115.368(2)(a)
(a) Develop and conduct protective behaviors training programs for the professional staff of public and private schools and counties under
ss. 46.034,
46.215,
46.22,
46.23,
51.42 and
51.437. The training programs shall include information on how to assist a minor and his or her parent or guardian in recognizing, avoiding, preventing and halting physically or psychologically intrusive or abusive situations that may be harmful to the minor, including child abuse, sexual abuse and child enticement. The training programs shall emphasize how to help minors to develop positive psychological, emotional and problem-solving responses to such situations, and to avoid relying on negative, fearful or solely reactive methods of dealing with such situations. The training programs shall also include information on the detection, by other minors, their parents or guardians and school staff, of conditions that indicate that a minor is being or has been subjected to such situations; the proper action to take when there is reason to believe that a minor is being or has been subjected to such situations; and the coordination of school protective behaviors programs and activities with programs and activities of other state and local agencies. Persons other than the professional staff of public and private schools and counties under
ss. 46.034,
46.215,
46.22,
46.23,
51.42 and
51.437 may attend the training programs. The department may charge such persons a fee sufficient to cover the increased costs of materials, but not personnel cost, to the department of their participation in the programs. The department may not deny any resident of Wisconsin the opportunity to participate in a program if the person is unable to pay any fee.
115.368(2)(b)
(b) Provide consultation and technical assistance to public and private schools for the development and implementation of protective behaviors programs and the coordination of those programs with programs of other state and local agencies.
115.37
115.37
Blind and visual impairment education council. 115.37(1)(a)
(a) "Council" means the blind and visual impairment education council.
115.37(2)
(2) The state superintendent shall seek the advice of and consult with the council on issues related to persons who are visually impaired. The state superintendent and the director of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or their designees, shall attend meetings of the council.
115.37(3)
(3) The council shall do all of the following:
115.37(3)(b)
(b) Advise the state superintendent on such statewide services, activities, programs, investigations and research as in its judgment will benefit pupils who are visually impaired.
115.37(3)(c)
(c) Make recommendations for the improvement of services provided by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
115.37(3)(d)
(d) Review the level and quality of services available to pupils in the state who are visually impaired and make recommendations about those services.
115.37(3)(e)
(e) Propose to the state superintendent ways to improve the preparation of teachers and other staff who provide services to pupils who are visually impaired.
115.37(3)(f)
(f) Propose to the state superintendent ways to improve coordination between the department and other agencies in providing services to persons who are visually impaired.
115.37(4)
(4) The council may initiate consultations with the department.
115.37(5)
(5) The council shall have access to public files, public records and statistics kept in the department that relate to matters concerning children who are visually impaired.
115.38
115.38
School performance report; educational program review. 115.38(1)(1) The state superintendent shall develop a school and school district performance report for use by school districts under
sub. (2). The report shall include all of the following by school and by school district:
115.38(1)(a)
(a) Indicators of academic achievement, including the performance of pupils on the tests administered under
s. 121.02 (1) (r) and the performance of pupils, by subject area, on the statewide assessment examinations administered under
s. 118.30.
115.38(1)(b)1.1. Other indicators of school and school district performance, including dropout, attendance, retention in grade and graduation rates; percentage of habitual truants, as defined in
s. 118.16 (1) (a); percentage of pupils participating in extracurricular and community activities and advanced placement courses; percentage of graduates enrolled in postsecondary educational programs; and percentage of graduates entering the workforce.
115.38(1)(b)2.
2. The numbers of suspensions and expulsions; the reasons for which pupils are suspended or expelled, reported according to categories specified by the state superintendent; the length of time for which pupils are expelled, reported according to categories specified by the state superintendent; whether pupils return to school after their expulsion; the educational programs and services, if any, provided to pupils during their expulsions, reported according to categories specified by the state superintendent; the schools attended by pupils who are suspended or expelled; and the grade, sex and ethnicity of pupils who are suspended or expelled and whether the pupils are children with disabilities, as defined in
s. 115.76 (5).
115.38(1)(c)
(c) Staffing and financial data information, as determined by the state superintendent, not to exceed 10 items. The state superintendent may not request a school board to provide information solely for the purpose of including the information in the report under this paragraph.
