Summary Of
The Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process (WMEAP) and The Master Educator License

Master Educator

Wisconsin has three license stages for all professional education areas that require the completion of a state approved program: initial educator license, professional educator license and master educator license. The third license stage, if an educator chooses to pursue it, is the master license stage. It is a totally voluntary license. A candidate who selects the master educator option must demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency on challenging and rigorous portfolio entries built on the framework of the Wisconsin Teaching, Pupil Services and Administrative Standards. Mastery is demonstrated through portfolio evidence and a video of exemplary practice related to one of the approved program licenses. It is important to understand that the expertise that is demonstrated in the portfolio requires years of practice to obtain; and the portfolio development, itself, requires significant time and resource commitment. The master license is a 10 year renewable license.

The Wisconsin Master Educator Process as prescribed in rule assures all Wisconsin educators both equity and accessibility to the optional Master Educator license. Specific principles guarantee that the Master Educator License:

1. will be available to all qualified educators in any approved program area although initially the process will be for those areas not available through the NBPTS;
2. is aligned with the activities and expectations pertaining to the Wisconsin Standards in Professional Development Plans;
3. is designed to show evidence of mastery of the Wisconsin Standards;
4. is based on a rigorous portfolio development process lasting from one to two years with an additional year to improve identified weaknesses;
5. is consistent with the goal of promoting continuous growth and life-long learning as expressed in previous licensing stages.

An educator may choose not to renew the Master Educator license. Instead, the educator would be eligible to earn or renew his or her Professional Educator license through a professional development plan. Educators who complete the Wisconsin Master Educator Process but do not obtain the Master license may renew their licenses at the professional stage on the basis of completing the process.

In addition, any educator who achieves National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification may be granted a Wisconsin Master Educator license in the area of her or his existing license that corresponds to the NBPTS certificate.

How the Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process (WMEAP) Works

Eligibility

A candidate for the master educator license shall submit an application to the state superintendent that includes all of the following:

1. Documentation of a related master's degree.
2. Verification of at least 5 years of successful professional experience in education with at least one cycle at the professional educator (stage) or while holding a 5-year license or a life license issued prior to July 1, 2004.
3. Evidence of contributions to the profession.
4. Evidence of improved pupil learning. (PI 34.19 (2), Wisconsin Administrative Code)

Educators are eligible for the license if they possess a related Masters Degree and 5 years PK-12 experience at the professional educator stage. Educators can apply at the earliest, May 1 in their 5th year as a Professional Educator, with verification from their administrator(s) that they will successfully complete their 5 years in that school year.

Application

Wisconsin Professional Educators who wish to apply for licensure as Master Educators need to complete the Wisconsin Master Educator application. The application contains the following requirements:

• Educators must verify a related Masters degree. If the connection between the Masters Degree and education license is not obvious, the educator must submit with the application an explanation of the connection.
• Educators must include documentation of contributions to the profession. Each educator will select and provide the evidence of contributions to the profession. A list of examples is provided in the application.
• Educators must include documentation of improved pupil learning. The educator may include pupil work samples, district assessments, standardized test scores, or anything else she or he thinks will provide evidence of meeting this criteria. A list of examples is provided in the application.
• A three member team of trained assessors qualified in the specific license field review all applications and approve or deny them.
• After receiving their application approval by the assessment team, candidates will have up to 2 years to develop their portfolios.

Portfolio Development

The approval of their application triggers the portfolio development process. The portfolio will be comprised of specific entries that describe, analyze and reflect; and include samples, artifacts, a video, and demonstrations of the applicant's mastery of the ten teaching standards, 7 pupil services standards or 7 administrator standards. The portfolio development process may take from 1 to 2 years. The artifacts and entries in the portfolio must have been obtained within 5 years of the date of the application. If a candidate is unsuccessful in obtaining the Master Educator status, a candidate will have one year after the portfolio assessment to submit a portfolio that addresses those portfolio entries which were assessed as not adequate for the master level.

Portfolio Assessment

Assessors:

The candidate for a master educator's license shall be assessed by a team of 3 educators who

1. have the same or similar job responsibilities;
2. have been nominated by professional organizations, including school board organizations;
3. have been provided training by the department;
4. have been approved for appointment by the state superintendent. [PI 34.19(4), Wisconsin Administrative Code]

In addition, the assessors are educators who:

5. are not current or non-achieving candidates for the Wisconsin Master Educator Process;
6. hold a professional stage state license in the assessment area;
7. have at least 5 years of successful professional stage license experience in the assessment area;
8. hold a master's degree related to the assessment area.

School board members may be an additional member of the assessment team. To be a member of the assessment team, a school board member must:

1. be nominated by professional organizations, including school board organizations;
2. have been provided training by the department;
3. not be a current or non-achieving candidate for the Wisconsin Master Educator Process;
4. be approved for appointment by the state superintendent.

All assessors will sign a pledge of confidentiality and

1. will not assess candidates' applications from their own school/district;
2. will not assess the applications of candidates to whom they are/were related;
3. will not assess the applications of candidates for whom they could not remain impartial and objective.

Master Educator Assessment Team Training

Assessors are trained using a portfolio assessment guide developed by a national expert in teacher portfolio assessment and Wisconsin educators involved in developing the Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process. Only educators and school board members nominated by their professional organizations, trained in the Wisconsin assessment process and selected by the state superintendent may assess portfolios. The training and portfolio assessment occurs annually, during the summer and entails one to two weeks of time. The assessors are trained in using procedures that are designed to insure objectivity, accurate reference to the Wisconsin Educator Standards and assessment rubrics for each entry, control of bias, accuracy of pattern finding, and attaining consensus. Assessors use note taking strategies, summary statements, rubrics, and a judgment of each entry's documentation of mastery.

The WMEAP Application - Application is due at DPI by May 1, 2008.

Guidebooks

• WMEAP Administrator Guidebook

• WMEAP Teacher Guidebook

• WMEAP Pupil Services Guidebook

PowerPoint of the WMEAP

Wisconsin Master Educators - A number of Wisconsin Master Educators have provided contact information and are available to serve as a resource to interested teachers, pupil services professionals, or administrators.

For questions about this information, contact Charlene M. Koci (608) 267-9215

Last updated on 3/3/2008 10:44:11 AM