Chapter PI 37

GRANTS FOR NATIONAL TEACHER CERTIFICATION
OR MASTER EDUCATOR LICENSURE

PI 37.01   Purpose.

PI 37.02   Definitions.

PI 37.03   Grants for national board certification.

PI 37.05   Review of applications and awarding of grants.

PI 37.01 PI 37.01 Purpose. Under s. 115.42, Stats., the state superintendent shall award grants to eligible applicants who are certified by the national board for professional teaching standards or licensed by the department as a master educator under s. PI 34.042. This chapter sets forth criteria and procedures for awarding grants under this program. This chapter also specifies continuing professional education exemptions for national board certificate holders and master educator license holders.

PI 37.01 History History: Cr. Register, May, 2000, No. 533, eff. 6-1-00; EmR0813: emerg. am. eff. 5-17-08; CR 08-044: am. Register January 2009 No. 637, eff. 2-1-09; correction made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register June 2019 No. 762.

PI 37.02 PI 37.02 Definitions. In this chapter:

PI 37.02(1) (1) “Department” means the Wisconsin department of public instruction.

PI 37.02(1g) (1g) “Educator effectiveness system” means the educator effectiveness evaluation system under s. 115.415, Stats.

PI 37.02(1r) (1r) “Educator practice outcome summary” means the evaluation score under s. 115.415 (2) (b), Stats., or an equivalent score.

PI 37.02(2) (2) “Employed as a teacher” means a person working as a teacher for a minimum of 40 percent full-time equivalency for at least 180 days in a school year.

PI 37.02(3) (3) “National board certification” or “national board certificate” means a certificate issued by the national board for professional teaching standards.

PI 37.02(3m) (3m) “Rating of effective or highly effective” means a score of greater than or equal to 2.5 in both the educator practice outcome summary and the student outcomes summary or, if the person has not had an initial rating in the educator effectiveness system, the person is in the process of being evaluated for a rating in the educator effectiveness system.

PI 37.02(4) (4) “School year” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (13), Stats.

PI 37.02(5) (5) “State license” means a document issued under ch. PI 34 granting authority or permission to serve as a professional school employee in Wisconsin public schools.

PI 37.02(6) (6) “State superintendent” means the state superintendent of public instruction for the state of Wisconsin.

PI 37.02(6m) (6m) “Student outcomes summary” means the evaluation score based on upon measures of student performance under s. 115.415 (2) (a), Stats.

PI 37.02(7) (7) “Teacher” means properly licensed persons delivering instruction to pupils; or school psychologists, school counselors, or school social workers.  “Teacher” does not include a person working under a contract as an administrator.

PI 37.02(8) (8) “Wisconsin master educator” means a teacher who has completed the Wisconsin master educator assessment process and is licensed under s. PI 34.042.

PI 37.02 History History: Cr. Register, May, 2000, No. 533, eff. 6-1-00; CR 01-132: r. (1) and renum. (2) to (4) to be (1) to (3) Register May 2002 No. 557, eff. 6-1-02; correction in (2) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register June 2004 No. 582; EmR0813: emerg. renum. (1) to (3) to be (4) to (6), cr. (1) to (3), (7) and (8) eff. 5-17-08; CR 08-044: renum. (1) to (3) to be (4) to (6), cr. (1) to (3), (7) and (8) Register January 2009 No. 637, eff. 2-1-09; CR 15-029: cr. (1g), (1r), (3m), (6m) Register October 2015 No. 718, eff. 11-1-15; correction in (8) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register June 2019 No. 762.

PI 37.03 PI 37.03 Grants for national board certification.

PI 37.03(1) (1) Eligibility.

PI 37.03(1)(a) (a) Annually by June 30, a person meeting all of the following requirements may apply to the state superintendent for a grant in the amount equal to the costs of obtaining or renewing a national board certification or obtaining a Wisconsin master educator license that are borne by the person, not to exceed $2,000:

PI 37.03(1)(a)1. 1. The person is certified by the national board for professional teaching standards or licensed as a Wisconsin master educator.

PI 37.03(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.

PI 37.03(1)(a)3. 3. The person is employed as a teacher in this state.

PI 37.03(1)(a)4. 4. If the person is required to be evaluated under s. 120.12 (2m) (a), Stats., and the person applied for an initial grant under this paragraph in the 2014-15 school year or thereafter, the person has a rating of effective or highly effective in the educator effectiveness system.

