AB681: Bill Text

LRB-4358/1

FFK&TKK:emw/klm/amn

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Assembly BILL 681

January 12, 2016 - Introduced by Law Revision Committee. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AB681,1,4 An Act to amend 115.28 (7) (e) 2., 115.42 (1) (a) 5. and 115.42 (2) (d) of the statutes; relating to: grants for national teacher certification or master educator licensure and licensure for alternative education program teachers (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Public Instruction).

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill clarifies that the requirements in the national teacher certification and master educator licensure grant program related to an individual being placed in a performance category in an educator effectiveness evaluation system apply only to those individuals who must be evaluated under an educator effectiveness evaluation system. Current law requires each school board and the operator of each independent charter school to use an educator effectiveness evaluation system to evaluate teachers and principals in the school district or charter school. Current law does not require the governing body of a private school to use an educator effectiveness evaluation system to evaluate teachers and principals at the private school.

This bill also eliminates duplicative language requiring the Department of Public Instruction to promulgate administrative rules governing teacher education programs in this state.

For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.

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

AB681,1 Section 1. 115.28 (7) (e) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB681,2,15 115.28 (7) (e) 2. Promulgate rules establishing requirements for licensure as an alternative education program teacher and for the approval of teacher education programs leading to licensure as an alternative education program teacher. The rules shall include a requirement that each teacher education program described in this subdivision and located in this state shall, beginning on July 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, 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 subdivision, together with each individual's date of program completion, from each term or semester of the program's most recently completed academic year. The rules shall encompass the teaching of multiple subjects or grade levels or both, as determined by the state superintendent. The rules may require teacher education programs to grant credit towards licensure as an alternative education program teacher for relevant experience or demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and knowledge.

Note: Eliminates duplicative language mandating that the Department of Public Instruction promulgate certain requirements relating to alternative education teacher programs in administrative rule. Language appearing elsewhere in the statutory section already mandates that DPI promulgate these requirements in administrative rule for all teacher preparatory programs.

AB681,2 Section 2. 115.42 (1) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB681,3,2 115.42 (1) (a) 5. The If the person was evaluated under s. 115.415 in the previous school year, the person has a rating of was placed in the "effective" or "highly effective" performance category in the applicable educator effectiveness system, as determined by the department.

AB681,3 Section 3 . 115.42 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB681,3,9 115.42 (2) (d) In any of the 9 school years following the receipt of a grant under sub. (1) in which the grant recipient is evaluated under s. 115.415, if the grant recipient fails to maintain a rating of is placed in a performance category other than the "effective" or "highly effective" performance category in the applicable educator effectiveness system, as determined by the department, he or she is not eligible for a grant under this subsection in that school year.

Note: Section 3 clarifies that teachers who are not subject to evaluation under the educator effectiveness evaluation system are still eligible for a grant program administered by the Department of Public Instruction. The program awards grants to teachers who receive national teacher certification or master educator licensure and who meet other eligibility criteria. One criterion is that the individual achieve or maintain a rating of "effective" or "highly effective" in the educator effectiveness system. Current law requires public school and charter school teachers to be evaluated under such a system, but does not require evaluation of private school teachers. The bill provides that the criterion to achieve or maintain a certain rating under the educator effectiveness evaluation system only applies to individuals who are subject to the evaluation system.

AB681,3,10 (End)