Professional Standards Council
Definitions/Acronyms

As a participant in the discussion of the Professional Standards Council, knowledge of a variety of definitions and acronyms will be helpful. Listed below are some of the common definitions and acronyms that may be used in these discussions:

Definitions:

• ACCREDITED: An educational institution meets required educational standards or accepted criteria of quality in its educational program established by a recognized state, regional, or national accrediting agency.
• APPROVED PROGRAM: A professional education program approved by the State Superintendent that is developed and offered by Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) or an alternative standards based training and assessment program in Wisconsin.
• COOPERATING TEACHER: A licensed school professional who supervises students during their clinical program in cooperation with the college/university supervising staff.
• DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS: Five levels of licensing in Wisconsin based on pupil age for each developmental level.
• INITIAL EDUCATOR: An individual who has successfully completed an approved program and who is licensed by the department for the first time in a particular level or category.
• HIGHLY QUALIFIED EDUCATOR: An educator who holds a regular license for his/her assignment or has a major or minor in the subjects they teach or has passed the Praxis II exam, is enrolled in an approved program that can be completed in no more than 3 years, and is receiving high quality professional development, supervision and mentoring from their school district while teaching.
• PERFORMANCE BASED LICENSING: Licensing that is focused on improved student learning and based on an assessment system that measures a candidate's knowledge, skills, and dispositions for teaching against an established set of standards of performance.
• PROGRAM APPROVAL PROCESS: The process of reviewing institutions (by the DPI) that offer professional education programs leading to educator licensure in Wisconsin.
• REVOCATION PROCESS: The process of educator license termination in Wisconsin resulting from immoral conduct or incompetency on the part of license holder.

Acronyms:

• AWSA - Association of Wisconsin School Administrators
• CESA - Cooperative Education Service Agency
• HQ - Highly Qualified
• IE - Initial Educator
• IHE - Institution of Higher Education
• KSD - Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions
• LRSC - License Renewal Support Center
• NCLB - No Child Left Behind
• PDP - Professional Development Plan
• PE - Professional Educator
• QEI - Quality Educator Initiative (Wisconsin Administrative Code - PI 34)
• SCD - School, College or Department (within a public or private college/university)
• TEPDL - Teacher Education, Professional Development and Licensing
• WASB - Wisconsin Association of School Boards
• WACTE - Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
• WASDA - Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators
• WEAC - Wisconsin Education Association Council
• WICTE - Wisconsin Independent Colleges of Teacher Education
• WKCK - Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination

For questions about this information, contact Peggy A. Solberg (608) 266-2662

Last updated on 10/15/2009 11:18:38 AM