February 10, 2012 - Introduced by Senators Olsen, Darling and Schultz,
cosponsored by Representatives Kestell, Ballweg, Brooks, Endsley,
Marklein
and Spanbauer. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB461,1,12 1An Act to repeal 20.505 (4) (c); to renumber and amend 14.20 (2); to amend
214.20 (title), 20.525 (1) (f), 115.28 (7) (a), 115.28 (7) (e) 2. and 119.04 (1); to
3repeal and recreate
14.20 (1); and to create 14.017 (5), 14.20 (1m), 14.20 (2)
4(b) and (c), 20.255 (2) (d), 20.255 (2) (q), 20.525 (1) (q), 25.17 (1) (ge), 25.79,
5115.28 (7g), 115.28 (12) (ag), 115.415, 118.016, 118.19 (14), 120.12 (2m) and
6121.02 (1) (c) 3. of the statutes; relating to: the governor's read to lead
7development fund, the Read to Lead Development Council, grants in support
8of literacy and early childhood development programs, teacher licensure,
9screening kindergarten pupils for reading readiness, remedial reading services
10for certain pupils, evaluating teacher preparatory programs and educator
11effectiveness, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and making an
12appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Read to lead

This bill creates the Read to Lead Development Council in the Office of the
Governor. The council consists of the governor, the state superintendent of public
instruction, four legislators, and 15 additional members appointed by the governor.
The bill creates a segregated fund, designated the governor's read to lead
development fund, consisting of all contributions made to the fund. The bill
appropriates moneys in the fund to the governor and to the state superintendent to
award grants in support of literacy and early childhood development programs. The
governor may award a grant to any person other than a school board. The state
superintendent may award a grant only to a school board. The governor and the state
superintendent jointly determine the amount of each grant. The bill directs the Read
to Lead Development Council to advise the governor and state superintendent on
grant recipients.
Assessments of reading readiness
This bill directs each school board and each independent charter school
annually to assess all pupils in five-year-old kindergarten programs for reading
readiness. If the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) determines that sufficient
moneys are available, the school board and the charter school must also assess all
pupils in four-year-old kindergarten programs. The school board and charter school
must use an assessment selected by DPI. The school board and charter school must
provide a pupil whose assessment indicates that he or she is at risk of reading
difficulty with remedial reading services. The bill appropriates moneys to DPI to
provide school districts and independent charter schools with the assessments.
Teacher licensure
Beginning January 1, 2014, the bill prohibits DPI from issuing an initial
teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in grades kindergarten to five
or in special education unless the applicant has passed an examination that tests the
applicant's knowledge of specified facets of reading development and reading
instruction. The bill provides that any teacher who passes the examination must
notify DPI in order to have a notation added to the teacher's license indicating that
he or she passed the examination.
Teacher preparatory programs
Under current law, DPI establishes standards and requirements for and
approves education programs leading to licensure as a teacher, including programs
leading to licensure as an alternative education program teacher. This bill requires
each teacher education program located in this state to, beginning on July 1, 2012,
and annually thereafter, provide DPI with a list of graduates, and their graduation
dates, from each term or semester of the program's most recently completed
academic year. The bill requires DPI to include this information about graduates of
teacher education programs in the statewide student information system.
This bill requires DPI to work in consultation with the governor's office, the
University or Wisconsin system, chairpersons and ranking members of the senate
and assembly education committees, the technical college system, and the Wisconsin
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to determine how the
performance of recent graduates of teacher education programs should be used to
evaluate the teacher education programs and what measures of performance will be

used to evaluate teacher performance. The bill also requires DPI to develop a system
through which information about teacher performance and the evaluation of teacher
education programs will be made available to the public. The bill requires DPI,
beginning in the 2013-14 school year, to report for each teacher education program
the rate of passage on first attempt of students and graduates of the program on
examinations administered for licensure as a teacher and as an alternative
education program teacher, and any other information recommended by DPI in
consultation with the entities above, on the system developed as required in the bill.
Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, each teacher education program must
prominently display this information on the program's web site and provide this
information to persons receiving admissions information to the program.
Educator effectiveness evaluations
This bill also requires DPI to develop an educator effectiveness evaluation
system (state system) and to develop, by rule, an equivalency process aligned with
the state system (equivalency process) to assist school districts in the evaluation of
the performance of teachers and principals in the district. Under the state system,
50 percent of the total evaluation score assigned to a teacher or principal must be
based on measures of student performance, and 50 percent of the total evaluation
score must be based upon the extent to which the teacher's or principal's practice
meets standards established under the 2011 Interstate Teacher Assessment and
Support Consortium or under the 2008 Interstate School Leaders Licensure
Consortium Educational Leadership Policy Standards, respectively. The
equivalency process must be based upon the same interstate standards as the state
system and must evaluate a teacher with reference to the following four domains:
planning and preparation, the classroom environment, instruction, and professional
responsibilities and development. Teachers and principals evaluated under both the
state system and the equivalency process must be placed in one of multiple
performance categories. Each school district must begin evaluating teachers and
principals using either the state system or the equivalency process in the 2014-15
school year.
