Under the bill, school boards and independent charter schools must annually, by July 15, report to DPI 1) the number of pupils who were identified as at-risk based on early literacy assessments administered in the previous school year; 2) the number of five-year-old kindergarten to third grade pupils who began receiving literacy interventions or remedial reading services in the previous school year, by grade; 3) the total number of five-year-old kindergarten to third grade pupils who received literacy interventions or remedial reading services in the previous school year; 4) the number of five-year-old kindergarten to third grade pupils who exited literacy interventions in the previous school year; and 5) the number of pupils for whom a special education referral was made based on the results of a diagnostic assessment. The school board or independent charter school must also report the names of the diagnostic assessments the school board or independent charter school used to assess pupils in the previous school year. Annually, by November 30, DPI must compile the information it receives from school boards and independent charter schools and submit a report to the legislature.
Enforcement
The bill allows the parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in four-year-old kindergarten to third grade in a school district or independent charter school to file a complaint with DPI if the parent or guardian believes that the school board or independent charter school operator is not in compliance with requirements in the bill. Under the bill, DPI must issue a determination on whether the school board or independent charter school is in compliance and, if the school board or independent charter school is not in compliance, describe the actions that must be taken for the school board or independent charter school to be in compliance with the applicable requirements. If a school board or independent charter school continues to fail to comply with the requirements in the bill, the bill allows an individual who filed a complaint with DPI to bring an action in circuit court to compel the school board or independent charter school to comply with the requirements created in the bill.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
SB329,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SB329,15Section 1. 15.01 (6) of the statutes is amended to read: SB329,,6615.01 (6) “Division,” “bureau,” “section,” and “unit” means the subunits of a department or an independent agency, whether specifically created by law or created by the head of the department or the independent agency for the more economic and efficient administration and operation of the programs assigned to the department or independent agency. The office of credit unions in the department of financial institutions, the office of the inspector general in the department of children and families, the office of the inspector general in the department of health services, and the office of children’s mental health in the department of health services have the meaning of “division” under this subsection. The office of the long-term care ombudsman under the board on aging and long-term care and the office of educational accountability and the office of literacy in the department of public instruction have the meaning of “bureau” under this subsection. SB329,27Section 2. 15.374 (2) of the statutes is created to read: SB329,,8815.374 (2) Office of literacy. There is created an office of literacy, to be known as the Wisconsin Reading Center, in the department of public instruction. The director of the office shall be nominated by the state superintendent of public instruction after consultation with the council on early literacy curricula, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, to serve at the pleasure of the state superintendent of public instruction. SB329,39Section 3. 15.374 (2) of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is repealed. SB329,410Section 4. 15.377 (9) of the statutes is created to read: SB329,,111115.377 (9) Council on early literacy curricula. (a) There is created in the department of public instruction a council on early literacy curricula composed of 9 members who have knowledge of or experience with science-based early literacy instruction, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (b), and literacy curricula for pupils in grades kindergarten to 3. The members of the council shall be appointed for staggered 3-year terms, as follows:. SB329,,12121. Three members appointed by the speaker of the assembly. SB329,,13132. Three members appointed by the senate majority leader. SB329,,14143. Three members appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction. SB329,,1515(b) An individual may not serve as a member of the council under this subsection if any of the following applies: SB329,,16161. The individual has a financial interest in an entity that develops, sells, or markets a product to assess reading ability. SB329,,17172. The individual has a financial interest in an entity that develops, sells, or markets a product specifically intended to be used to teach reading. SB329,,18183. The individual has a financial interest in an entity that develops, sells, or markets a product to treat reading difficulties. SB329,,1919(c) For purposes of par. (b), “financial interest in an entity” includes all of the following: SB329,,20201. A direct or indirect ownership interest in the entity. SB329,,21212. Receiving income from the entity during the 12 months preceding the consideration for appointment under par. (a). SB329,522Section 5. 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: SB329,,2323115.28 (7) (a) License all teachers for the public schools of the state; 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 by rule standards, requirements, and procedures for the approval of teacher preparatory programs leading to licensure, including a requirement that, to be approved by the state superintendent, a teacher preparatory program shall demonstrate that it provides instruction that prepares teachers to teach reading and language arts using science-based early reading instruction, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (b), and does not provide instruction on teaching reading and language arts that incorporates 3-cueing, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (c), and 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 in the state superintendent’s office all papers relating to state teachers’ licenses; and register each such license. SB329,624Section 6. 115.38 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: SB329,,2525115.38 (1) (a) Indicators of academic achievement, including the performance of pupils on the tests administered under s. 121.02 (1) (r), the performance of pupils on assessments required under s. 118.016 (3), and the performance of pupils, by subject area, on the statewide assessment examinations administered under s. 118.30. SB329,726Section 7. 115.385 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read: