About WMEAP Renewal
Several educators have chosen to pursue Master Educator Licensure by completing the Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process (WMEAP). The WMEAP is available to professional educators who are ineligible to earn a Master Educator License by completing the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS) process. The Wisconsin Master Educator License is awarded for a period of ten years. As a Master Educator, you must complete the renewal process prior to your certification end date.
Educators who are currently certified as master educators through the WMEAP or Wallace Fellowship Program and want to renew their ten (10) year Master Educator License must demonstrate and document expert level proficiency in selected Wisconsin Educator Standards in their area of specialty Teacher, Pupil Services Professional, or Administrator. This renewal procedure is intended to provide opportunities for master teachers, pupil services professionals, and administrators to continue their professional growth and contributions through the Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process-Renewal (WMEAP-R).
The WMEAP-R is intended to be a rigorous process of authentic assessment of a master educator’s ongoing mastery of skills, knowledge, dispositions, and practices aligned with selected Wisconsin Educator Standards specific to the educator’s area of licensure. This process provides current master educators the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to identify needs related to pupil growth and achievement and professional growth of colleagues, implement a responsive initiative, relate the initiative to selected standards, analyze the results of the initiative and reflect on their contributions and professional growth since the effective date of the Master Educator License.
Educators should expect to invest one year in creating the required portfolio documentation to demonstrate their mastery through their contributions to the growth of students and/or educational colleagues.
Advantages for Wisconsin Teachers
Teachers and pupil services professionals who successfully complete the WMEAP Renewal process can renew their 10-year Master Educator license. In addition, the WMEAP Master Educators who successfully renew can receive annual grants for 10 years of $2,500 or $5,000.
For program completers prior to September 1, 2004: Educators who completed the WMEAP Renewal process but did not successfully renew their Master Educator license can renew their Professional Educator licenses using the work done for the WMEAP renewal in lieu of 6 semester credits or PDP.
Eligibility
Renewal of the Master Educator License is only available to educators currently certified as master educators through the WMEAP or Wallace Fellowship Program. Applicants must:
- Be a current holder of a Wisconsin Master Educator License.
- Verify her/his current employment in the area in which s/he is seeking licensure renewal (teacher, pupil services professional, administration).
- Be in the eighth/eighteenth or ninth/nineteenth year of certification.
Application Process
Renewal of the Master Educator License requires two applications. The first application is the Intent to Renew the Master Educator License. The second application is for the submission of the portfolio.
In order to apply for and participate in the WMEAP-R, interested candidates must:
- Meet eligibility requirements.
- Apply for Intent to Renew using the Educator Licensing Online System.
- Based on approved Intent to Renew, develop and complete 2 portfolio entries over 1-2 years during the WMEAP Renewal.
- Submit the second application for submission of the portfolio. Complete and submit the portfolio by March 31st by the tenth/twentieth year of the license.
Each of the two applications will include a non-refundable fee. The license is issued upon satisfactory completion and approval of both WMEAP-R applications. All timelines for WMEAP-R application are strictly enforced. Late, incomplete, or ineligible applications will be disqualified.
Portfolios for WMEAP-R are reviewed by a team of DPI-trained assessors for approval or denial. Follow the guidelines in the relevant handbook closely to help ensure a complete and strong application.
Intent to Renew
Educators must use the DPI’s Educator Licensing Online (ELO) system to complete the transaction for Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process Intent to Renew. The completion of this transaction along with a nonrefundable fee must be submitted by March 31st at the earliest in the eighth/eighteenth year and no later than the ninth/nineteenth year of the license. If eligibility requirements have been met, the educator will receive an email notification that his/her intent to renew is approved and may proceed with completing the portfolio. The portfolio must be completed and submitted by March 31st in the tenth/twentieth year following approval of intent to renew. (See http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/elo/renewals/wmeap-r-tips)
If the intent to renew is not approved, the educator will receive notification of denial. If the educator is in the eighth/eighteenth year, s/he may resubmit their intent to renew in the ninth/nineteenth year.
If the intent to renew is not approved in the ninth/nineteenth year of the Master Educator License, the educator will need to complete the professional development required to renew his/her Professional Educator License. See Renewing a DPI-Issued License or Permit.
Portfolio and Portfolio Entries
- Two distinct entries that include initiatives that demonstrate growth and achievement:
- One entry must focus on an initiative that supports pupil growth and achievement.
- A second entry may demonstrate support for the professional growth of colleagues OR for pupil growth and achievement (educator’s choice).
- The selection of two (2) Wisconsin Educator Standards unique to the candidate’s licensure category for each entry. A total of four (4) Wisconsin Educator Standards should be addressed, two (2) for each entry. (Wisconsin Teacher Standards may NOT be used by pupil services professionals or administrators.)
- Description, analysis, and reflection of an initiative demonstrating pupil growth (must be used for one entry, and may be used for both entries). The initiative selected must be current within the past five (5) years.
- Description, analysis, and reflection of an initiative demonstrating the candidate’s contributions to the growth of colleagues may be used in only one entry. The initiative selected must be current within the past five (5) years.
- The initiative the candidate describes and analyzes for each entry must relate directly to the two (2) Wisconsin Educator Standards the candidate has chosen for the entry.
- Artifacts supporting the initiative described and analyzed in each entry may not exceed five (5) total pages for each entry.
The entries should include the description, analysis, and reflection of an initiative that provides clear, convincing, and consistent evidence of the candidate’s work as a teacher, pupil services professional, or administrator. The entry will be assessed against the Wisconsin Educator Standards the candidate has chosen that are unique to their area of licensure and the criteria included in this handbook. Each entry must provide a description, an in-depth analysis (supported by artifacts), and a reflection. Detailed information is in the Wisconsin Master Educator Assessment Process-Renewal handbook.
Master Educators Who Do Not Complete a Portfolio
Educators who either do not wish to seek renewal as a Master Educator or who do not complete the required portfolio by the tenth/twentieth year of the Master Educator License must reactivate their Professional Educator License. This requires either a verified Professional Development Plan (PDP) or, if the educator’s preparation program was completed prior to September 1, 2004, six semester credits. See Directions For Reactivating a Professional Educator License.
Educators who complete the portfolio on time but do not successfully recertify will have their Professional Educator License reactivated based on completing the renewal process.
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