The following sections answer many common questions we receive regarding what teaching assignments are 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. A Computer Science (405/1405) license is required to teach computer science courses. Computer science spans a wide range of computing endeavors, from theoretical foundations to robotics, computer vision, intelligent systems, and bioinformatics. The work of computer scientists is concentrated in three areas: The original definition of computer science was provided in the original ACM/CSTA Model Curriculum for K–12 Computer Science and has the most direct relevance to high school computer science education. “Computer science (CS) is the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their applications, and their impact on society.” For more information, see the Computer Science Guidance Document and "Other Computer-Related Courses" below. A Computer Science license (405/1405) is not required to teach all computer-related courses. The teacher license required for each course is based on student standards upon which the course is based. For example: Keyboarding taught in grades 7-12 must be taught by a licensed Business Education (250/1250 or 251/1251) teacher, OR a business education teacher with Keyboarding (previously typewriting) (265/1265) license. Keyboarding taught in grades lower than 7 must be taught using the following options: 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.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.Criteria that make a course a Computer Science course:
Computer Graphics
Computer Applications/Literacy
Keyboarding
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-categotical special education
825/1825 or 805/1805: Deaf and Hard of Hearing OR Visual Impairment:
2801: K-12 Special Education: