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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
1
An act relating to education; creating s. 683.335, 2
F.S.; requiring the Governor to proclaim September 11 3
of each year as "9/11 Heroes' Day"; requiring the day 4
to be observed in public schools and by public 5
exercise; requiring certain middle and high school 6
students to receive specified instruction; requiring 7
the State Board of Education to adopt certain revised 8
social studies standards; amending s. 1002.20,F.S.; 9
requiring school districts to annually review and 10
confirm specified information is accurate and up to 11
date; requiring school districts to send a 12
notification to parents under certain circumstances; 13
authorizing students to possess and use certain 14
medication while on school property or at a school -15
sponsored events; amending s. 1002.33, F.S.; providing 16
clarifying language relating to admission and 17
dismissal procedures for charter schools; amending s. 18
1002.42, F.S.; conforming a cross -reference; creating 19
s. 1003.07, F.S.; creating the Year -round School Pilot 20
Program for a period of 4 school years beginning with 21
a specified school year; providing the purpose of the 22
program; providing for an application process for 23
participation in the program; requiring the 24
Commissioner of Education to select a certain number 25
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of school districts to participate in the program; 26
providing requirements for participating school 27
districts; requiring the commissioner to submit a 28
report to the Governor and Legislature; providing 29
requirements for such report; authorizing the State 30
Board of Education to adopt rules; amending s. 31
1003.42, F.S.; requiring the history of Asian 32
Americans and Pacific Islanders to be included in 33
specified instruction; providing requirements for such 34
instruction; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; revising a 35
graduation requirement for certain students; amending 36
s. 1004.04, F.S.; revising the core curricula for 37
certain teacher preparation programs; amending s. 38
1004.85, F.S.; revising terminology; deleting a 39
requirement that certain certification programs be 40
previously approved by the Department of Education; 41
revising requirements for certain competency -based 42
programs, certain teacher preparation field 43
experience, and participants in certain teacher 44
preparation programs; req uiring the State Board of 45
Education to adopt specified rules relating to the 46
continued approval of certain teacher preparation 47
programs rather than by a determination of the 48
Commissioner of Education; amending s. 1005.04, F.S.; 49
requiring certain institutio ns to include specified 50
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information relating to student fees and costs in a 51
disclosure to prospective students; requiring certain 52
institutions to provide information affirmatively 53
demonstrating compliance with fair consumer practice 54
requirements; creating s. 1005.11, F.S.; requiring the 55
Commission for Independent Education to annually 56
prepare an accountability report by a specified date; 57
providing requirements for such report; requiring 58
licensed institutions to annually provide certain data 59
to the commission by a specified date; providing 60
requirements for the determination of a specified 61
rate; requiring the commission to establish a common 62
set of data definitions; requiring the commission to 63
impose administrative fines for an institution that 64
fails to timely submit the data; providing 65
requirements for such fines; providing authority for 66
the commission to require certain data reporting by 67
certain institutions; amending s. 1005.22, F.S.; 68
revising the powers and duties of the commission; 69
amending s. 1005.31, F.S .; revising the commission's 70
evaluation standards for licensure of an institution; 71
authorizing the commission to prohibit the enrollment 72
of new students, or limit the number of students in a 73
program at, a licensed institution under certain 74
circumstances; authorizing the commission to take 75
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specified actions relating to licensed institutions; 76
authorizing the commission to establish certain 77
benchmarks by rule; providing for the designation of 78
certain licensed institutions as high performing; 79
creating s. 1005.335, F.S.; requiring all programs at 80
licensed institutions to be disclosed to the 81
commission; requiring institutions to receive 82
institutional accreditation prior to obtaining 83
licensure for prelicensure professional nursing 84
programs; requiring the commission to adopt rules; 85
amending s. 1006.09, F.S.; providing requirements for 86
searches of students' personal belongings; amending s. 87
1006.13, F.S.; creating a rebuttable presumption for 88
certain disciplinary actions; amending s. 1006.148, 89
F.S.; conforming a cross -reference; amending s. 90
1007.27, F.S.; revising the articulated acceleration 91
mechanisms available to certain students; requiring 92
the state board and Board of Governors to identify 93
Florida College System institutions and state 94