115.38(1)(d)
(d) The number and percentage of resident pupils attending a course in a nonresident school district under
s. 118.52, the number of nonresident pupils attending a course in the school district under
s. 118.52, and the courses taken by those pupils.
115.38(1)(e)
(e) The method of reading instruction used in the school district and the textbook series used to teach reading in the school district.
115.38(2)
(2) By January 1, 1993, and annually thereafter by January 1, each school board shall distribute to the parent or guardian of each pupil enrolled in the school district, including pupils enrolled in charter schools located in the school district, or give to each pupil to bring home to his or her parent or guardian, a school and school district performance report that includes the information specified by the state superintendent under
sub. (1).
115.38(3)
(3) Annually, the state superintendent shall publish and distribute to the legislature under
s. 13.172 (2) a summary of the reports under
sub. (2).
115.38(4)
(4) Beginning in the 1993-94 school year and annually thereafter, the state superintendent shall identify those school districts that are low in performance and those schools in which there are pupils enrolled who do not meet the state minimum performance standards on the examinations administered under
s. 118.30. The state superintendent shall make recommendations regarding how the programs and operations of the identified school districts and schools may be improved and periodically assess school district implementation of the recommendations.
115.39
115.39
Administrative leadership academy. The department may establish and maintain an administrative leadership academy to enhance the knowledge and skills of mid-career school district administrators and principals. The department shall establish and charge a fee for participation in the administrative leadership academy. The moneys from the fee payments shall be credited to the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (1) (hf).
115.39 History
History: 1987 a. 27.
115.405
115.405
Grant program for peer review and mentoring. 115.405(1)(1) A cooperative educational service agency or a consortium consisting of 2 or more school districts or cooperative educational service agencies, or a combination thereof, may apply to the department for a grant to provide technical assistance and training for teachers who are licensed or have been issued a permit under
ss. 115.28 (7) and
118.192 to implement peer review and mentoring programs. An applicant for a grant under this section shall submit to the department a plan identifying the school districts and cooperative educational service agencies that will participate in the peer review and mentoring program and describing how the grant funds will be allocated. As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a cooperative educational service agency or a consortium shall provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 20% of the amount of the grant awarded. The matching funds may be in the form of money or in-kind services or both.
115.405(2)
(2) The department shall award grants from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (fk). The department may not award more than $25,000 to an applicant in a fiscal year.
115.405(3)
(3) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.
115.405 History
History: 1997 a. 237.
115.41
115.41
Teacher improvement program. The state superintendent shall operate a program to provide prospective teachers with one-semester internships under the supervision of licensed teachers. The program may also fund in-service activities and professional staff development research projects. The state superintendent shall charge school districts fees for participation in the program. Program costs shall be paid from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (1) (hg).
115.42
115.42
National teacher certification. 115.42(1)(a)(a) The department shall award a grant to any person who satisfies all of the following requirements:
115.42(1)(a)1.
1. The person is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
115.42(1)(a)2.
2. The person is licensed as a teacher by the state superintendent or employed as a teacher in a private school located in this state.
115.42(1)(b)
(b) The grant under this subsection shall be an amount equal to the costs of obtaining certification under
par. (a) 1. that are borne by the person, not to exceed $2,000. The department shall award the grant under this subsection in the school year in which the person is certified under
par. (a) 1., except that if the person becomes certified under
par. (a) 1. while he or she is not a resident of this state, the department shall award the grant under this subsection in the first school year in which the person meets the requirements under
par. (a).
115.42(2)
(2) The department shall award a $2,500 grant to each person who received a grant under
sub. (1) in each of the 9 school years following the school year in which he or she received the grant if the person satisfies all of the following requirements:
115.42(2)(a)
(a) The person maintains his or her certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
115.42(2)(b)
(b) The person maintains his or her license as a teacher by the state superintendent or remains employed in a private school located in this state.
115.42(2)(c)
(c) The person remains a resident of this state.
115.42(2)(d)
(d) The person remains employed as a teacher in this state.
115.42(3)
(3) The department may not require, as a condition for renewing a person's teaching license, that the person have earned continuing professional education credits or their equivalent in the 5 years immediately preceding his or her application for renewal if he or she has been initially certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards during those 5 years.
115.42(4)
(4) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including rules relating to all of the following:
115.42(4)(a)
(a) The application process, including necessary documentation.
115.42(4)(b)
(b) The selection process for grant recipients.
