Wisconsin
Teaching Standards and Leadership Standards
Teaching Standards
Is working with and meeting the needs of students with disabilities addressed in state teaching standards?
To receive a teaching license in Wisconsin, state administrative code (Chapter PI 34.02) requires applicants to demonstrate proficient performance in the knowledge, skills and dispositions under ten standards. Standards two and three of the Wisconsin Teacher Standards state that teachers must understand the diverse ways in which students learn and adapt instruction to meet diverse student needs.
Standard 2 – Teachers know how children grow.
The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development.
Standard 3 – Teachers understand that children learn differently.
The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.
Sources:
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.02, Teacher Education Program Approval and Licenses
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Teacher Standards
School Leadership Standards
Is knowledge of working with students with disabilities included in leader standards?
Wisconsin Administrator Standards require an understanding and demonstration of competence in the Wisconsin Teacher Standards as a prerequisite. Standards two and three of the Teacher Standards require that educators understand the diverse ways in which students learn and adapt instruction to meet diverse student needs, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.
Sources:
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.03, Teacher Education Program Approval and Licenses
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Wisconsin Administrator Standards
Wisconsin DPI, Wisconsin Teacher Standards
Teacher and Principal Preparation
Teacher Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Required course work in teaching students with disabilities/diverse learners
The conceptual framework (standards, assessments and benchmarks) used by teacher preparation programs must enable all candidates to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following:
- Procedures used for assessing and providing education for children with disabilities, including the roles and responsibilities of regular and special education providers.
- Modifying the regular education curriculum when instructing pupils with disabilities.
Sources:
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.01(11)
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.15 (4)(g)(h)
Clinical time in diverse settings/teaching special populations
In order to be approved by the state superintendent, teacher preparation programs must require each student to complete a clinical program. The clinical program is linked to the academic program and provides pre-student teaching and student teaching experiences.
Student Teaching
- The program requires experiences that are developmental in scope and sequence, occur in school settings, and are of a prescribed length. These experiences must provide candidates with the opportunity to interact with and adapt instruction for students with disabilities.
- The initial student teaching or internship experience is for full school days for an entire semester following the daily schedule and calendar of the cooperating school, or equivalent.
- During this experience, the student portfolio is built upon with evidence of increased proficiency of the 10 Teaching Standards.
- Using multiple measures that include the portfolio, the institution will assess how well the students interact with and adapt instruction for children with disabilities or other exceptionalities; as well as the students’ knowledge and understanding of the ten Wisconsin Teacher Standards both in the clinical setting and through coursework.
Sources:
Wisconsin Statutes, 118.19 (3)(a)
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.15 (5)(b)
Teacher Preparation – Accountability
Quality of teacher preparation programs
The state of Wisconsin requires teacher preparation programs to submit a list of program completers who have been recommended for licensure. Each program must display the licensure examination passage rate of its graduates based on their first attempt. A statewide system provides for the public reporting of these measures of performance for each preparation program.
Sources:
Wisconsin Statutes, 115.28 (7)(a) and (7)(g)
National Council on Teacher Quality, 2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Improving Teacher Preparation in Wisconsin
Principal Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Required course work in leading a school/district that serves students with disabilities/diverse learners
Our state policy review did not identify such course work required of prospective school administrators during their immediate preparation. However, school administrators must have previously been prepared as teachers (including required course work and clinical experience in working with students with disabilities). Further, preparation programs for pupil services and administrative licenses must include a supervised practicum that requires candidates to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all relevant professional standards, including knowledge of and understanding of the learning needs of students with disabilities.
Source: Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.15 (5)
Principal Preparation – Accountability
Are programs reviewed based on outcomes of graduates’ success? Can school principals be linked back to institutions of higher education and preparation programs?
All Wisconsin institutions offering professional education programs leading to educator licensure must submit to the state superintendent for approval a written report that includes the pass rate of the institution’s graduates on the teacher certification or licensure assessments required by the state. A statewide system provides for the public reporting of these measures of performance for each preparation program.
Source:
Wisconsin Statutes, 115.28 (7)(a) and (7)(g)
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.06
Teacher and Principal Certification/Licensure
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Structure
Is a specific certificate, license or endorsement related to special education required?
The state of Wisconsin does not offer a generic K-12 certification. Wisconsin holds its elementary special education teachers to the same subject-matter testing requirements as general elementary teachers. Secondary special education teachers are required to pass the Praxis II Middle School: Content Knowledge test. The elementary subject-matter test is required for an elementary special education license.
