LRB-4257/2
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2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
February 18, 2014 - Introduced by Senators Vukmir, Farrow, Lazich, Leibham,
Grothman and Tiffany, cosponsored by Representatives Thiesfeldt, Nass,
Knudson, J. Ott, Tauchen, Spiros, Knodl, Jagler, Pridemore, Schraa,
Hutton, Murphy, Sanfelippo and Kulp. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB619,1,2 1An Act to amend 118.30 (1); and to create 15.07 (2) (fm), 15.375 (1) and 118.301
2of the statutes; relating to: creating a model academic standards board.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
model academic standards
The 2013-15 biennial budget act (2013 Wisconsin Act 20) prohibits the
Department of Public Instruction (DPI) from taking any further action to implement
the common core standards (educational standards developed for kindergarten to
grade 12 by the Common Core State Standards Initiative) and from directing school
districts to implement further standards until certain conditions have been satisfied.
Act 20 provides that any common core standard adopted and implemented by DPI
before July 1, 2013, remains in effect and requires DPI to adopt additional college
and career readiness standards no later than July 1, 2014.
This bill requires DPI to adopt state standards only after those standards have
been developed and approved by the Model Academic Standards Board.
model academic standards board
The bill creates a Model Academic Standards Board (board) in DPI which
comprises the following members: the state superintendent of public instruction, or
his or her designee, who serves as cochairperson and who must appoint four
members; six members appointed by the governor, one of whom is to serve as
cochairperson; one member appointed by each of the senate majority and minority
leaders; one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly; and one member
appointed by the assembly minority leader. The members appointed by the state

superintendent must include an individual employed as a principal in a high school,
a member of a school board, one individual who is a parent of a pupil enrolled in a
public school, and one professor employed at an institution of higher education in this
state. The members appointed by the governor must include one teacher employed
by a public school, one teacher employed by a private school participating in a
parental choice program, one superintendent of a school district, one individual
employed as a principal in an elementary school, and one individual who is a parent
of a pupil attending a private school under a parental choice program. No member
of the board may be a member of the legislature.
Under the bill, the board is charged with developing model academic standards
in four discrete subject areas: 1) English, reading, and language arts; 2)
mathematics; 3) science; and 4) social studies. To further this objective, the bill
requires the board to appoint subject-specific subcommittees in the four subject
areas.
The bill requires the board to submit proposed model academic standards in
English, reading, and language arts and in mathematics to the state superintendent
within 12 months of the enactment of the bill. The bill requires the board to submit
proposed model academic standards in science and social studies to the state
superintendent within 36 months of the enactment of the bill. In addition, the bill
permits, but does not require, the board to submit to the state superintendent
proposed model academic standards in additional subject areas, including fine arts
and career and technical education.
Under the bill, after the board has submitted its proposed model academic
standards to the state superintendent, the state superintendent must, taking into
consideration the academic standards submitted by the board, submit its own
proposed model academic standards first to the legislative council staff for review
and comment and then to the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules
(JCRAR). JCRAR must either approve the proposed model academic standards or
object to the proposed standards. If JCRAR approves the model academic standards,
the state superintendent must adopt the model academic standards. If JCRAR
objects to the proposed model academic standards, JCRAR must prepare a bill that
incorporates by reference the proposed model academic standards submitted by the
board for introduction in both the senate and the assembly.
Under the bill, three public hearings must be held concerning the proposed
model academic standards: the board must hold a hearing prior to submitting its
proposed standards to the state superintendent; the state superintendent must hold
a hearing prior to submitting its proposed standards for review by the legislative
council staff; and JCRAR must hold a public hearing prior to approving or objecting
to the standards submitted by the state superintendent.
The bill also requires the board to review and update each model academic
standard at least once every six years. Finally, the bill requires the board, together
with legislative council staff, the state superintendent, and JCRAR to: 1) ensure that
the model academic standards do not prescribe curricula to be adopted by school
boards; and 2) ensure that the standards establish, in a manner that is clear to