universities to develop certain courses and provide 95
specified training; requiring the department to take 96
specified actions relating to certain courses; 97
authorizing the department to partner with specified 98
organizations to develop certain assessments; 99
providing for the award of credit to certain students; 100
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requiring the department to provide a report to the 101
Legislature by a specified date; providing 102
requirements for such report; amending s. 1007.271, 103
F.S.; requiring dual enrollment courses to be age and 104
developmentally appropriate; amendin g s. 1007.35, 105
F.S.; revising the responsibilities of the Florida 106
Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student 107
Achievement; conforming provisions to changes made by 108
the act; amending s. 1008.22, F.S.; authorizing school 109
districts to select the Clas sic Learning Test for an 110
annual districtwide administration for certain 111
students; amending s. 1008.34, F.S.; revising the 112
calculation of school grades for certain schools; 113
amending s. 1009.531, F.S.; revising the list of 114
courses that receive additional wei ghts for the 115
purpose of calculating students' grade point averages 116
when determining initial eligibility for a Florida 117
Bright Futures Scholarship; authorizing students to 118
earn a concordant score on the Classic Learning Test 119
to meet the initial eligibility r equirements for the 120
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; amending 121
ss. 1009.534, 1009.535, and 1009.536, F.S.; 122
authorizing students to use a combination of volunteer 123
service hours and paid work hours to meet certain 124
program eligibility requirements; providing that paid 125
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work hours completed on or after a specified date 126
shall be used to meet certain program eligibility 127
requirements; amending s. 1012.34, F.S.; providing 128
school administrators are not precluded from taking 129
specified actions; amending s. 10 12.56, F.S.; revising 130
requirements for a person seeking an educator 131
certification; revising criteria for the award of a 132
temporary certificate; revising the validity period 133
for certain temporary certificates; deleting 134
provisions relating to the department's ability to 135
extend the validity period of certain temporary 136
certificates; revising the requirements for the 137
approval and administration of such programs; 138
establishing professional education competency 139
programs; requiring school districts to develop and 140
maintain such a program; authorizing private schools 141
and state-supported schools to develop and maintain 142
such a program; amending s. 1012.57, F.S.; authorizing 143
charter school governing boards to issue adjunct 144
teaching certificates; requiring a charter school to 145
post specified requirements on its website and 146
annually report specified information relating to 147
adjunct teaching certificates to the Department of 148
Education; conforming a cross -reference; amending s. 149
1012.575, F.S.; conforming a cross -reference; amending 150
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s. 1012.585, F.S.; requiring certain applicants for 151
the renewal of a professional certificate to earn 152
specified college credit or inservice points; 153
providing requirements for such credit or points; 154
amending s. 1012.586, F.S.; conforming a cross -155
reference; amending s. 1012.98, F.S.; defining the 156
term "professional learning"; prohibiting specified 157
meetings from being considered professional learning 158
and eligible for inservice points; providing and 159
revising requirements for certain professional 160
learning activities; revising department and school 161
district duties relating to such activities; providing 162
requirements for entities contracted with to provide 163
professional learning services and inservice education 164
for school districts; amending s. 1012.986, F.S.; 165
renaming the "William Cecil Golden Professional 166
Development Program for School Leaders" as the 167
"William Cecil Golden Professional Learning Program 168
for School Leaders"; revising the goal of the program; 169
amending s. 1013.62, F.S.; revising the charter school 170
eligibility criteria for capital outlay funding; 171
amending s. 1014.05, F.S.; conforming a cross -172
reference; authorizing certain students to meet 173
specified assessment graduation requirements by 174
earning certain scores on specified assessments; 175
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providing for the future expiration of such 176
provisions; providing an appropriation; providing a 177
directive to the Division of Law Revision; providing 178
effective dates. 179
180
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 181
182
Section 1. Section 683.335, Florida Stat utes, is created 183
to read: 184
683.335 9/11 Heroes' Day. — 185
(1) The Governor shall proclaim September 11 of each year 186
as "9/11 Heroes' Day," which shall be suitably observed in the 187
public schools of the state as a day honoring those who perished 188
in the September 11, 2001, attacks, including 2,763 people at 189
