July 27, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives O’Connor, Murphy, Vos, Maxey, Nedweski, Kitchens, Armstrong, Gustafson, Macco, Bodden, Behnke, Gundrum, Rozar, Wichgers, Brandtjen, Goeben and Green, cosponsored by Senator Cabral-Guevara. Referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities.

AB370,,22An Act to amend 36.11 (3) (a) and 119.04 (1); and to create 36.11 (3m), 38.22 (2) and 118.58 of the statutes; relating to: guaranteed admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges and requiring high schools to prepare class rankings for certain pupils.

This bill requires the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and technical college district boards to establish a guaranteed admission program for applicants ranked in the top 5 percent of their high school class and requires an annual class ranking of some high school pupils at the end of 11th and 12th grade.

The bill requires school boards, charter school operators, and governing bodies of private schools and tribal schools that operate high schools to 1) establish a method for ranking pupils on the basis of academic achievement, which may take into account the pupil’s grade point average, ACT examination score, course work, and other measures of academic achievement or scholastic merit; and 2) using this ranking method, annually prepare a class ranking of pupils at the end of 11th grade and 12th grade. The class ranking must identify pupils who rank in the top 5 percent of their high school class and may include the class ranking of other pupils as well. The school board, charter school operator, or governing body must provide notice of ranking to each pupil ranked in the top 5 percent of the pupil’s high school class. If a high school’s class enrollment is less than 20 pupils, the highest ranked pupil in the class is considered to be in the top 5 percent.

The bill provides that, under the UW System and technical college guaranteed admission programs, an applicant is eligible for guaranteed admission to the UW System institution or technical college of the applicant’s choice if the applicant satisfies any of the following criteria: 1) the applicant graduated from, or expects to graduate from, a public, private, or tribal high school in Wisconsin and is ranked in the top 5 percent of the applicant’s high school class at the time of application; 2) the applicant is homeschooled, has been or expects to be granted a high school diploma, and achieves an ACT examination score in the top 5 percent of all scores statewide. For UW System institutions, the program applies only to applicants for admission as first-year undergraduate students. An applicant for admission under the guaranteed admission program must also submit a timely and complete application. A UW System institution or technical college may revoke an offer of admission if the applicant later fails to graduate from high school, fails in the final year of high school to maintain a level of academic achievement similar to the applicant’s level of academic achievement at the time of application, or misrepresents the applicant’s class rank or ACT examination score.

AB370,,6636.11 (3) (a) The Subject to sub. (3m), the board shall establish the policies for admission within the system and within these policies each institution shall establish specific requirements for admission to its courses of instruction. No sectarian or partisan tests or any tests based upon race, religion, national origin of U.S. citizens or sex shall ever be allowed in the admission of students thereto.

AB370,,1313a. The applicant graduated from, or at the time of application expects to graduate from, a public, private, or tribal high school in this state and, at the time of application, the applicant is ranked in the top 5 percent of the applicant’s high school class, as determined under s. 118.58, in the most recent class ranking for that class.

AB370,,1414b. The applicant has been or expects to be granted a high school diploma by the administrator of a home-based private educational program in this state and the applicant achieves an ACT examination score in the top 5 percent of ACT examinations given statewide.