AB615: Bill Text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-4840/1

FFK:wlj

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 615

November 3, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Hurd, Donovan, Allen, Duchow, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Murphy, Mursau, O'Connor and Wittke, cosponsored by Senators Hutton and Cabral-Guevara. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB615,1,2 An Act to create 115.28 (67) and 118.014 of the statutes; relating to: mathematics assessments, achievement plans, and interventions.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires school boards and independent charter schools to develop and implement a numeracy assessment plan, under which numeracy screening assessments are administered to pupils in grades kindergarten to eight for the purpose of identifying pupils who are at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards. The bill defines a numeracy screening assessment as a diagnostic assessment that is valid, reliable, research-based, and predictive of future mathematics achievement and is designed to identify pupils who are at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

Under the bill, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school boards and independent charter schools must administer numeracy screening assessments at least three times each school year. The bill further specifies that the first numeracy screening assessment must occur before the 30th day of the school term, the second numeracy screening assessment must occur in the middle of the school term, and the third numeracy screening assessment must occur no later than 45 days before the last day of the school term. Under the bill, school boards and independent charter schools must provide quality math tutoring to pupils who, on the basis of the results of a numeracy screening assessment, are identified as at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

The bill also requires school boards and independent charter schools to develop and implement personal mathematics plans for pupils identified as at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards on two consecutive numeracy screening assessments. Under the bill, a personal mathematics plan must include quality math tutoring that is provided by a high-quality provider and that is included on a list developed by the Department of Public Instruction or meets locally developed standards for quality math tutoring. A school board or independent charter school must continue to implement a personal mathematics plan until a pupil demonstrates that the pupil is meeting grade-level mathematics standards. Under current law, a school board and independent charter school must develop and implement a personal reading plan for pupils in five-year-old kindergarten to third grade who are identified as at-risk on certain early literacy screening assessments.

Lastly, the bill requires each school district or independent charter school in which fewer than 51 percent of fourth graders who took the Forward Exam received a score of proficient or better in mathematics to develop a mathematics achievement plan for the school district or charter school. Under the bill, DPI must create a model mathematics achievement plan.

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:

AB615,1 Section 1. 115.28 (67) of the statutes is created to read:

AB615,2,9 115.28 (67) High-quality tutoring; mathematics. (a) By no later than the first day of the 7th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], and annually thereafter, compile and post on the department’s website a list of entities that provide tutoring that the department considers to be of high quality and have the potential to accelerate learning in mathematics. In compiling the list under this paragraph, the state superintendent shall designate individual tutoring providers as more appropriate for certain grade levels or pupil needs.

AB615,3,2 (b) Solicit qualifications from public and private entities that provide tutoring in mathematics to pupils in the elementary grades. The state superintendent may establish multiple application periods in any school year for entities to submit their qualifications for consideration to be included on the list under par. (a).

AB615,3,5 (c) Establish a points-based system to evaluate the quality of entities under par. (a) and their tutoring programs and determine a minimum score for a tutoring program to be included on the list under par. (a).

AB615,2 Section 2. 118.014 of the statutes is created to read:

AB615,3,8 118.014 Mathematics; assessments and interventions. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB615,3,12 (a) “Explicit instruction” means structured and intentional instruction that is characterized by clear articulation of learning objectives, explanation of concepts, strategic modeling of skills, ongoing checks for understanding, immediate targeted feedback, guided questioning, and opportunities for pupils to verbalize reasoning.

AB615,3,13 (b) “Independent charter school” has the meaning given in s. 118.016 (1) (h).

AB615,3,17 (c) “Numeracy screening assessment” means a diagnostic assessment that is valid, reliable, research-based, and predictive of future mathematics achievement and is designed to identify pupils who are at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

AB615,3,20 (d) “Proficient score” means a score that demonstrates a pupil is meeting the knowledge and skill expectations described in the state academic standards in mathematics for the pupil’s grade level.

AB615,3,24 (e) “Qualifying educational entity” means any of the following in which fewer than 51 percent of the pupils who took the 4th grade examination under s. 118.30 (1) in the previous school year attained at least a proficient score on the mathematics portion of the examination:

AB615,4,1 1. A school district.

