SB619: Bill Text

LRB-4257/2

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2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

2013 Senate BILL 619

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 An Act to amend 118.30 (1); and to create 15.07 (2) (fm), 15.375 (1) and 118.301 of 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 Section 1. 15.07 (2) (fm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB619,3,4 15.07 (2) (fm) The state superintendent of public instruction or his or her designated representative and one individual appointed under s. 15.375 (1) (a) 2. shall serve as cochairpersons of the model academic standards board.

SB619,2 Section 2. 15.375 (1) of the statutes is created to read:

SB619,3,11 15.375 (1) Model academic standards board. (a) There is created a model academic standards board, attached to the department of public instruction under s. 15.03, to make recommendations for and to review and revise or replace model academic standards. A member of the legislature may not be appointed to serve and may not serve on the board during the term for which the legislator was elected. The board consists of the following members appointed for staggered 3-year terms:

SB619,3,14 1. The state superintendent of public instruction, or his or her designee, who shall serve as a cochairperson of the board and who shall appoint the following 4 members:

SB619,3,15 a. One individual who is employed as a principal in a high school.

SB619,3,16 b. One member of a school board.

SB619,3,17 c. One professor employed at an institution of higher education in this state.

SB619,3,18 d. One individual who is a parent of a pupil enrolled in a public school.

SB619,3,19 2. The following 6 members appointed by the governor:

SB619,3,20 a. One individual who shall serve as a cochairperson of the board.

SB619,3,21 b. One teacher employed by a public school.

SB619,4,2 c. One teacher employed by a private school participating in a program under s. 118.60 or 119.23.

SB619,4,3 d. One superintendent of a school district.

SB619,4,5 e. One individual who is a parent of a pupil attending a private school in a program under s. 118.60 or 119.23.

SB619,4,6 f. One individual who is employed as a principal at an elementary school.

SB619,4,7 3. One individual appointed by the senate majority leader.

SB619,4,8 4. One individual appointed by the senate minority leader.

SB619,4,9 5. One individual appointed by the speaker of the assembly.

SB619,4,10 6. One individual appointed by the assembly minority leader.

SB619,4,13 (b) The individual appointed under par. (a) 2. a. shall call the first meeting of the board. At the board's first meeting, the board shall adopt rules, policies, and procedures for future meetings.

SB619,4,17 (c) The board shall appoint subject-specific subcommittees to research, make recommendations for, review, propose revisions to, and submit to the board the model academic standards required under s. 118.301 (3) and (4). Each subcommittee shall consist of the following members:

SB619,4,22 1. One individual appointed by the state superintendent who shall be a member of the board and who shall serve as a cochairperson of the subcommittee with the individual appointed under subd. 2. The individual appointed under this subdivision shall prepare a list containing the names of not more than 5 persons for consideration by the board as provided under subd. 3. a.

SB619,5,2 2. One individual appointed by the governor who shall be a member of the board and who shall serve as a cochairperson of the subcommittee with the person appointed under subd. 1. The individual appointed under this subdivision shall prepare a list containing the names of not more than 5 persons for consideration by the board as provided under subd. 3. b.

SB619,5,3 3. The following 5 individuals:

SB619,5,4 a. Two individuals selected from the list under subd. 1.

SB619,5,5 b. Three individuals selected from the list under subd. 2.

SB619,5,10 (d) The board may appoint up to 4 additional nonvoting members to each subject-specific subcommittee established under par. (c). The members appointed under this paragraph shall have professional training and expertise in the particular subject matter of the model academic standards subcommittee on which the individual serves.

SB619,5,12 (e) The board shall review and may modify and amend any model academic standards it receives from a subcommittee established under par. (c).

SB619,3 Section 3. 118.30 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act 20, is amended to read:

SB619,5,20 118.30 (1) The state superintendent shall adopt or approve examinations designed to measure pupil attainment of knowledge and concepts in the 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. The examinations adopted or approved to measure pupil attainment of knowledge and concepts in English, reading, and language arts; mathematics; science; and social studies shall be aligned with the standards adopted under s. 118.301 (3) and (4).

SB619,4 Section 4. 118.301 of the statutes is created to read:

SB619,6,2 118.301 Model academic standards. (1) The legislature finds that the state of Wisconsin has the sole authority to adopt model academic standards. The legislature shall oppose any efforts by the federal government to coerce this state and the school boards of the school districts of this state into adopting any specific set of academic standards.

SB619,6,7 (2) Prior to submitting any model academic standards to the state superintendent as required under subs. (3) and (4), the model academic standards board shall hold at least one public hearing on the proposed standards, take public testimony, and consider the testimony and all written comments submitted in connection with the hearing.

SB619,6,11 (3) (a) No later than 12 months after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], the model academic standards board shall submit to the state superintendent and to the legislative council staff recommended model academic standards in the following subject areas:

SB619,6,12 1. English, reading, and language arts.

SB619,6,13 2. Mathematics.