115.42(4)(c)
(c) The number of times that a teacher may be exempt from continuing professional education requirements under
sub. (3).
115.42 History
History: 1997 a. 237;
1999 a. 9.
115.425
115.425
Professional standards council for teachers. The professional standards council for teachers shall do all of the following:
115.425(1)
(1) Advise the state superintendent on standards for the licensure of teachers, including initial licensure and maintenance and renewal of licenses, to ensure the effective teaching of a relevant curriculum in Wisconsin schools.
115.425(2)
(2) Propose to the state superintendent standards for evaluating and approving teacher education programs, including continuing education programs.
115.425(3)
(3) Provide to the state superintendent an ongoing assessment of the complexities of teaching and the status of the teaching profession in this state.
115.425(4)
(4) Propose to the state superintendent policies and practices for school boards and state and local teacher organizations to use in developing effective teaching.
115.425(5)
(5) Propose to the state superintendent standards and procedures for revoking a teaching license.
115.425(6)
(6) Propose to the state superintendent ways to recognize excellence in teaching, including the assessment administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and master educator licensure, and to assist teachers to achieve excellence in teaching.
115.425(7)
(7) Propose to the state superintendent effective peer assistance and peer mentoring models, including evaluation systems, and alternative teacher dismissal procedures for consideration by school boards and labor organizations.
115.425(8)
(8) Review and make recommendations regarding administrative rules proposed by the department that relate to teacher preparation, licensure and regulation.
115.425(9)
(9) Propose to the state superintendent alternative procedures for the preparation and licensure of teachers.
115.425(11)
(11) Report annually to the standing committees in each house of the legislature that deal with education matters on the activities and effectiveness of the council.
115.425 History
History: 1997 a. 298;
1999 a. 32 s.
176.
115.43
115.43
Minority group pupil scholarships. 115.43(1)
(1)
Definition. In this section, "minority group pupil" means a pupil who is a Black American, an American Indian, a Spanish-surnamed American or an Oriental American.
115.43(2)
(2) Scholarships. The state superintendent shall:
115.43(2)(a)
(a) Annually set goals relating to increasing the percentages of minority group pupils who graduate from high school and are prepared for postsecondary school education.
115.43(2)(b)
(b) From the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (3) (fz), award precollege scholarships, on a competitive basis, to minority group pupils who enroll in a technical college or in college or university classes or programs designed to improve academic skills that are essential for success in postsecondary school education. The state superintendent shall give preference to minority group pupils who are inadequately represented in the technical college and University of Wisconsin Systems.
115.43(2)(c)
(c) In consultation with postsecondary educational institutions, promulgate rules establishing criteria for the review and approval of applications for scholarships under
par. (b).
115.435(1)(1) A school district that satisfies all of the following criteria may apply to the department by October 15 of each school year for a grant to supplement aid under
s. 121.08:
115.435(1)(a)
(a) The school district had an enrollment in the previous school year of fewer than 500 pupils.
115.435(1)(b)
(b) The school district is at least 200 square miles in area.
115.435(1)(c)
(c) At least 65% of the real property in the school district is exempt from taxation under
s. 70.11, owned by or held in trust for a federally recognized American Indian tribe or owned by the federal government.
115.435(2)
(2) No later than June 30 of the current school year, the department shall, from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (ad), pay each school district that satisfies the criteria under
sub. (1) $350 for each pupil enrolled in the school district in the previous school year. If the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (ad) is insufficient to pay the full amount under this subsection, the funds shall be prorated among the entitled school districts.
115.435(3)
(3) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.
115.435 History
History: 1999 a. 9,
185.
115.44
115.44
Early identification program. 115.44(1)
(1) The state superintendent shall establish an early identification program as part of the Wisconsin educational opportunity program under
s. 115.28 (23). Early identification program costs shall be paid from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (1) (a). The early identification program shall assist minority and economically disadvantaged pupils in grades 8 to 12 in pursuing higher educational opportunities by providing direction toward attainment of career goals.
115.44(2)
(2) Biennially, the state superintendent shall provide the governor and any appropriate standing committee of the legislature information on the performance of the early identification program and the postsecondary educational progress of the pupils who were enrolled in the program. The information shall include the number and ethnic backgrounds of the pupils who were enrolled in the program and college acceptance, retention and graduation rates of the pupils.
