April 3, 2023 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee
on Education.
SB198,1,5 1An Act to amend 118.19 (8) and 119.04 (1); and to create 115.28 (17m), 115.28
2(57) and 120.12 (29) of the statutes; relating to: model academic standards
3related to American Indian studies, informational materials related to a school
4board's obligation to provide instruction on American Indians, and the
5American Indian studies requirement for teacher licensure.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
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:
Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint
Legislative Council's Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
Model academic standards
The state superintendent of public instruction oversees a process of developing,
approving, and revising academic standards. These standards serve as models for
possible incorporation by a local school district.

This bill requires the state superintendent to incorporate American Indian studies
into the model academic standards. These standards must address certain historical and
contemporary information that pupils are expected to know. At a minimum, this
information must include significant events, tribal sovereignty, and culture relating to
the federally recognized tribes and bands located in Wisconsin.
The standards are to be developed in consultation with the Wisconsin Indian
Education Association, Inc.
Informational materials related to a school board's obligation to provide instruction on
American Indians
Current law requires that a school board provide pupils with the following:
1. An instructional program that is designed to give pupils at all grade levels an
understanding of human relations, particularly with regard to American Indians, Black
Americans, and Hispanics.
2. As part of the social studies curriculum, instruction in the history, culture, and
tribal sovereignty of the federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands located
in Wisconsin at least twice in the elementary grades and at least once in the high school
grades.
This bill requires that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) develop
informational materials related to the requirements described above for distribution to
school boards annually. The materials must be developed and published on DPI's website
by September 1, 2024. DPI must update the materials in response to any changes to a
school board's obligation to provide instruction related to American Indians. The bill also
requires that, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, school boards annually provide the
informational materials to school board members, school district administrators, certain
individuals responsible for curriculum or staff development, principals, and social
studies teachers. School boards may provide the informational materials electronically,
including by providing a link to the materials on the department's website.
The American Indian studies requirement for teacher licensure
Subject to several exceptions, current law generally prohibits the state
superintendent of public instruction from issuing a teaching license to a person unless
that person has received instruction in minority group relations, including instruction in
the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the federally recognized American Indian
tribes and bands located in Wisconsin. This bill modifies the instructional requirement,
providing that a teacher license applicant must receive instruction in the culture, tribal
sovereignty, and contemporary and historical significant events of the federally
recognized American Indian tribes and bands located in Wisconsin.
SB198,1 1Section 1. 115.28 (17m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB198,2,42 115.28 (17m) American Indian instruction; informational materials. (a)
3Develop informational materials related to a school board's obligation to provide
4instruction related to American Indians, including all of the following:
SB198,2,75 1. An instructional program designed to give pupils an understanding of
6human relations, particularly with regard to American Indians, as required under
7s. 118.01 (2) (c) 8.
SB198,3,2
12. The instruction related to federally recognized American Indian tribes and
2bands located in this state required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 4.
SB198,3,43 (b) Update the materials under par. (a) as necessary to accurately reflect a
4school board's obligation to provide instruction related to American Indians.
SB198,3,55 (c) Annually, provide the materials under par. (a) to school boards.
SB198,3,66 (d) Publish the materials under par. (a) on the department's website.
SB198,2 7Section 2. 115.28 (57) of the statutes is created to read:
SB198,3,128 115.28 (57) American Indian studies; model academic standards. In
9consultation with Wisconsin Indian Education Association, Inc., incorporate
10American Indian studies into the model academic standards. The state
11superintendent shall ensure that, under those standards, pupils are expected to
12know contemporary and historical information related to at least all of the following:
SB198,3,1413 (a) Significant events related to the federally recognized American Indian
14tribes and bands located in this state.
SB198,3,1615 (b) Tribal sovereignty of the federally recognized American Indian tribes and
16bands located in this state.
SB198,3,1817 (c) The culture of the federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands
18located in this state.
SB198,3 19Section 3. 118.19 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB198,3,2420 118.19 (8) The state superintendent may not grant to any person a license to
21teach unless the person has received instruction in the study of minority group
22relations, including instruction in the history, culture and, tribal sovereignty , and
23contemporary and historical significant events
of the federally recognized American
24Indian tribes and bands located in this state.
SB198,4 25Section 4. 119.04 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB198,4,13
1119.04 (1) Subchapters IV, V and VII of ch. 115, ch. 121 and ss. 66.0235 (3) (c),
266.0603 (1m) to (3), 115.01 (1) and (2), 115.28, 115.31, 115.33, 115.34, 115.343,
3115.345, 115.363, 115.364, 115.365 (3), 115.366, 115.367, 115.38 (2), 115.415, 115.445,
4118.001 to 118.04, 118.045, 118.06, 118.07, 118.075, 118.076, 118.10, 118.12, 118.125
5to 118.14, 118.145 (4), 118.15, 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, 118.163, 118.164, 118.18,
6118.19, 118.196, 118.20, 118.223, 118.225, 118.24 (1), (2) (c) to (f), (6), (8), and (10),
7118.245, 118.25, 118.255, 118.258, 118.291, 118.292, 118.293, 118.2935, 118.30 to
8118.43, 118.46, 118.50, 118.51, 118.52, 118.53, 118.55, 118.56, 120.12 (2m), (4m), (5),
9and (15) to, (27), and (29), 120.125, 120.13 (1), (2) (b) to (g), (3), (14), (17) to (19), (26),
10(34), (35), (37), (37m), and (38), 120.137, 120.14, 120.20, 120.21 (3), and 120.25 are
11applicable to a 1st class city school district and board but not, unless explicitly
12provided in this chapter or in the terms of a contract, to the commissioner or to any
13school transferred to an opportunity schools and partnership program.
SB198,5 14Section 5. 120.12 (29) of the statutes is created to read:
SB198,4,1815 120.12 (29) American Indian instruction; informational materials. Annually,
16provide the materials under s. 115.28 (17m), which may be provided electronically,
17including by providing a link to the materials on the department's website, to all of
18the following:
SB198,4,1919 (a) Each school board member.
SB198,4,2020 (b) The school district administrator.
SB198,4,2321 (c) Any individual employed by the school district to work as a supervisor,
22coordinator, or director of curriculum, instruction, or staff development, or an
23equivalent position.
SB198,4,2424 (d) Each principal employed by the school district.
SB198,4,2525 (e) Each teacher who teaches social studies in the school district.
SB198,6
1Section 6. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB198,5,52 (1) Initial materials; deadline. The state superintendent of public instruction
3shall develop the materials under s. 115.28 (17m) (a) and publish the materials on
4the department of public instruction's website, as required under s. 115.28 (17m) (d),
5by no later than September 1, 2024.
SB198,7 6Section 7. Initial applicability.
SB198,5,87 (1) Distribution of initial materials. The treatment of ss. 115.28 (17m) (c) and
8120.12 (29) first applies to the 2024-25 school year.
SB198,5,99 (End)
Loading...
Loading...