PI 37.03(1)(b) (b) Except as provided under par. (c), persons receiving a grant under par. (a) may apply annually by June 30 in each of the 9 school years following the school year in which he or she received the grant to the state superintendent for a $2,500 grant if the person satisfies all of the following requirements:

PI 37.03(1)(b)1. 1. The person maintains his or her national board certification or Wisconsin master educator license.

PI 37.03(1)(b)2. 2. The person maintains his or her license as a teacher by the state superintendent or remains employed in a private school or tribal school located in this state.

PI 37.03(1)(b)3. 3. The person remains employed as a teacher in this state.

PI 37.03(1)(b)4. 4. If the person is required to be evaluated under s. 120.12 (2m) (a), Stats., and the person received an initial grant under par. (a) in the 2014-15 school year or thereafter, the person maintains a rating of effective or highly effective in the educator effectiveness system.

PI 37.03(1)(c) (c) The amount of each grant under par. (b) shall be $5,000 in any school year in which the recipient is employed as a teacher 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).

PI 37.03(2) (2) Application requirements. A person applying for a grant under this chapter shall provide the state superintendent with all of the following information:

PI 37.03(2)(a) (a) A certified copy of the applicant’s national board certificate or Wisconsin master educator license.

PI 37.03(2)(b) (b) A form provided by the department verifying employment from the employing public or private school administrator or his or her designee indicating that the applicant is employed as a teacher in this state.

PI 37.03(2)(c) (c) Verification that the applicant is employed as a teacher 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), if applicable.

PI 37.03 Note Note: PI 1678, Employment Verification for National Teacher Certification by NBPTS or Wisconsin Master Educator License by WMEAP, may be obtained at no charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841 or by going to the department’s web site at: https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/master/national-board or https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/master-educator.

PI 37.03 History History: Cr. Register, May, 2000, No. 533, eff. 6-1-00; CR 01-132: r. (1) (a) 3., (b) 3., (2) (c), renum. (1) (a) 4. to be (1) (a) 3. and (1) (b) 4. to be (1) (b) 3. Register May 2002 No. 557, eff. 6-1-02; EmR0813: emerg. am. eff. 5-17-08; CR 08-044: am. Register January 2009 No. 637, eff. 2-1-09; CR 15-029: am. (1) (a) 2., cr. (1) (a) 4., am. (1) (b) 2., cr. (1) (b) 4. Register October 2015 No. 718, eff. 11-1-15; numbering correction in (1) (b) 4. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., s. 35.17, Stats., and correction of Section 6 of CR 15-029 (PI 37.03 (1) (b) 2., not PI 37.032 (2) (a) 2., is amended) Register October 2015 No. 718; CR 15-073: am. (1) (c), (2) (c) Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16; CR 19-069: am. (1) (a) Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3-1-20.

PI 37.05 PI 37.05 Review of applications and awarding of grants. The state superintendent shall review the applications submitted under this chapter and shall award grants if the applicant meets all of the criteria specified under s. PI 37.03.

PI 37.05 Note Note: Additional information regarding the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards may be obtained by contacting the Board at 1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22209; [phone]; Website: www.nbpts.org.

PI 37.05 Note PI-1669-Initial, National Teacher Certification by NBPTS Initial Reimbursement Grant Application, may be obtained at no charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841 or by going to the department’s web site at https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/master/national-board.

PI 37.05 Note PI-1645-Annual, National Teacher Certification by NBPTS Annual Grant Application, may be obtained at no charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841 or by going to the department’s web site at https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/master/national-board.

PI 37.05 Note PI-1677-Initial, Master Educator License by WMEAP Initial Reimbursement Grant Application, may be obtained at no charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841 or by going to the department’s web site at https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/master-educator.

PI 37.05 Note PI-1679-Annual, Master Educator License by WMEAP Annual Grant Application, may be obtained at no charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841 or by going to the department’s web site at https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/master-educator.

PI 37.05 Note Additional information regarding Wisconsin incentives may be obtained by contacting the Department of Public Instruction Teacher Education and Licensing, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841; [phone].

PI 37.05 History History: Cr. Register, May, 2000, No. 533, eff. 6-1-00.