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:
SB461, s. 1 1Section 1. 14.017 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,3,32 14.017 (5) Read to lead development council. (a) There is created in the office
3of the governor a read to lead development council consisting of all of the following:
SB461,3,54 1. The governor or his or her designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the
5council.
SB461,4,2
12. The state superintendent of public instruction or his or her designee, who
2shall serve as vice-chair of the council.
SB461,4,53 3. The chairpersons of the committees in the assembly and the senate whose
4subject matter is elementary and secondary education or members of those
5committees designated by those chairpersons.
SB461,4,76 4. The ranking minority members of each of the committees under subd. 3. or
7members of those committees designated by the ranking minority members.
SB461,4,98 5. The following members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the
9governor:
SB461,4,1010 a. Two practicing elementary and secondary education teachers or principals.
SB461,4,1111 b. One practicing preschool teacher.
SB461,4,1212 c. Three persons representing this state's philanthropic community.
SB461,4,1313 d. Three persons representing this state's business community.
SB461,4,1414 e. One person representing the Wisconsin State Reading Association.
SB461,4,1515 f. One person representing the Wisconsin Reading Coalition.
SB461,4,1616 g. One person representing the International Dyslexia Association.
SB461,4,1717 h. One person representing Wisconsin Literacy, Inc.
SB461,4,1818 i. One person representing the Wisconsin Library Association.
SB461,4,1919 j. One person representing this state's research community.
SB461,4,2020 (b) Section 15.09 applies to the read to lead development council.
SB461, s. 2 21Section 2. 14.20 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB461,4,23 2214.20 (title) Literacy improvement aids and early childhood
23development grants
.
SB461, s. 3 24Section 3. 14.20 (1) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
SB461,4,2525 14.20 (1) In this section:
SB461,5,1
1(a) "Council" means the read to lead development council.
SB461,5,32 (b) "State superintendent" means the state superintendent of public
3instruction.
SB461, s. 4 4Section 4. 14.20 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,5,105 14.20 (1m) The council shall make recommendations to the governor and state
6superintendent regarding recipients of grants under sub. (2). The amount of each
7grant awarded shall be determined jointly by the governor and the state
8superintendent. In addition to reports required under s. 15.09 (7), annually the
9council shall submit a report on its operation to the appropriate standing committees
10of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3).
SB461, s. 5 11Section 5. 14.20 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 14.20 (2) (a) and amended
12to read:
SB461,5,1513 14.20 (2) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.525 (1) (f), the governor may
14provide award a grant to any local governmental unit or nonprofit organization
15person other than a school board for support of a literacy improvement program.
SB461, s. 6 16Section 6. 14.20 (2) (b) and (c) of the statutes are created to read:
SB461,5,1917 14.20 (2) (b) From the appropriation under s. 20.525 (1) (q), the governor may
18award a grant to any person other than a school board for support of a literacy or early
19childhood development program.
SB461,5,2220 (c) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (q), the state superintendent
21may award a grant to a school board for support of a literacy or early childhood
22development program.
SB461, s. 7 23Section 7. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
24the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
SB461, s. 8 1Section 8. 20.255 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,6,42 20.255 (2) (d) Assessments of reading readiness. The amounts in the schedule
3to provide school districts and independent charter schools with the assessments of
4reading readiness under s. 118.016.
SB461, s. 9 5Section 9. 20.255 (2) (q) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,6,86 20.255 (2) (q) Grants for literacy and early childhood development programs.
7From the governor's read to lead development fund, a sum sufficient for grants to
8support literacy and early childhood development programs under s. 14.20 (2) (c).
SB461, s. 10 9Section 10. 20.505 (4) (c) of the statutes, as created by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32,
10is repealed.
SB461, s. 11 11Section 11. 20.525 (1) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB461,6,1312 20.525 (1) (f) Literacy improvement aids. The amounts in the schedule for the
13governor to provide
grants for to support literacy improvement under s. 14.20 (2) (a).
SB461, s. 12 14Section 12. 20.525 (1) (q) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,6,1715 20.525 (1) (q) Grants for literacy and early childhood development programs.
16From the governor's read to lead development fund, a sum sufficient for grants to
17support literacy and early childhood development programs under s. 14.20 (2) (b).
SB461, s. 13 18Section 13. 25.17 (1) (ge) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,6,1919 25.17 (1) (ge) Governor's read to lead development fund.