Sources:
2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Improving Teacher Preparation in Wisconsin, National Council on Teacher Quality
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapters PI 34.27(3), PI 34.28(3), PI 34.29(3), PI 34.30(2)
Teacher Certification – Examination
Does the state require teachers to pass a basic skills exam for initial certification? What are the pass rates on the exams? Does the state require Praxis II or more pedagogical assessment for licensure? Does it include anything about teaching diverse learners or special populations?
Completion of the Praxis I tests is required for admission to all professional education programs. In Wisconsin, students who have completed their professional education after August 31, 2004 must take the appropriate Praxis II tests for each area of certification they seek, as specified by the state for their license area(s).
Source: Wisconsin Testing Requirements, ETS
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is professional development around working with special populations required to move from initial to a professional license?
Wisconsin offers a three-tiered licensing system (Initial, Professional, and Master educator). Educators are required to complete a professional development plan (PDP) to move from an initial to a professional license. While the PDP requirements do not specifically require professional development in working with special populations, if one of the state teaching standards related to students with disabilities has been identified as in need of improvement, the teacher would need to demonstrate improvement on that standard. Second, the documentation of successful completion of the PDP can include curriculum adaptation for children with disabilities. (PI 34.17(4)).
Sources:
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapters PI 34.17(4)
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Educator Licenses
Wisconsin DPI, Writing a PDP
Principal Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is prior teaching experience required to become a principal and/or a superintendent? Is specific coursework or other evidence required around working with special populations?
Wisconsin requires principal candidates to obtain a master’s degree, have prior teaching or pupil services experience, and complete of a state-approved preparation program.
Principals: Candidates must complete an approved master’s degree program or the equivalent in the area of administration or a master’s degree or the equivalent and an approved program. Candidates should hold or be eligible to hold any professional educator license to teach at the early childhood through adolescence level or shall have completed an approved program leading to a license to teach. Also required are three years of successful full-time classroom teaching in the early childhood through adolescence levels or three years of successful experience as a school counselor, a school psychologist, or a school social worker with at least 540 hours of successful classroom teaching experience.
Superintendents: Candidates must complete a specialist degree or the equivalent. Candidates should hold or be eligible to hold a principal license and complete an approved program. A superintendent may designate her/himself to serve as principal or teacher in any school under her or his supervision while the person is employed and serving as a licensed superintendent.
Sources:
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.32
Education Commission of the States, Administrator License Requirements, Portability, Waivers and Alternative Certification
George W. Bush Institute, Operating in the Dark
Teacher and Principal Induction
Teacher Induction
Is mentoring required for all new teachers and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically address teaching diverse learners?
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s PI 34 Quality Educator Initiative (named after state administrative rules for education program approval and licensing) requires licensed educators to participate in professional development that includes the provision of an assigned mentor. Chapter PI 34 creates a three-tiered educator licensure system. After successful completion of a Professional Development Plan and three years teaching experience, an initial educator can advance to the professional educator license stage.
To support initial educators, Wisconsin school districts are required to provide collaboratively developed, ongoing orientation and support seminars and qualified mentors for all initial educators. Chapter PI 34 requires school districts to provide a qualified mentor to each beginning teacher during a “mentoring period” that “may be for less than 5 years.”
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.17(2)(c)
Principal Induction
Is coaching/mentoring required for all new principals/administrators/ superintendents and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically serving diverse learners?
State administrative rule (PI 34) requires school districts to provide a qualified mentor to support every beginning school administrator during a “mentoring period” that “may be for less than 5 years.”
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter PI 34.17(2)(c)
Teacher and Principal Professional Development Standards
Teacher Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for teacher PD?
To move from an Initial Educator to a Professional Educator License and to renew a Professional Educator License, teachers are required to complete a Professional Development Plan (PDP). The PDP must focus on development within 2 or more of the Wisconsin Educator Standards. Our state policy review, however, did not identify specific professional learning standards for teachers.
Sources:
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, PDP Requirements for Licensing
Wisconsin DPI, Writing a PDP
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapters PI 34.17(4) and PI 34.18(2)
Principal Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for leadership PD?
To move from an Initial Educator to a Professional Educator License and to renew a Professional Educator License, school administrators are required to complete a Professional Development Plan (PDP). The PDP must focus on development within 2 or more of the Wisconsin Educator Standards. Our state policy review, however, did not identify specific professional learning standards for school administrators.
Sources:
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, PDP Requirements for Licensing
Wisconsin DPI, Writing a PDP
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapters PI 34.17(4) and PI 34.18(2)