AB615,4,2 2. An independent charter school.

AB615,4,5 (f) “Qualifying pupil” means a pupil who, in 2 consecutive numeracy screening assessments administered under sub. (2) (b), is identified as at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

AB615,4,7 (g) “Quality math tutoring” means tutoring in mathematics that is all of the following:

AB615,4,8 1. Aligned with the pupil’s classroom instruction.

AB615,4,10 2. Includes additional instruction time at least 3 days per week or at least 50 hours over a 36-week period.

AB615,4,13 3. Provided by an entity that is included on the list under s. 115.28 (67) or has met standards established by a school board or operator of an independent charter school for quality mathematics tutoring.

AB615,4,18 (2) Numeracy screening plan, assessments, and interventions. (a) Each school board and operator of an independent charter school shall develop and implement a numeracy screening plan that incorporates the assessments under par. (b) for pupils in 5-year-old kindergarten to 8th grade to identify pupils who are at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

AB615,4,24 (b) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, each school board and operator of an independent charter school shall administer a numeracy screening assessment, selected by the school board or operator of the independent charter school, to each pupil enrolled in 5-year-old kindergarten to 8th grade in the school district or independent charter school at least 3 times each school year and shall ensure that the numeracy screening assessments are administered as follows:

AB615,5,2 1. The first numeracy screening assessment is administered before the 30th day after the first day of the school term.

AB615,5,5 2. The 2nd numeracy screening assessment is administered in the middle of the school term, as determined by the school board or operator of the independent charter school.

AB615,5,7 3. The 3rd numeracy screening assessment is administered by the date that is 45 days before the last day of the school term.

AB615,5,11 (c) Each school board and operator of an independent charter school shall provide quality math tutoring to pupils who are identified in numeracy screening assessments administered under par. (b) as at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

AB615,5,20 (3) Personal mathematics plans; qualifying pupils. (a) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, a school board and operator of an independent charter school shall develop for each qualifying pupil a personal mathematics plan that includes interventions that include explicit instruction. A personal mathematics plan shall be developed by no later than 30 days after the pupil is identified as at-risk on the 2nd consecutive numeracy screening assessment required to become a qualifying pupil. The personal mathematics plan shall be developed in consultation with the qualifying pupil’s parent or guardian and classroom teacher and shall include at least all of the following:

AB615,5,21 1. The pupil’s specific mathematics deficiencies.

AB615,5,23 2. A description of the interventions and any additional instructional services that will be provided to the pupil to address the pupil’s mathematics deficiencies.

AB615,6,2 3. Opportunities for the pupil’s parent or guardian to be involved in the interventions described in par. (b).

AB615,6,3 4. How the pupil’s progress will be monitored.

AB615,6,4 5. Quality math tutoring.

AB615,6,9 (b) Each school board and operator of an independent charter school shall provide the interventions described in a qualifying pupil’s personal mathematics plan to the qualifying pupil, as soon as practicable, and shall continue to implement the personal mathematics plan until the qualifying pupil is meeting grade-level mathematics standards.

AB615,6,12 (4) Mathematics achievement plans; qualifying educational entities. (a) By July 1, 2026, the department shall establish a model mathematics achievement plan that includes at least all of the following:

AB615,6,14 1. An analysis of pupil performance data, including results from numeracy screening assessments administered under sub. (2) (b).

AB615,6,16 2. Measurable pupil performance goals for improving mathematical proficiency.

AB615,6,20 3. Evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of pupils who are identified as at-risk of not meeting grade-level mathematics standards, including the use of explicit instruction in interventions and alignment to high-quality instructional materials.

AB615,6,23 4. A professional development plan that includes training in evidence-based practices aligned to the 2008 final report of the national mathematics advisory panel.

AB615,7,2 5. Instructional strategies to improve pupil performance in mathematics, including the use of explicit instruction and practices that support the development of mathematical proficiency.

AB615,7,5 (b) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, each qualifying educational entity shall establish and submit to the department a mathematics achievement plan that includes the elements under par. (a) 1. to 5.

AB615,7,7 (c) The department shall post each mathematics achievement plan submitted under par. (b) on the department’s website.

AB615,7,8 (end)