115.405 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
PI 38, Wis. adm. code.
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
Grants for national teacher certification or master educator licensure. 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 or licensed by the department as a master educator under
s. PI 34.19, Wis. Adm. Code.
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 or licensure 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 first school year in which the person meets the requirements under
par. (a).
115.42(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (c), the department shall award 9 grants of $2,500 each to each person who received a grant under
sub. (1) if the person satisfies all of the following requirements:
115.42(2)(a)1.
1. The person maintains his or her national teacher certificate or master educator license.
115.42(2)(a)2.
2. The person maintains his or her license as a teacher issued by the state superintendent or remains employed in a private school located in this state.
115.42(2)(a)4.
4. The person remains employed as a teacher in this state.
115.42(2)(bL)
(bL) The department shall award the grants under this subsection annually, one grant in each of the school years following the school year in which the grant under
sub. (1) was awarded and in which the person satisfies the requirements under
par. (a).
115.42(2)(c)
(c) The amount of each grant under
par. (a) shall be $5,000 in any school year in which the recipient is employed in a school in which at least 60 percent of the pupils enrolled are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under
42 USC 1758 (6) [
42 USC 1758 (b)].
115.42 Note
NOTE: The correct cross-reference is shown in brackets. Corrective legislation is pending.
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 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
PI 37, Wis. adm. code.
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
Precollege scholarships. 115.43(1)
(1)
Definition. In this section, " economically disadvantaged pupil" means a pupil who is eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under
42 USC 1758 (b).
115.43(2)
(2) Scholarships. The state superintendent shall:
115.43(2)(a)
(a) Annually set goals relating to increasing the percentages of economically disadvantaged 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 economically disadvantaged 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 economically disadvantaged 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).
115.43 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
PI 22, Wis. adm. code.
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 80% of the real property in the school district is exempt from taxation under
s. 70.11, taxed as forest croplands under
subch. I of ch. 77, 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;
2001 a. 16.
115.435 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
PI 10, Wis. adm. code.
115.436(2)
(2) A school district is eligible for sparsity aid under this section if it satisfies all of the following criteria:
115.436(2)(a)
(a) The school district's membership in the previous school year was no more than 725.
115.436(2)(b)
(b) At least 20 percent of the school district's membership in the previous school year was eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under
42 USC 1758 (b).
115.436(2)(c)
(c) The school district's membership in the previous school year divided by the school district's area in square miles is less than 10.
115.436(3)(a)(a) Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, the department shall pay to each school district eligible for sparsity aid the following amount from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (ae), subject to
par. (b):
115.436(3)(a)1.
1. If less than 50 percent of the school district's membership in the previous school year was eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under
42 USC 1758 (b), $150 multiplied by the membership in the previous school year.
115.436(3)(a)2.
2. If 50 percent or more of the school district's membership in the previous school year was eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under
42 USC 1758 (b), $300 multiplied by the membership in the previous school year.
115.436(3)(b)
(b) If the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (ae) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount under
par. (a), the department shall prorate the payments among the eligible school districts.
115.436 History
History: 2007 a. 20.
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.
115.445
115.445
Four-year-old kindergarten grants. 115.445(1)
(1) A school board may apply to the department for a 2-year grant under this section to implement a 4-year-old kindergarten program.
115.445(2)(a)(a) In the first school year of a grant awarded under this section, the department shall pay the school board up to $3,000 for each 4-year-old kindergarten pupil enrolled in the school district. In the succeeding school year, the department shall pay the school board up to $1,500 for each 4-year-old kindergarten pupil enrolled in the school district.
115.445(2)(b)
(b) The department shall award grants under this section beginning in the 2008-09 school year and shall give preference in awarding grants to school boards that use community approaches to early education, as defined by the department by rule. If the funds in the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (dp) are insufficient to pay all eligible school boards, the department shall prorate the payments.
115.445(3)
(3) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section.
115.445 History
History: 2007 a. 20.
115.45
115.45
Grants for preschool to grade 5 programs. 115.45(2)(a)(a) Annually by September 15, the school board, on its own initiative or upon receipt of an application from the principal of an elementary school located in the school district, may apply to the state superintendent for a grant under this section. The application shall include a plan specifying how the school board intends to meet the requirements under
sub. (4), explaining the school board's selection process for individual schools and private service providers and identifying the schools in the school district, or the private service providers certified by the school board as providing the services under
sub. (4) (b), to which the grant funds will be applied.
115.45(2)(b)
(b) The council for Milwaukee public schools grant programs under
s. 115.28 (20) shall review the applications submitted under
par. (a) and make recommendations to the state superintendent regarding the schools to be selected and amounts of the grants to be awarded. The council's recommendations shall be based upon and include information regarding the degree to which the proposed projects will effectively meet the requirements under
sub. (4).
115.45(3)
(3) The state superintendent shall determine the amount of the grant, if any, to be awarded a school board submitting an application under
sub. (2) (a). Amounts awarded shall be paid from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (do). Amounts awarded shall be used by the school board to supplement existing elementary school programs and not to supplant or replace funds otherwise available for such programs.
115.45(3m)(a)2.
2. "Low-income pupil" means a pupil for whom aid to families with dependent children is being received under
s. 49.19 or a pupil who is a member of a Wisconsin works group, as defined in
s. 49.141 (1) (s), with a member who is participating in Wisconsin works under
s. 49.147 (3) to
(5).
115.45(3m)(b)
(b) The state superintendent shall give priority in awarding grants under this section to all of the following programs:
115.45(3m)(b)1.
1. Programs in existence on August 9, 1989, that have proven successful.
115.45(3m)(b)2.
2. Programs established in school districts with a high number of dropouts and low-income pupils.
