teaching standards adopted by the 2011 Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium.

115.415(2)(b)2. 2. For a principal, the extent to which the principal’s practice meets the 2008 Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Educational Leadership Policy Standards.

115.415(2)(c) (c) A teacher or principal evaluated under this subsection shall be placed in one of multiple performance categories.

115.415(3) (3) 

115.415(3)(a) (a) The department shall promulgate by rule an equivalency process aligned with the evaluation system established under sub. (2) for a school district, a charter school under contract with a school board that is not an instrumentality of the school district, or a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) seeking to utilize an alternative process for the evaluation of teacher and principal practice. The process under this subsection shall be based on the criteria established in the 2011 Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium and the 2008 Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Educational Leadership Policy Standards, and a school district, charter school under contract with a school board that is not an instrumentality of the school district, or charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) that uses the process under this subsection shall evaluate the performance of teachers in the following domains:

115.415(3)(a)1. 1. Planning and preparation.

115.415(3)(a)2. 2. The classroom environment.

115.415(3)(a)3. 3. Instruction.

115.415(3)(a)4. 4. Professional responsibilities and development.

115.415(3)(b) (b) A teacher or principal evaluated under this subsection shall be placed in one of multiple performance categories.

115.415(4) (4) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ek), the department may award grants to school districts and the governing board of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) to implement an educator effectiveness evaluation system developed under sub. (2) or an equivalency process established by rule under sub. (3).

115.415 History History: 2011 a. 166; 2013 a. 20, 258; 2015 a. 20, 55; 2019 a. 185.

115.42 115.42 Grants for national teacher certification or master educator licensure.

115.42(1) (1) 

115.42(1)(a) (a) The department shall award a grant to any person who satisfies all of the following requirements:

115.42(1)(a)1. 1. The person is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or licensed by the department as a master educator under s. PI 34.19, Wis. Adm. Code.

115.42 Note NOTE: Section PI 34.19, Wis. Adm. Code, no longer exists. Chapter PI 34, Wis. Adm. Code, was repealed and recreated in its entirety effective 8-1-18.

115.42(1)(a)2. 2. The person is licensed as a teacher by the state superintendent or employed as a teacher in a private school or tribal school located in this state.

115.42(1)(a)4. 4. The person is employed as a teacher in this state.

115.42(1)(a)5. 5. If the person was evaluated under s. 115.415 in the previous school year, the person was placed in the “effective” or “highly effective” performance category in the applicable educator effectiveness system, as determined by the department.

115.42(1)(b) (b) The grant under this subsection shall be an amount equal to the costs of obtaining certification or licensure under par. (a) 1. that are borne by the person, not to exceed $2,000. The department shall award the grant under this subsection in the first school year in which the person meets the requirements under par. (a).

115.42(2) (2) 

115.42(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (c), the department shall award 9 grants of $2,500 each to each person who received a grant under sub. (1) if the person satisfies all of the following requirements:

115.42(2)(a)1. 1. The person maintains his or her national teacher certificate or master educator license.

115.42(2)(a)2. 2. The person maintains his or her license as a teacher issued by the state superintendent or remains employed in a private school or tribal school located in this state.

115.42(2)(a)4. 4. The person remains employed as a teacher in this state.

115.42(2)(bL) (bL) The department shall award the grants under this subsection annually, one grant in each of the school years following the school year in which the grant under sub. (1) was awarded and in which the person satisfies the requirements under par. (a).

115.42(2)(c) (c) The amount of each grant under par. (a) shall be $5,000 in any school year in which the recipient is employed in a school in which at least 60 percent of the pupils enrolled satisfy the income eligibility criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch under 42 USC 1758 (b) (1).

115.42(2)(d) (d) In any of the 9 school years following the receipt of a grant under sub. (1) in which the grant recipient is evaluated under s. 115.415, if the grant recipient is placed in a performance category other than the “effective” or “highly effective” performance category in the applicable educator effectiveness system, as determined by the department, he or she is not eligible for a grant under this subsection in that school year.

115.42(4) (4) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including rules relating to all of the following:

115.42(4)(a) (a) The application process, including necessary documentation.

115.42(4)(b) (b) The selection process for grant recipients.

