What license is needed for a teaching assignment? In general, a course aligned with a specific set of academic standards requires the teacher of that course to hold the license in the subject of the academic standards addressed in that course. When students also receive equivalent credit in another content area (e.g.computer science course with equivalent math credit, agriculture with science equivalent credit), the teacher does not also need the additional license in the area of equivalent credit unless the district requires it or the teacher also teaches other courses developed based on another set of academic standards. For more information about equivalent credits, see the links listed at the bottom of this page. The following sections answer many common questions regarding teaching assignments allowed with various teaching licenses and subject codes.
Bilingual Education (023/1023) is a supplemental license allowing teachers to teach subjects for which they hold licenses in two languages. ESL (395/1395) license allows the license holder to teach the English language to English Language Learners while supporting core academic subject instruction provided by the classroom teacher at the grade or developmental level specified on the license. Technology courses span a wide range. Therefore, the licenses associated with these courses are also varied. Even having the term "computer science" in the title of a course is not necessarily indicative of who can teach that course. Instead, it is important for local school districts to consider each course and its relationship to academic standards. Computer science courses that are eligible for mathematics credit, as determined locally by the school district, must be taught by a Wisconsin Computer Science (405/1405) licensed teacher. See CS as High School Math Credit. Other stand-alone technology courses must be taught by an educator with a license in the specific academic discipline that is aligned to the academic standards of the course. Digital technology literacy may be embedded into courses across all grade levels and all academic areas. For example, keyboarding or computer applications that support instruction using technology tools, may be embedded into an elementary language arts curriculum. However, if taught as a stand-alone course then the appropriate program area license is required. For more information about computer sciences as a discipline, see the Computer Science section of the DPI website. A license in Regular Education or Elementary Education allows the license holder to teach any subject in a self-contained classroom, except a foreign language, within the grade or developmental range as specified on the license. A license in Regular Education or Elementary Education also allows the license holder to teach the following subjects in a departmentalized or other school organization pattern within the grade or developmental range as specified on the license: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health. A license in a discrete content field is required if the content course is offered for graduation credit. Please see this link for reference https://dpi.wi.gov/cal/middle-school-credit Four-year-old kindergarten can be taught by an educator who holds an Early Childhood license or an Elementary Education license that includes prekindergarten or kindergarten in the grade levels of the license. The license holder may teach any music subject in grades K-12. The license holder may teach all band and orchestral instruments and ensembles made up of these instruments in grades K-12. The license holder may teach general music in grades 7-12. The license holder may teach all band and orchestral instruments and ensembles made up of these instruments in grades K-12. The license holder may also teach individual or small group instruction on band or orchestral instruments and enrichment courses in music theory or conducting. The license holder may teach choral and general music grades K-12. The license holder may teach large and small choral ensembles plus voice and vocal techniques. The license holder may also teach secondary level enrichment courses in music theory or conducting. The license holder may teach classroom music plus large and small choral ensembles. The license holder may also instruct on fretted instruments, keyboard, melodic percussion (steel drums), and rhythm instruments. The license holder may teach all music courses other than band, orchestral, or choral performing groups. Included are such courses as music theory, conducting, music history, fretted instruments, electronic music, keyboard, humanities, allied arts, folk music, music appreciation, et cetera. A discrete course in dance can only be taught by an educator who holds a license in Dance (536/1536) with the appropriate grade or developmental level as specified on the license. An educator who holds a Physical Education (530/1530) license can teach a unit of dance within a physical education course. The license holder may teach any music subject in grades K-12. A Reading Teacher license is required for the following: A Reading Teacher license is not required for the following: A Reading Specialist license is a license in the administrative category. A Reading Specialist license is required for someone who directs reading programs or works with reading teachers, classroom teachers, administrators, and others as a resource teacher in reading. The Broadfield Language Arts license holder (for program completers 9/1/2004 - present) may teach any language arts subject at the Early Adolescence – Adolescence level, up through grade 10, and any basic or fusion language arts subject in grades 11-12 that is NOT: To teach a course under criteria 1, 2, or 3 above, the teacher must hold a license based on completion of at least a concentration in that subject area. The license holder may teach any science subjects in the 600 range at the grade levels specified on the license. The license holder may teach any science subjects up through grade 9 (within the grade levels specified on the license). The license holder may teach science for grades 10-12 EXCEPT discrete courses in Biology (605/1605), Chemistry (610/1610), Physics (625/1625) and Earth/Space Science (635/1635). The license holder may teach any science subjects at the early adolescence – adolescence level, up through grade 10, and any basic or fusion science class in grades 11-12 that is NOT: To teach a course under criteria a, b, or c above, the teacher must hold a license based on completion of at least a concentration in that subject area. The license holder may teach any science subject for grades 7-8. The license holder may teach General Science (620/1620) for grade 9. The license holder may teach General Science (620/1620) for grades 10-12. The license holder may teach any science subject for grades 6-8. The license holder may teach General Science (620/1620) for grade 9, including for high school credit. The license holder may teach any science subject for grades 1-8. The license holder may teach General Science (610/1610) for grade 9, including for high school credit. The license holder may teach Earth/Space Science (635/1635) including Astronomy (627/1627) and Geology (636/1636). The license holder may teach any science subject in grades 4-12. The license holder may teach any social studies subject in 700/1700 range at the grade levels specified on the license, EXCEPT Psychology (740/1740) and Religion (755/1755). The license holder may teach any social studies subject up through grade 9 within grade levels specified on the license. The license holder may teach fusion social studies courses for grades 10-12. Fusion courses are those drawn from several of the social studies disciplines such as American problems, civics, social problems, vital issues, et cetera. The license holder may teach any social studies subject at the early adolescence – adolescence level, up through grade 10, and any basic or fusion social studies subject in grades 11-12 that is NOT: To teach a course under criteria a, b, or c above, the teacher must hold a license based on completion of at least a concentration in that subject area. The license holder may teach any social studies in grades 4-12. A Cross-Categorical Special Education license with a concentration in learning disability, intellectual disability and/or emotional behavior disability allows the license holder to provide special education services to a student with a disability per the individual student IEP. The exception is for student IEPs that require the following services: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language, audiology, orientation & mobility, visual impairment (VI), deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), and educational interpreter. Students with a visual impairment or students who are deaf or hard of hearing require the services of an educator qualified to meet their vision and/or hearing needs. However, when the above students receive special education services outside of VI or DHH, a teacher with a Learning Disabilities, Emotional-Behavioral Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, or Cross-Categorical license may be the appropriate person to provide additional services. The license allows the holder to provide special education services to a student with a disability per the individual student IEP within the grade or developmental level of the license. The exception is for student IEPs that require the following services: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language, audiology, orientation & mobility, visual impairment (VI), deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), and educational interpreter. A substitute teaching assignment is considered a short-term assignment under WI Admin. Code sec. PI 34.109 if the absence of the teacher will be no more than 45 days. The following licenses are acceptable for short-term substitute teaching assignments in any grade/subject: short-term substitute teacher license, long-term substitute teaching license, provisional license, lifetime license, or master educator license in teaching, pupil services, or administration. A substitute teaching assignment is considered a long-term assignment under WI Admin. Code sec. PI 34.109 if the absence of the teacher will exceed 45 days. The educator must have a license in the grades and subjects for the long-term assignment. The following licenses are acceptable for long-term substitute teaching assignments: long-term substitute license, provisional license, lifetime license, master educator license in teaching, or 1-year license with stipulations when the long-term substitute teacher is not already properly licensed.
Bilingual Education
Examples:
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Please see our ESL, Bilingual/Bicultural, and World Languages guidance document for a useful chart that identifies the programs that can be taught to English language learners (ELL) with different teacher licenses.
Examples:
Early Childhood/Four-Year-Old Kindergarten
500/1500 Music (all) (for program completers before 1982)
505/1505 Music (instrumental)
506/1506 Instrumental Music
510/1510 Music (vocal)
511/1511 Choral Music
515/1515 General Music – Grades K-6:
515/1515 General Music – Grades 7-12:
536/1536 Dance
2500 Music - grades K-12 (effective in rule August 1, 2018)
Reading Teacher (316/1316)
Reading Specialist (17/5017)
Broadfield Language Arts (301/1301)
600/1600 Science (all) (for program completers before 7/1/1980)
601/1601 Broadfield Science (for program completers 7/1/1980 – 8/31/2004)
601/1601 Broadfield Science (for program completers 8/31/2004 – present)
27 (Grade 7-12) - 620/1620 General Science
37 (Grades 6-9) – 621/1621 Science
46 (Grades 1-9) – 621/1621 Science
635/1635 Earth/Space Science
2600 Science - grades 4-12 (effective in rule August 1, 2018)
700/1700 Social Studies (all) (for program completers before 7/1/1972)
701/1701 Broadfield Social Studies (for program completers 7/1/1972 – 8/31/2004)
701/1701 Broadfield Social Studies (for program completers 8/31/2004 – present)
2700 Social Studies - grades 4-12 (effective in rule August 1, 2018)
Special Education
801/1801: Cross-categorical special education
825/1825 or 805/1805: Deaf and Hard of Hearing OR Visual Impairment:
2801: K-12 Special Education:
Other Resources:
Computer science/math equivalency: CS as High School Math Credit
Career & technology education equivalency: https://dpi.wi.gov/cte/equivalency