2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
February 23, 2016 - Introduced by Representatives Shankland, Kulp, Pope,
Mursau, Berceau, Billings, Brostoff, Hesselbein, Johnson, Kahl, Kolste,
Ohnstad, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Subeck, C. Taylor, Wachs and Zepnick,
cosponsored by Senators Harris Dodd, Lassa, C. Larson, Miller, L. Taylor
and Wirch. Referred to Committee on Education.
AB943,1,3
1An Act to create 20.255 (2) (bg) and 115.815 of the statutes;
relating to: pilot
2program for school districts to employ special education job development
3specialists and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to create a pilot
program in the 2016-17 school year to pay for the employment of special education
job development specialists in a school district, consortia of school districts, or
cooperative educational service agency ("school district"). The special education job
development specialists will be responsible for identifying and developing paid jobs
for children with disabilities in the school district who have transition planning and
transition services in place. DPI must give preference in awarding funding to a
school district that has demonstrated below-average postsecondary employment
outcomes for children with disabilities in the preceding five school years.
For further information see the state and local 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:
AB943,1
4Section
1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
5the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table ![PDF](http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/assets/image/file_acrobat.gif)
AB943,2
1Section
2. 20.255 (2) (bg) of the statutes is created to read:
AB943,2,42
20.255
(2) (bg)
Aid for special education job development specialist grants. The
3amounts in the schedule for the special education job development specialist pilot
4program under s. 115.815.
AB943,3
5Section
3. 115.815 of the statutes is created to read:
AB943,2,13
6115.815 Special education job development specialist pilot program. 7(1) The department shall establish for the 2016-17 school year a pilot program
8under which a school district, a consortia of school districts, or a cooperative
9educational service agency that is selected to participate in the program will receive
10funding from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (bg) to improve employment
11outcomes of children with disabilities in the school district, consortia of school
12districts, or in school districts within the cooperative educational service agency who
13have transition planning and transition services in place.
AB943,3,2
14(2) The department shall select for participation in the pilot program school
15districts and cooperative educational service agencies from urban, suburban, and
16rural areas throughout the state in accordance with application procedures and
17criteria established by the department. The department shall give preference to a
18school district, consortia of school districts, or cooperative educational service agency
1that, in the preceding 5 school years, has performed below average on transition
2services indicators established under
20 USC 1416 (a) (3) (B).
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3(3) A school district, consortia of school districts, or cooperative educational
4service agency that receives grant funding under this section shall do all of the
5following:
AB943,3,156
(a) Apply the funding towards the salary, benefits, travel expenses, equipment,
7supplies, and, if necessary, training of one or more special education job development
8specialists who shall be responsible for identifying or developing paid jobs for
9children with disabilities who have transition planning and transition services in
10place and who, at the time of their enrollment in a school in the school district,
11consortia of school districts, or in a school district within the cooperative educational
12service agency, had an individualized education program in effect. The school
13district shall ensure that each job opportunity made available through the pilot
14program pays minimum wage or greater to pupils employed in an integrated setting
15through the program.
AB943,3,2416
(b) Give preference in hiring as a special education job development specialist
17to an individual who possesses education, skills, or training in both meeting the work
18force needs of the business community and working with people with disabilities to
19secure employment. If no such candidate applies for the special education job
20development specialist position, the school district, consortia of school districts, or
21cooperative educational service agency may provide appropriate training to an
22individual who possesses education, skills, or training in either meeting the work
23force needs of the business community or working with people with disabilities to
24secure employment.
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25(4) The department shall do all of the following:
AB943,4,6
1(a) Monitor the administration of the pilot program in a school district,
2consortia of school districts, and in the school districts within a cooperative
3educational service agency that receives funding under this section to evaluate the
4effectiveness of and make adjustments to the program and to identify best practices
5for application in other school districts or cooperative educational service agencies
6in subsequent school years.
AB943,4,117
(b) At the end of the 2016-17 school year, submit a report to the appropriate
8standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) on the impact of the pilot
9program on pupils employed under the program; participating school districts,
10consortia of school districts, and cooperative educational service areas; and
11participating workplaces and businesses.