SB49: Bill Text

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.

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

Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council's Special Committee on Improving Educational Opportunities in High School.

This bill requires each school board and each operator of a charter school established by the city of Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, or the Milwaukee Area Technical College to provide an academic and career plan for each pupil beginning in grade 6 until the completion of grade 12. The requirement begins in the 2018-19 school year.

This bill requires the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to promulgate rules establishing procedures for the use of academic and career plans. The rules must also prescribe the form and content of the plans and a mechanism for school districts to demonstrate compliance. This bill also requires the Department of Public Instruction to include an appropriation in its 2015-17 budget request that requests aid to schools to implement the use of academic and career plans.

Under the Youth Options program, any pupil enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade who satisfies certain requirements may attend a post-secondary institution in Wisconsin for the purpose of taking a course or courses for high school and post-secondary credit. For purposes of the program, post-secondary institutions are any Wisconsin Technical College System campus, UW System institution, Wisconsin tribally controlled college, or Wisconsin private, nonprofit institution of higher education.

In order to attend the UW, a tribally controlled college, or a private college, a pupil must apply to the university or college in the school semester prior to the one in which the student plans to take the post-secondary course. The pupil must also notify the school board of the pupil's intention to enroll in a post-secondary institution, the titles of the courses in which the pupil intends to enroll, the number of credits of each course, and whether the pupil will be taking the course for high school or post-secondary credit. A university or college may admit a pupil under the Youth Options program only if space is available.

In order to attend a technical college, in addition to applying to the technical college and notifying the school board, a pupil must have completed the 10th grade, be in good academic standing, and not qualify as a child at risk.

If the pupil wants to take a course for high school and post-secondary credit, the school board must determine whether the course is comparable to a course offered in the school district, whether the course satisfies any of the high school graduation requirements, and the number of high school credits to award the pupil for the course, if any. The school board must pay for any course taken at a post-secondary institution or technical college that is taken for high school credit and that is not comparable to a course offered in the school district.

This bill requires that, beginning in the 2019-20 school year, a pupil's notification to the school board of the pupil's intention to enroll in a post-secondary institution or technical college must include a description of how the courses in which the pupil intends to enroll relate to the pupil's academic and career plan. The 2019-20 school year is one year after the requirement that all students have an academic and career plan becomes effective under this bill.

SB49,1 Section 1. 118.36 of the statutes is created to read:

SB49,2,5 118.36 Academic and career plans. (1) In this section, "academic and career plan" means an individual plan designed for a pupil that includes a pupil's interests, secondary and post-secondary academic planning, career exploration and assessment, and career planning.

SB49,3,2 (2) Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, each school board shall provide an academic and career plan that complies with rules promulgated under this section to each pupil enrolled in the school district, including each pupil with an individualized education program under s. 115.787, beginning in grade 6 until the completion of grade 12.

SB49,3,7 (3) The state superintendent shall promulgate rules establishing procedures for the use of academic and career plans under this section. The rules shall prescribe the form and content of academic and career plans and a mechanism for school districts and charter schools under s. 118.40 (2r) to demonstrate compliance with this section and the rules promulgated under this subsection.

Note: This Section requires each school board, beginning in the 2018-19 school year, to provide access to an academic and career plan for each pupil, including each pupil with an individualized education program, beginning in grade 6 until the completion of grade 12.

This Section also requires the state superintendent to promulgate rules establishing procedures for the use of academic and career plans. The rules must also prescribe the form and content of the plans and a mechanism for school districts and independent charter schools to demonstrate compliance.

SB49,2 Section 2. 118.40 (2r) (d) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

SB49,3,13 118.40 (2r) (d) 3. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, provide an academic and career plan, as defined in s. 118.36 (1), that complies with the rules promulgated under s. 118.36 (3) to each pupil enrolled in a charter school under this subsection, including each pupil with an individualized education program under s. 115.787, beginning in grade 6 until the completion of grade 12.

Note: This Section requires an independent charter school, beginning in the 2018-19 school year, to provide access to an academic and career plan for each pupil enrolled in the school beginning in grade 6 until the completion of grade 12.

SB49,3 Section 3 . 118.55 (3) (am) and (7r) (ac) of the statutes are created to read:

SB49,3,18 118.55 (3) (am) Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, a pupil shall include in a notice to the school board under par. (a) a description of how each course in which the pupil intends to enroll at an institution of higher education under this section relates to the pupil's academic and career plan under s. 118.36.

Note: This Section requires that the notice a pupil submits to a school board of the pupil's intention to enroll in a post-secondary institution must include a description of how the course the pupil intends to take relates to the pupil's academic and career plan. This requirement becomes effective in the 2019-20 school year.

SB49,4,4 (7r) (ac) Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, a pupil shall include in a notice to the school board under par. (a) 3. a description of how each course in which the pupil intends to enroll at a technical college relates to the pupil's academic and career plan under s. 118.36.

Note: This Section requires that the notice a pupil submits to a school board of the pupil's intention to attend a technical college must include a description of how the course the pupil intends to take relates to the pupil's academic and career plan. This requirement becomes effective in the 2019-20 school year.

SB49,4 Section 4. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB49,4,10 (1) Biennial budget request. Notwithstanding section 16.42 (1) of the statutes, the department of public instruction shall submit as part of its budget request for the 2015-17 fiscal biennium under section 16.42 of the statutes an appropriation for providing aid to schools to implement sections 118.36 and 118.40 (2r) (d) 3. of the statutes, as created by this act.

SB49,4,14 (2) Rules. The state superintendent shall submit in proposed form the rules required under section 118.36 (3) of the statutes, as created by this act, to the legislative council staff under section 227.15 (1) of the statutes no later than the first day of the 13th month beginning after the effective date of this subsection.

Note: This Section requires DPI to include an appropriation in its 2015-17 budget request that requests aid to school districts and independent charter schools to implement the use of academic and career plans. In addition, this Section requires the state superintendent to submit the proposed rules, to be promulgated under s. 118.36 (3), stats., to the Legislative Council's Rules Clearinghouse no later than the first day of the 13th month beginning after the act's effective date.

SB49,4,15 (End)