SB461, s. 14
1Section 14. 25.79 of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,7,5 225.79 Governor's read to lead development fund. There is established a
3separate nonlapsible trust fund, designated the governor's read to lead development
4fund, consisting of all gifts, grants, bequests, and other contributions made to the
5fund.
SB461, s. 15 6Section 15. 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB461,7,167 115.28 (7) (a) License all teachers for the public schools of the state,; make rules
8establishing standards of attainment and procedures for the examination and
9licensing of teachers within the limits prescribed in ss. 118.19 (2) and (3), 118.192,
10and 118.195,; prescribe by rule standards , requirements, and procedures for the
11approval of teacher preparatory programs leading to licensure, including a
12requirement that, beginning on July 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, each teacher
13preparatory program located in this state shall submit to the department a list of
14graduates, together with their date of graduation, from each term or semester of the
15program's most recently completed academic year;
file in the state superintendent's
16office all papers relating to state teachers' licenses; and register each such license.
SB461, s. 16 17Section 16. 115.28 (7) (e) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB461,8,418 115.28 (7) (e) 2. Promulgate rules establishing requirements for licensure as
19an alternative education program teacher and for the approval of teacher education
20programs leading to licensure as an alternative education program teacher. The
21rules shall include a requirement that each teacher education program described in
22this subdivision and located in this state shall, beginning on July 1, 2012, and
23annually thereafter, submit to the department a list of graduates, together with their
24date of graduation, from each term or semester of the program's most recently
25completed academic year.
The rules shall encompass the teaching of multiple

1subjects or grade levels or both, as determined by the state superintendent. The
2rules may require teacher education programs to grant credit towards licensure as
3an alternative education program teacher for relevant experience or demonstrated
4proficiency in relevant skills and knowledge.
SB461, s. 17 5Section 17. 115.28 (7g) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,8,66 115.28 (7g) Evaluation of teacher preparatory programs.
SB461,8,117 (a) The department shall, in consultation with the governor's office, the
8chairpersons of the committees in the assembly and senate whose subject matter is
9elementary and secondary education and ranking members of those committees, the
10University of Wisconsin System, the technical college system, and the Wisconsin
11Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, do all of the following:
SB461,8,1612 1. Determine how the performance of recent graduates of teacher preparatory
13programs described in s. 115.28 (7) (a) and located in this state and teacher education
14programs described in sub. 115.28 (7) (e) 2. and located in this state will be used to
15evaluate the teacher preparatory and education programs, including by defining
16"recent graduate" and identifying measures of performance.
SB461,8,1817 2. Determine how the measures of performance of recent graduates identified
18as required under subd. 1. will be made accessible to the public.
SB461,8,2119 3. Develop a system to publicly report the measures of performance identified
20as required under subd. 1. for each teacher preparatory and education program
21identified in subd. 1.
SB461,9,222 (b) Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, the department shall use the system
23developed under par. (a) 3. to annually report for each program identified in par. (a)
241. the passage rate on first attempt of students and graduates of the program on

1examinations administered for licensure under s. 115.28 (7) and any other
2information required to be reported under par. (a) 1.
SB461,9,83 (c) Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, each teacher preparatory and
4education program shall prominently display and annually update the rate of
5passage of recent graduates of the program on examinations administered for
6licensure under s. 115.28 (7) and any other information required to be reported under
7par. (a) 1. on the program's Web site and provide this information to persons receiving
8admissions materials to the program.
SB461, s. 18 9Section 18. 115.28 (12) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,9,1510 115.28 (12) (ag) Beginning in the 2012-13 school year, each school district
11using the system under par. (a) shall include in the system the following information
12for each teacher teaching in the school district who graduated from a teacher
13preparatory program described in sub. (7) (a) and located in this state or from a
14teacher education program described in sub. (7) (e) 2. and located in this state on or
15after January 1, 2012:
SB461,9,1716 1. The name of the teacher preparatory program or teacher education program
17the teacher attended and from which the teacher graduated.
SB461,9,1918 2. The term or semester and year in which the teacher graduated from the
19program described in subd. 1.
SB461, s. 19 20Section 19. 115.415 of the statutes is created to read:
SB461,9,25 21115.415 Educator effectiveness. (1) The department shall develop an
22educator effectiveness evaluation system and an equivalency process aligned with
23the department's evaluation system for the evaluation of teachers and principals as
24provided in this section, and shall require each school district to evaluate teachers
25and principals in the district beginning in the 2014-15 school year.
SB461,10,2
1(2) The department shall develop an educator effectiveness evaluation system
2according to the following framework:
SB461,10,73 (a) Fifty percent of the total evaluation score assigned to a teacher or principal
4shall be based upon measures of student performance, including performance on
5state assessments, district-wide assessments, student learning objectives,
6school-wide reading at the elementary and middle-school levels, and graduation
7rates at the high school level.
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