The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will be revising the Licensure Program Content Guidelines for English Language Arts (ELA) licensure areas. The specific licenses that include ELA are Early Childhood, Early Childhood/Middle Childhood, Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence (Language Arts and Reading portion); Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence Language Arts Minor; EAA-Broad Field Language Arts; English Literature & Composition; Speech Communication; and Journalism.

The Licensure Program Content Guidelines for ELA licensure areas are for Wisconsin educator preparation programs (institutions of higher education and alternative route programs) that prepare classroom teachers. They are based on the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards and national program area standards that and outline what teachers should know and be able to do to ensure every PK-12 student reaches the goal of being ready to enter college or the workforce in today’s world.

As part of the process, DPI will be convening a small ELA leadership group, consisting of PK-16 educators, who will focus on understanding the implications of the Common Core State Standards English Language Arts for teacher preparation program as one part of the revision.