WI
Wisconsin Senate Bill SB837

Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB837 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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33 2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
44 2023 SENATE BILL 837
55 December 19, 2023 - Introduced by Senators WANGGAARD and CABRAL-GUEVARA,
66 cosponsored by Representatives NEDWESKI, VOS, BEHNKE, BINSFELD, DITTRICH,
77 DONOVAN, EDMING, GUNDRUM, MAXEY, MICHALSKI, MURPHY, NOVAK, O'CONNOR,
88 RETTINGER, ROZAR, SCHRAA, SPIROS, STEFFEN, SUMMERFIELD, TUSLER, WICHGERS
99 and HURD. Referred to Committee on Education.
1010 ***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
1111 AN ACT to amend 118.165 (1) (d) and 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b.; and to create 115.28
1212 (55v), 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m., 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m., 118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a)
1313 10. and 121.02 (1) (L) 9. of the statutes; relating to: required instruction in
1414 civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation
1515 requirements, and private school educational program criteria.
1616 Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
1717 This bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to promulgate
1818 rules to develop a model curriculum and instructional materials for grades
1919 kindergarten to 12 on civics to prepare pupils to be civically responsible and
2020 knowledgeable adults. The model curriculum and instructional materials must be
2121 designed to assist pupils in developing all of the following:
2222 1. An understanding of pupils' shared rights and responsibilities as residents
2323 of this state and the United States and of the founding principles of the United
2424 States.
2525 2. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government
2626 at the local, state, and federal levels.
2727 3. An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before
2828 governmental bodies and officials.
2929 4. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations of an upright and
3030 desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and
3131 defending the benefits of liberty inherited from previous generations and secured by
3232 the U.S. Constitution.
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4040 5. Knowledge of other nations' governing philosophies, including communism,
4141 socialism, and totalitarianism, and an understanding of how those philosophies
4242 compare with the philosophy and principles of freedom and representative
4343 democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
4444 Under the bill, the state superintendent must curate oral history resources to
4545 be used along with the model curriculum. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the
4646 bill requires school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools
4747 participating in a parental choice program to include in their respective curricula
4848 instruction in civics that includes the five components required to be included in the
4949 model curriculum. The bill also requires school boards, independent charter schools,
5050 and private schools participating in a parental choice program to annually report to
5151 the Department of Public Instruction regarding how they are meeting the civics
5252 instruction requirement created under the bill. DPI must then compile the
5353 information and submit it to the legislature.
5454 Finally, under current law, a school board may grant a high school diploma to
5555 a pupil only if the pupil meets specific statutory requirements, including earning a
5656 certain number of credits in various subjects in the high school grades. Currently, a
5757 pupil must earn at least three credits of social studies, including state and local
5858 government. The bill specifies that the social studies credits also must include
5959 one-half credit of civics instruction. This graduation requirement first applies to
6060 pupils who graduate in the 2027-28 school year.
6161 For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
6262 printed as an appendix to this bill.
6363 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
6464 enact as follows:
6565 SECTION 1. 115.28 (55v) of the statutes is created to read:
6666 115.28 (55v) CIVICS EDUCATION CURRICULUM. (a) Promulgate rules to develop
6767 a model curriculum and related instructional materials for grades kindergarten to
6868 12 on civics to prepare pupils to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults.
6969 In developing the model curriculum and instructional materials, the state
7070 superintendent shall ensure that they are designed to assist pupils in developing all
7171 of the following:
7272 1. An understanding of pupils' shared rights and responsibilities as residents
7373 of this state and the United States and of the founding principles of the United
7474 States, including all of the following:
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8787 SECTION 1
8888 SENATE BILL 837
8989 a. The history and content of the Declaration of Independence, including
9090 natural and popular sovereignty and self-evident truth, and how those concepts
9191 form the philosophical foundations of government.
9292 b. The history, meaning, significance, and effect of provisions of the U.S.
9393 Constitution and the Bill of Rights and how those documents provide the structure
9494 of government.
