District Sponsored Pathway Application Instructions
General Information
Thank you for considering adding a license area with the CESA 7 Teacher Development Center! The CESA 7 District Sponsored Pathway Program is a three-year, performance-based, teacher preparation program for LWS-3 emergency licensed teachers working in an area outside their license area. Teachers working in private programs can also apply. Applying to the program usually takes 1-2 weeks. There are several steps to the application process which we will review in sections below.
There is an instructions section for each of the steps in graphic below:
Acceptance Qualifications
To be considered for entrance to the District Sponsored Pathway Program, you must:
hold a valid Wisconsin teaching license at Tier II, Tier III, or Tier IV level
have been assigned to teach in a grade and/or a subject in a WI public school district, CESA, or residential school that is not covered by your existing teaching license(s)
had at least one year of full-time teaching experience in the employing school district, CESA, or residential school?
(If this criterion is not met, the educator will need to use an LWS1 to gain the year of experience prior to applying for the LWS3)
This pathway is not available to the person who:
Has less than a year of full-time teaching experience in the requesting school district, CESA or residential school.
Is not employed as a teacher by a Wisconsin public school district, CESA, or residential school.
Is seeking a special education license, but has previously taught in an assignment in the Special Education subject and/or grade range for three or more years without being fully licensed for the assignment.
Has previously held the same three-year district-sponsored license with stipulations in the requesting district, CESA, or residential school, which has expired as these licenses are not renewable;
Has left the district, CESA, or residential school that originally requested the license as these licenses are not portable and are only valid for employment in the requesting district, CESA, or residential school.
Step 1 - Complete the Intake Form
The intake form gives us information about your situation and allows us to tell you if the program will be a good fit for you. Once received, we will contact you to arrange a virtual meeting to discuss the program.
Step 2 - Initial Meeting
The candidate, the district representative who will be making decisions about the scholar's professional development, and the CESA 7 team meet to go over the basics of the program. Want to learn more before the meeting? See the TDC District Sponsored Pathway Info Session Slideshow.
Step 3 - Submit Supporting Documentation
We recommend that you submit your documents by sharing them with jwildenberg@cesa7.org using a Google folder. You can also submit them via email, fax, mail or by dropping them off personally. Regardless of how you submit them, they should end up in the hands of the Project Specialist who will review to ensure that they are complete and filled out correctly. Click a blue heading below to get more information about each document type.
Less than 1 year teaching (on an official contract) in the district
Submit your PI-1624-LWS1 form and official transcripts to us AND to DPI's Educator Licensing Online.
Every scholar in the DSP program should be an emergency licensed teacher working outside their area of licensure. Most DSP scholars are working with what is called a three-year license with stipulations (PI-1624-LWS3). However, this license is only for scholars who have been teaching for at least one year in the district.
Scholars with less than a year need to apply through DPI's Educator Licensing Online using the PI Form 1624-LWS1 that your school district should supply to you. The form should indicate that you are working with the CESA 7 Teacher Development Center.
Official Transcripts
We use your transcript to give you credit for the required courses. The easiest way to submit your transcript is to have it emailed to jwildenberg@cesa7.org.
Your institution may also mail your sealed transcripts to:
TDC Program Support
CESA 7
595 Baeten Rd.
Green Bay, WI 54304
Other Certificates of Completion
If you have other completion certificates or proof of course completion (CPI Blue Card) that you would like to submit, we can also review that to determine if we can give you credit for required professional development or statutory stipulations.
At least 1 year teaching (on an official contract) in the district
Submit your PI-1624-LWS3, PI-1613 form, and official transcripts to us AND to DPI's Educator Licensing Online.
Every scholar in the DSP program should be an emergency licensed teacher working outside their area of licensure. Most DSP scholars are working with what is called a three-year license with stipulations (PI-1624-LWS3). However, this license is only for scholars who have been teaching for at least one year in the district.
Scholars with less than a year need to apply through DPI's Educator Licensing Online using the PI Form 1624-LWS1 that your school district should supply to you. The form should indicate that you are working with the CESA 7 Teacher Development Center.
DPI Form PI-1613 is the employment verification form
Official Transcripts
In order to admit you into the program, we have to substantiate that you meet the program’s 2.75 overall grade point average requirement. Your official transcript is the best way for us to do this. We also use your transcript to give you credit for the required courses. The easiest way to submit your transcript is to have it emailed to jwildenberg@cesa7.org.
Your institution may also mail your sealed transcripts to:
TDC Program Support
CESA 7
595 Baeten Rd.
Green Bay, WI 54304
Copy of Current License
Once your license application has been approved, please send it to Jeremy Wildenberg at jwildenberg@cesa7.org
Other Certificates of Completion
If you have other completion certificates or proof of course completion (CPI Blue Card) that you would like to submit, we can also review that to determine if we can give you credit for required professional development or statutory stipulations.
Step 4 - Transcript Review
After we receive all your documents, our admissions officer will review them and generate a personal program for you. This personal program will list all the requirements to successfully complete your program, including coursework, statutory stipulations and assessments. It will also list any credit that you may have been awarded for previous coursework or experience.
Step 5 - Scholar Success Plan Generation
When the admissions officer completes the transcript, he forwards it to the Project Specialist who will then generate your scholar success plan. This chronological plan will help keep you on track in your program. We will share this plan with you and your district contact.
Step 6 - Choose Courses
When you and your district representative receive the plan, you will want to meet to discuss the courses your district will require you to take. Statutory stipulations are required by the state and are not optional. You are not required to complete them through CESA 7, but that is usually the most affordable way to do so, especially if you are taking other courses through us.
Step 7 - Finalize the Agreement
Once the plan is completed, we will send a copy of the plan and your intake form to you and your district for signature via DocuSign. Once signed, we will file it.
Step 8 - Program Maintenance and Support
We are here to support you throughout your licensing journey. In our program, we will provide you with:
In-person and online advisor support to ensure you stay on track in your program
In-person and online support from a coordinator throughout the licensing process
Periodic meetings to provide information and support for candidates in the program and enhance ongoing communication and collaboration
Portfolio creation appropriate to the Wisconsin PI 34 licensure process
Compliance in meeting all DPI requirements for Teacher Performance Assessment Initiatives