115.42 History History: 1997 a. 237; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 180, 302; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55, 190; 2017 a. 59.

115.42 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. PI 37, Wis. adm. code.

115.423 115.423 Rural school teacher talent pilot program. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (eg), the department shall award grants to cooperative educational service agencies to coordinate with universities and colleges to place undergraduate college students in rural school districts as student teachers and in practicums and internships. Grant moneys may be used to expand an existing student teacher, practicum, or internship program or to create a new program, but may not be used to maintain an existing program. Grant moneys may be used to cover the cooperative educational service agencies’ costs to coordinate the program and to provide mileage reimbursement and stipends to participating undergraduates.

115.423 History History: 2017 a. 59.

115.425 115.425 Professional standards council for teachers. The professional standards council for teachers shall do all of the following:

115.425(1) (1) Advise the state superintendent on standards for the licensure of teachers, including initial licensure and maintenance and renewal of licenses, to ensure the effective teaching of a relevant curriculum in Wisconsin schools.

115.425(2) (2) Propose to the state superintendent standards for evaluating and approving teacher education programs, including continuing education programs.

115.425(3) (3) Provide to the state superintendent an ongoing assessment of the complexities of teaching and the status of the teaching profession in this state.

115.425(4) (4) Propose to the state superintendent policies and practices for school boards and state and local teacher organizations to use in developing effective teaching.

115.425(5) (5) Propose to the state superintendent standards and procedures for revoking a teaching license.

115.425(6) (6) Propose to the state superintendent ways to recognize excellence in teaching, including the assessment administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and master educator licensure, and to assist teachers to achieve excellence in teaching.

115.425(7) (7) Propose to the state superintendent effective peer assistance and peer mentoring models, including evaluation systems, and alternative teacher dismissal procedures for consideration by school boards and labor organizations.

115.425(8) (8) Review and make recommendations regarding administrative rules proposed by the department that relate to teacher preparation, licensure and regulation.

115.425(9) (9) Propose to the state superintendent alternative procedures for the preparation and licensure of teachers.

115.425(11) (11) Report annually to the standing committees in each house of the legislature that deal with education matters on the activities and effectiveness of the council.

115.425 History History: 1997 a. 298; 1999 a. 32 s. 176.

115.43 115.43 Precollege scholarships.

115.43(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “ economically disadvantaged pupil” means a pupil who satisfies the income eligibility criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch under 42 USC 1758 (b) (1).

115.43(2) (2) Scholarships. The state superintendent shall:

115.43(2)(a) (a) Annually set goals relating to increasing the percentages of economically disadvantaged pupils who graduate from high school and are prepared for postsecondary school education.

115.43(2)(b) (b) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (3) (fz), award precollege scholarships, on a competitive basis, to economically disadvantaged pupils who enroll in a technical college or in college or university classes or programs designed to improve academic skills that are essential for success in postsecondary school education. The state superintendent shall give preference to economically disadvantaged pupils who are inadequately represented in the technical college and University of Wisconsin Systems.

115.43(2)(c) (c) In consultation with postsecondary educational institutions, promulgate rules establishing criteria for the review and approval of applications for scholarships under par. (b).

115.43 History History: 1985 a. 29; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27 ss. 3885, 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 48; 2007 a. 20; 2015 a. 55.

115.43 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. PI 22, Wis. adm. code.

115.435 115.435 Supplemental aid.

115.435(1g) (1g) In this section, “membership” has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (5).

115.435(1r) (1r) A school district that satisfies all of the following criteria may apply to the department by October 15 of each school year for a grant to supplement aid under s. 121.08:

115.435(1r)(a) (a) The school district’s membership in the previous school year was no more than 500 pupils.

115.435(1r)(b) (b) The school district is at least 200 square miles in area. The clerks of the municipalities within which the school district is located shall verify the school district’s area on a form prepared by the department.

115.435(1r)(c) (c) At least 80 percent of the real property in the school district is exempt from taxation under s. 70.11, taxed as forest croplands under subch. I of ch. 77, owned by or held in trust for a federally recognized American Indian tribe, or owned by the federal government. The clerks of the municipalities within which the school district is located shall verify the information required under this paragraph on a form prepared by the department.