SB 608 — Relating to: a license to teach based on working as a paraprofessional in a school district. (FE)

-Date 2024of LEGISLATUREenactment: LRB-3218/1 FFK:skw SENATE BILL 608 October 30, 2023 - Introduced by Senators KNODL , NASSand T OMCZYK , cosponsored by Representatives D ITTRICH, NEDWESKI , RETTINGER , BRANDTJEN , M ELOTIK, ROZAR , MURPHY , DONOVAN , OC ONNOR and M ICHALSKI.

ReferredSenate toBill Committee608 onDate Education.of publication*:

WISCONSIN ACT A N A CT to amend 115.28 (7) (a) and 118.19 (3) (a);

and to create 118.198 of the statutes;relatingstatutes; to:

relating to:

AnalysisThe bypeople the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to issue a provisional license to teach to an individual who a) passes a background check, b) worked as a paraprofessional for at least three days per week for at least one school year in a classroom, and c) is recommended for licensure by the principalstate of theWisconsin, schoolrepresented at which the individual worked as a paraprofessional, the director of teaching and learning for the school district in whichmost therecently individualcompleted workedacademic asyear; a paraprofessional, and the school district administrator of the school district in which the individual worked as a paraprofessional.

Underfile the bill, a provisional license to teach that is issued based on these criteria authorizes the license holder to teach only in the schoolstate districtsenate thatand recommendedassembly, thedo individualenact foras thefollows: license.

Additionally,superintendent’s duringoffice theall firstpapers schoolrelating yearto duringstate whichteach- theSECTION license1. holder teaches under the license, the license holder must be mentored by a teacher who has taught for at least three school years in the school district.

Finally,115.28 the(7) bill(a) specifiesof that DPI must issue a lifetime license based on a provisional license issued under the billstatutes, ifas theaffected licenseers’ holderlicenses; successfully completes six semesters of teaching experience.

- 2024 Legislature - 2 - LRB-3218/1 FFK:skw SENATE BILL 608 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2023 Wisconsin Act 20, 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, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, 118.195, and118.197, and 118.198;

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;

by 2023 Wisconsin Act 20, is amended to read:

118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended 115.28 (7) (a) License all teachers for the public to read:

LRB-3218/1schools -of 2024 Legislature - 3 - FFK:skw SECTION 2 SENATE BILL 608 118.19 (3) (a) No license to teach in any public school may be issued unless the applicantstate; possesses a bachelor's degree including such professional training as the department by rule requires, except as permitted under par.

(b)make rules establishing standards of 118.19(3) (a) Nolicenseto teach in any public school attainment and procedures for the examination and may be issued unless the applicant possesses a bachelor’s degree including such professional training as the depart- licensing of teachers within the limits prescribed in ss.

115.28ment (17)by (a),rule 118.191,requires, 118.1915,except 118.192,as 118.193,permitted 118.194,under an,par. 118.197 and 118.198.

Notwithstanding(b) s.118.19 (2) and (3), 118.191, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, 118.195, and 118.197, and 118.198;

36.11prescribe (16),and noss. teacher preparatory program in this state may be approved by the state superintendent under s.

115.28 (7)(17) (a), unless118.191, each118.1915, student118.192, inby therule programstandards, isrequirements, requiredand toprocedures complete student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily118.193, schedule118.194, and semester118.197, calendarand of118.198. the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent.

NoNotwith- licenseapproval toof teachteacher inpreparatory anyprograms publicleading school may be granted to anstanding applicants. who completed a 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.

The36.11 state(16), superintendentno mayteacher grantpreparatory exceptionsprogram toin thelicensure, studentincluding teachinga requirementsrequirement underthat, thisto paragraphbe whenapproved theby midyearthis calendarsstate ofmay be approved by the institutionstate offeringsuperintendent the state superintendent, a teacher preparatory program andunder s.115.28 (7) (a), unless each student in the cooperatingprogram schoolshall differdemonstrate fromthat eachit otherprovides andinstruction wouldthat preventpre- studentsis fromrequired attendingto classescomplete atstudent theteaching institutionconsisting inof accordancefull withdays for a full semester following the institution'sdaily calendar.schedule and pares teachers to teach reading and language arts using science−based early reading instruction, as defined in s.

Thesemester statecalendar superintendentof shallthe promulgatecooperating rulesschool toor implementthe thisequiv- subsection.118.015 (1c) (b), and does not provide instruction on alent, as determined by the state superintendent.

IfNo forteaching thereading purposeand oflanguage grantingarts athat incorporates license to teach orin forany approvingpublic school may be granted to an 3−cueing, as defined in s.118.015 (1c) (c), and a require- applicant who completed a professional training program ment that, beginning on July 1, 2012, and annually there- outside this state unless the applicant completed student after, each teacher preparatory program thelocated in this teaching consisting of full days for a full semester follow- state superintendentshall requiressubmit thatto anthe institutiondepartment a list of higherindividuals educationing bethe accredited,daily schedule and semester calendar of the statecoop- superintendentwho shallhave acceptcompleted accreditationthe byprogram aand regionalwho have been rec- erating school or nationalthe institutionalequivalent, accreditingas agencydetermined recognizedby the ommended by the U.S.program for licensure under this sub- state superintendent.

departmentThe state superintendent may grant section, together with each individual’s date of educationprogram exceptions to the student teaching requirements under completion, from each term or bysemester aof programmaticthe accreditingprogram’s organization.this paragraph when the midyear calendars of the institu- * Section 991.11,ISCONSINSTATUTE:

SEffective ECTIONdate 3.of acts.

“Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor’s partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication.” Wisconsin Act − 2 − 2023 Senate Bill 608 tion offering the teacher preparatory program and the (e) The individual submits an application for a cooperating school differ from each other and would pre- license under this section by September 1 of the school vent students from attending classes at the institution in year in which the license is to be issued.

accordance with the institution’s calendar.

The state (f) The individual has not held a license under this superintendent shall promulgate rules to implement this section.

subsection.

If for the purpose of granting a license to (3) (a) A license to teach issued under sub.

(2) autho- teach or for approving a teacher preparatory program the rizes the license holder to teach only in the employing state superintendent requires that an institution of higher school district that recommended the license holder education be accredited, the state superintendent shall under sub.