2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
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2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 40
February 13, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives ALLEN, MURPHY, ARMSTRONG,
BEHNKE, EDMING, GUNDRUM, GUSTAFSON, KNODL, MURSAU and SPIROS,
cosponsored by Senators QUINN and CABRAL-GUEVARA. Referred to Committee
on Education.
1 AN ACT to amend 118.016 (1) (b); and to create 118.016 (3) and 118.016 (4) of
2 the statutes; relating to: reading readiness assessments and making an
3 appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, school boards and independent charter schools must
annually assess pupils enrolled in four-year-old kindergarten to second grade for
reading readiness using an assessment of literacy fundamentals selected by the
school board or independent charter school. The selected reading readiness
assessment must evaluate whether a pupil possesses phonemic awareness and letter
sound knowledge. Current law does not provide a timeline for completing the
assessment. Current law also requires a school board or independent charter school
to provide interventions or remedial reading services to a pupil if the reading
readiness assessment indicates that the pupil is at risk of reading difficulty. Current
law requires school boards and independent charter schools to report the results of
a pupil's reading readiness assessment to the pupil's parent or guardian but does not
require school boards and independent charter schools to report reading readiness
assessment results to the Department of Public Instruction or the legislature.
This bill requires school boards and independent charter schools to 1) assess
pupils in four-year-old kindergarten to second grade for reading readiness, as
required under current law, by November 15 of each school year and 2) submit to DPI
the number of pupils identified as at risk of reading difficulty based on the results
of the reading readiness assessment by January 1 of each school year. Under the bill,
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ASSEMBLY BILL 40
DPI must submit the information it receives from school boards and independent
charter schools to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature by no later
than April 1. The bill also provides onetime funding in the amount of $500,000 to
DPI to establish a system to track data that school boards and independent charter
schools must submit to DPI. Finally, the bill authorizes DPI to promulgate rules
related to the administration of the reading readiness assessment requirements.
For further information see the state 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:
1 SECTION 1. 118.016 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
2 118.016 (1) (b) Beginning in the 2016-17 school year By November 15 of each
3 school year, each school board and the operator of each charter school established
4 under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall, using the appropriate, valid, and reliable
5 assessment of literacy fundamentals selected by the school board or operator,
6 annually assess each pupil enrolled in 4-year-old kindergarten to 2nd grade in the
7 school district or in the charter school for reading readiness. The school board or
8 operator shall ensure that the assessment evaluates whether a pupil possesses
9 phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge. A school board or operator may
10 administer computer adaptive assessments.
11 SECTION 2. 118.016 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
12 118.016 (3) (a) By January 1 of each school year, each school board and operator
13 of a charter school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall report to the department the
14 number of pupils in the school district or charter school whose assessment under sub.
15 (1) indicates that the pupil is at risk of reading difficulty.
16 (b) By April 1 of each school year, the department shall submit the information
17 it receives under par. (a) to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature
18 under s. 13.172 (3).
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ASSEMBLY BILL 40 SECTION 3
1 SECTION 3. 118.016 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
2 118.016 (4) The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.
3 SECTION 4.0Nonstatutory provisions.
4 (1) Notwithstanding s. 16.42 (1) (e), if the increase under SECTION 5 (1) of this
5 act occurs in the 2024-25 fiscal year, in submitting information under s. 16.42 for
6 purposes of the 2025-27 biennial budget bill, the department of public instruction
7 shall submit information concerning the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (f) as
8 though the total amount appropriated under s. 20.255 (1) (f) for the 2024-25 fiscal
9 year was $500,000 less than the total amount that was actually appropriated under
10 s. 20.255 (1) (f) for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
11 SECTION 5.0Fiscal changes.
12 (1) ASSESSMENTS OF READING READINESS. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for
13 the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (1) (f), the
14 dollar amount for the fiscal year during which the effective date of this subsection
15 occurs is increased by $500,000 to establish necessary systems for tracking the data
16 required to be submitted under s. 118.06 (3) (a).
17 SECTION 6.0Effective dates. This act takes effect on the first July 1 after
18 publication, except as follows:
19 (1) SECTION 5 (1) of this act takes effect on the first July 1 after publication, or
20 on the 2nd day after publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
21 (END)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 118.016(1)(b), 118.016