LRB-0638/1
FFK:wlj
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 639
November 8, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives DITTRICH, NEDWESKI, O'CONNOR,
MAGNAFICI, ARMSTRONG, MURPHY, GOEBEN, DUCHOW, BRANDTJEN, ROZAR and
RETTINGER, cosponsored by Senators KNODL, BALLWEG and TOMCZYK. Referred
to Committee on Education.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to amend 115.28 (7) (a) and 118.19 (3) (a); and to create 118.1913 of the
statutes; relating to: issuing a license to teach based on equivalency and
granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to offer a statutory
pathway to teacher licensure based on equivalency. Prior to August 1, 2022, DPI
offered a similar pathway under its administrative rules.
Under the bill, DPI must grant a provisional teaching license to an individual
who 1) has a bachelor's degree; 2) has at least six semesters of teaching experience,
which may include experience in a public school, private school, postsecondary
institution, or industry setting; and 3) successfully completes a standards-based
assessment program approved by DPI and an assessment approved by DPI of the
individual's knowledge, skills, and disposition. The bill also requires DPI to approve
a standards-based assessment and an assessment of knowledge, skills, and
disposition, which are required under the pathway, by no later than approximately
six months after the date on which the bill becomes law. Finally, the bill specifies that
an individual who obtains a provisional teaching license under this pathway is
eligible for a lifetime license if the individual successfully completes six semesters
of teaching experience under the license.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
1
2
3 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-0638/1
FFK:wlj
SECTION 1 ASSEMBLY BILL 639
SECTION 1. 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.28 (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,
118.1913, 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, 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.
SECTION 2. 118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
118.19 (3) (a) No license to teach in any public school may be issued unless the
applicant possesses a bachelor's degree including such professional training as the
department by rule requires, except as permitted under par. (b) and ss. 115.28 (17)
(a), 118.191, 118.1913, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, and 118.197.
Notwithstanding s. 36.11 (16), no teacher preparatory program in this state may be
approved by the state superintendent under s. 115.28 (7) (a), unless each student in
the program is required to complete student teaching consisting of full days for a full
semester following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating
school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. No license to
teach in any public school may be granted to an applicant who completed a
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 - 3 -2023 - 2024 Legislature
LRB-0638/1
FFK:wlj
SECTION 2
ASSEMBLY BILL 639
professional training program outside this state unless the applicant completed
student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily
schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as
determined by the state superintendent. The state superintendent may grant
exceptions to the student teaching requirements under this paragraph when the
midyear calendars of the institution offering the teacher preparatory program and
the cooperating school differ from each other and would prevent students from
attending classes at the institution in accordance with the institution's calendar.
The state superintendent shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. If for
the purpose of granting a license to teach or for approving a teacher preparatory
program the state superintendent requires that an institution of higher education
be accredited, the state superintendent shall accept accreditation by a regional or
national institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. department of
education or by a programmatic accrediting organization.
SECTION 3. 118.1913 of the statutes is created to read:
118.1913 License based on equivalency. (1) Notwithstanding s. 118.19
(4m), (6) to (9), (12), and (14), the department shall grant a provisional teaching
license to an individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10) and
who satisfies all of the following:
(a) The individual possesses a bachelor's degree.
(b) The individual has at least 6 semesters of teaching experience. In this
paragraph, teaching experience includes teaching in a public school, private school,
postsecondary institution, or industry setting.
(c) The individual successfully completes all of the following:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24 - 4 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-0638/1
FFK:wlj
SECTION 3 ASSEMBLY BILL 639
1. A standards-based assessment program approved by the department under
sub. (2) (a).
2. An assessment approved by the department under sub. (2) (b) of the
individual's knowledge, skills, and disposition.
(2) By the first day of the 7th month after the effective date of this subsection
.... [LRB inserts date], the department shall approve all of the following:
(a) A standards-based assessment program for a license under this section.
(b) An assessment of an individual's knowledge, skills, and disposition that
includes at least all of the following categories:
1. Communication skills.
2. Content knowledge for subject area programs.
3. Pedagogical knowledge.
4. Reading.
(3) A provisional license under sub. (1) authorizes an individual to teach the
subject and educational levels for which the individual has successfully
demonstrated equivalency, as determined by the department by rule.
(4) The department shall issue a lifetime license to an individual who obtains
a provisional license under sub. (1) if the individual successfully completes 6
semesters of teaching experience, as defined by the department by rule. An
individual who does not successfully complete 6 semesters of teaching experience, as
defined by the department by rule, within the 3-year term of a provisional license
issued under sub. (1) may apply to renew the provisional license. There is no limit
to the number of times an individual may renew a provisional license under this
subsection.
(END)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25