LRB-5716/1
FFK:wlj
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
January 26, 2024 - Introduced by Senator Stroebel, cosponsored by
Representative Wittke. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB971,1,3
1An Act to repeal 20.255 (1) (fc); and
to create 20.255 (1) (fc) and 20.255 (2) (fc)
2of the statutes;
relating to: early literacy programs administered by the
3Department of Public Instruction.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
2023 Wisconsin Act 20 created the Office of Literacy in the Department of
Public Instruction. Act 20 requires the office to establish and supervise an early
literacy coaching program to improve literacy outcomes. As part of that program, the
office must contract for up to 64 full-time literacy coaches to provide support to
administrators, school-based literacy coaches, principals, and teachers to build
teacher and school capacity to teach reading and language arts using science-based
early reading instruction. Act 20 also requires school boards and operators of charter
schools to ensure that kindergarten to third grade teachers, elementary school
principals, and reading specialists receive certain professional development related
to literacy instruction by no later than July 1, 2025. Finally, Act 20 requires DPI to
award grants to school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools
participating in a parental choice program that adopt a recommended literacy
curriculum that contains the components of science-based early reading instruction
and does not include three-cueing.
As part of
2023 Wisconsin Act 19, the biennial budget act, $50,000,000 was
appropriated for a literacy program administered by DPI. This bill creates a
structure for DPI to expend these funds as they are transferred by the Joint
Committee on Finance.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB971,1
1Section
1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table 
SB971,2
3Section
2. 20.255 (1) (fc) of the statutes is created to read:
SB971,2,64
20.255
(1) (fc)
Office of literacy; literacy coaching program. As a continuing
5appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the office of literacy and the literacy
6coaching program under s. 115.39.
SB971,3
7Section
3. 20.255 (1) (fc) of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act ....
8(this act), is repealed.
SB971,4
9Section
4. 20.255 (2) (fc) of the statutes is created to read:
SB971,3,210
20.255
(2) (fc)
Early literacy initiatives; support. Biennially, the amounts in the
11schedule for grants under s. 118.015 (1m) (c) and for financial assistance paid to
1school boards and charter schools for compliance with
2023 Wisconsin Act 20, section
227 (2) (a).
SB971,5
3Section
5.
Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
4except as follows:
SB971,3,55
(1)
The repeal of s. 20.255 (1) (fc) takes effect on July 1, 2028.