pupils, parents, and the general public, high expectations for the knowledge and
skills pupils must attain and master at each of the 12 grades.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB619,1 1Section 1. 15.07 (2) (fm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB619,3,42 15.07 (2) (fm) The state superintendent of public instruction or his or her
3designated representative and one individual appointed under s. 15.375 (1) (a) 2.
4shall serve as cochairpersons of the model academic standards board.
SB619,2 5Section 2. 15.375 (1) of the statutes is created to read:
SB619,3,116 15.375 (1) Model academic standards board. (a) There is created a model
7academic standards board, attached to the department of public instruction under
8s. 15.03, to make recommendations for and to review and revise or replace model
9academic standards. A member of the legislature may not be appointed to serve and
10may not serve on the board during the term for which the legislator was elected. The
11board consists of the following members appointed for staggered 3-year terms:
SB619,3,1412 1. The state superintendent of public instruction, or his or her designee, who
13shall serve as a cochairperson of the board and who shall appoint the following 4
14members:
SB619,3,1515 a. One individual who is employed as a principal in a high school.
SB619,3,1616 b. One member of a school board.
SB619,3,1717 c. One professor employed at an institution of higher education in this state.
SB619,3,1818 d. One individual who is a parent of a pupil enrolled in a public school.
SB619,3,1919 2. The following 6 members appointed by the governor:
SB619,3,2020 a. One individual who shall serve as a cochairperson of the board.
SB619,3,2121 b. One teacher employed by a public school.
SB619,4,2
1c. One teacher employed by a private school participating in a program under
2s. 118.60 or 119.23.
SB619,4,33 d. One superintendent of a school district.
SB619,4,54 e. One individual who is a parent of a pupil attending a private school in a
5program under s. 118.60 or 119.23.
SB619,4,66 f. One individual who is employed as a principal at an elementary school.
SB619,4,77 3. One individual appointed by the senate majority leader.
SB619,4,88 4. One individual appointed by the senate minority leader.
SB619,4,99 5. One individual appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
SB619,4,1010 6. One individual appointed by the assembly minority leader.
SB619,4,1311 (b) The individual appointed under par. (a) 2. a. shall call the first meeting of
12the board. At the board's first meeting, the board shall adopt rules, policies, and
13procedures for future meetings.
SB619,4,1714 (c) The board shall appoint subject-specific subcommittees to research, make
15recommendations for, review, propose revisions to, and submit to the board the model
16academic standards required under s. 118.301 (3) and (4). Each subcommittee shall
17consist of the following members:
SB619,4,2218 1. One individual appointed by the state superintendent who shall be a member
19of the board and who shall serve as a cochairperson of the subcommittee with the
20individual appointed under subd. 2. The individual appointed under this subdivision
21shall prepare a list containing the names of not more than 5 persons for consideration
22by the board as provided under subd. 3. a.
SB619,5,223 2. One individual appointed by the governor who shall be a member of the board
24and who shall serve as a cochairperson of the subcommittee with the person
25appointed under subd. 1. The individual appointed under this subdivision shall

1prepare a list containing the names of not more than 5 persons for consideration by
2the board as provided under subd. 3. b.
SB619,5,33 3. The following 5 individuals:
SB619,5,44 a. Two individuals selected from the list under subd. 1.
SB619,5,55 b. Three individuals selected from the list under subd. 2.
SB619,5,106 (d) The board may appoint up to 4 additional nonvoting members to each
7subject-specific subcommittee established under par. (c). The members appointed
8under this paragraph shall have professional training and expertise in the particular
9subject matter of the model academic standards subcommittee on which the
10individual serves.
SB619,5,1211 (e) The board shall review and may modify and amend any model academic
12standards it receives from a subcommittee established under par. (c).
SB619,3 13Section 3. 118.30 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act 20, is
14amended to read:
SB619,5,2015 118.30 (1) The state superintendent shall adopt or approve examinations
16designed to measure pupil attainment of knowledge and concepts in the 4th, 8th, 9th,
1710th, and 11th grades. The examinations adopted or approved to measure pupil
18attainment of knowledge and concepts in English, reading, and language arts;
19mathematics; science; and social studies shall be aligned with the standards adopted
20under s. 118.301 (3) and (4).
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