9595 c. The arguments in support of adopting the republican form of government,
9696 including those arguments contained in the Federalist Papers.
9797 2. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government
9898 at the local, state, and federal levels.
9999 3. An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before
100100 governmental bodies and officials.
101101 4. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations of an upright and
102102 desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and
103103 defending the benefits of liberty inherited from previous generations and secured by
104104 the U.S. Constitution.
105105 5. Knowledge of other nations' governing philosophies, including communism,
106106 socialism, and totalitarianism, and an understanding of how those philosophies
107107 compare with the philosophy and principles of freedom and representative
108108 democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
109109 (b) Curate oral history resources, to be used along with the civics curriculum
110110 developed under par. (a), that provide portraits in patriotism based on the personal
111111 stories of diverse individuals who demonstrate civic-minded qualities, including
112112 first-person accounts of victims of other nations' governing philosophies who are
113113 able to compare those philosophies with those of the United States.
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140140 SECTION 1 SENATE BILL 837
141141 (c) Notify school boards, operators of charter schools under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x),
142142 and governing bodies of private schools participating in a program under s. 118.60
143143 or 119.23 that the civics curriculum developed under par. (a) and the oral history
144144 resources are available from the department.
145145 (d) Annually compile and submit the information the department receives
146146 under ss. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m., 118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10.,
147147 and 121.02 (1) (L) 9. b. to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature
148148 under s. 13.172 (3).
149149 SECTION 2. 118.165 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
150150 118.165 (1) (d) The program provides a sequentially progressive curriculum of
151151 fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies,
152152 science, and health. This subsection does not require the program to include in its
153153 curriculum any concept, topic, or practice in conflict with the program's religious
154154 doctrines or mission or to exclude from its curriculum any concept, topic, or practice
155155 consistent with the program's religious doctrines or mission.
156156 SECTION 3. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
157157 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. At least 3 credits of social studies, including state and local
158158 government, that includes at least 0.5 credit of civics instruction.
159159 SECTION 4. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
160160 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. A requirement that the charter school's curriculum include
161161 the instruction in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. a. and that the charter
162162 school annually report to the department regarding how the charter school
163163 governing board is meeting the requirement under this subd. 2. m.
164164 SECTION 5. 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
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191191 SECTION 5
192192 SENATE BILL 837
193193 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. A requirement that the charter school's curriculum include
194194 the instruction in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. a. and that the charter
195195 school annually report to the department regarding how the charter school
196196 governing board is meeting the requirement under this subd. 2. m.
197197 SECTION 6. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
198198 118.60 (2) (a) 10. The private school includes in its curriculum the instruction
199199 in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. a. and annually reports to the department
200200 regarding how the private school is meeting the requirement under this subdivision.
201201 SECTION 7. 119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
202202 119.23 (2) (a) 10. The private school includes in its curriculum the instruction
203203 in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. a. and annually reports to the department
204204 regarding how the private school is meeting the requirement under this subdivision.
205205 SECTION 8. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. of the statutes is created to read:
206206 121.02 (1) (L) 9. a. Include instruction in civics that includes the topics and
207207 pupil development goals described under s. 115.28 (55v) (a) 1. to 5.
208208 b. Annually report to the department regarding how the school board is
209209 meeting the requirement under subd. 9. a.
210210 SECTION 9.0Initial applicability.
211211 (1) The treatment of s. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m. first applies to a
212212 contract that is entered into, renewed, or modified on the effective date of this
213213 subsection.
214214 (2) The treatment of s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. first applies to curriculum for the
215215 2025-26 school year.
216216 (3) The treatment of s. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. first applies to a pupil who graduates
217217 in the 2027-28 school year.
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244244 SECTION 9 SENATE BILL 837
245245 (4) The treatment of ss. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. and 119.23 (2) (a) 10. first applies to
246246 an application to attend a private school under a parental choice program in the
247247 2025-26 school year.
248248 SECTION 10.0Effective date.
249249 (1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2024.
250250 (END)
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