the World Trade Center, 189 people at the Pentagon, and 44 190
people on United Airlines Flight 93, and the 25,000 people 191
maimed or fatally injured on or after that date, and which shall 192
be suitably observed by public exercise in the State Capitol and 193
elsewhere as the Governor may designate. 194
(2) If September 11 falls on a day that is not a school 195
day, "9/11 Heroes' Day" shall be observed in the public schools 196
in the state on the preceding school day or on such school day 197
as may be designated by local school authorities. 198
(3) Beginning in the 2023 -2024 school year, middle school 199
and high school students enrolled in the civics education class 200
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required by s. 1003.4156 or the United States Government class 201
required by s. 1003.4282(3)(d), respectively, must receive at 202
least 45 minutes of instruction on "9/11 Heroes' Day" topics 203
involving the history and significance of September 11, 2001, 204
including remembering the sacrifice of military personnel, 205
government employees , civilians, and emergency responders who 206
were killed, wounded, or suffered sickness due to the terrorist 207
attacks on or after that date, including, but not limited to: 208
(a) The historical context of global terrorism. 209
(b) A timeline of events on Septembe r 11, 2001, including 210
the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United 211
Airlines Flight 93. 212
(c) The selfless heroism of police officers, firefighters, 213
paramedics, other first responders, and civilians involved in 214
the rescue and recovery of victims and the heroic actions taken 215
by the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93. 216
(d) The unprecedented outpouring of humanitarian, 217
charitable, and volunteer aid occurring after the events of 218
September 11, 2001. 219
(e) The global response to terrorism and importance of 220
respecting civil liberties while ensuring safety and security. 221
(4) The State Board of Education must adopt revised social 222
studies standards for inclusion in the civics education course 223
required by s. 1003.4156 and the United States Gove rnment class 224
required by s. 1003.4282(3)(d) which incorporate the 225
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requirements of this section. 226
Section 2. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 227
1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (p) is 228
added to that subsection, to read: 229
1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights. —Parents of public 230
school students must receive accurate and timely information 231
regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed 232
of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K -12 233
students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory 234
rights including, but not limited to, the following: 235
(3) HEALTH ISSUES.— 236
(d) Reproductive health and disease education. —A public 237
school student whose parent makes written request to the school 238
principal shall be exempted from the teaching of reproductive 239
health or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, in accordance with s. 240
1003.42(5). 241
1. Each school district shall, on the district's website 242
homepage, notify parents of this right and the process to 243
request an exemption. The homepage must include a link for a 244
student's parent to access and review the instructional 245
materials, as defined in s. 1006.29(2), used to teach the 246
curriculum. 247
2. Each school district shall annually review and confirm 248
that the information provided on the district's website homepage 249
under subparagraph 1. is accurate and up to date and shall 250
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notify parents by physical or electronic means any time 251
revisions are made to such information. 252
(p) A student may possess and use a medication to reli eve 253
headaches while on school property or at a school -sponsored 254
event or activity without a physician's note or prescription if 255
the medication is regulated by the United States Food and Drug 256
Administration for over -the-counter use to treat headaches. 257
Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section 258
1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 259
1002.33 Charter schools. — 260
(7) CHARTER.—The terms and conditions for the operation of 261
a charter school, including a virtual charter school, shall be 262
set forth by the sponsor and the applicant in a written 263
contractual agreement, called a charter. The sponsor and the 264
governing board of the charter school or virtual charter school 265
shall use the standard charter contract or standard virtual 266
charter contract, respectively, pursuant to subsection (21), 267
which shall incorporate the approved application and any addenda 268
approved with the application. Any term or condition of a 269
proposed charter contract or proposed virtual charter contract 270
that differs from the standa rd charter or virtual charter 271
contract adopted by rule of the State Board of Education shall 272
be presumed a limitation on charter school flexibility. The 273
sponsor may not impose unreasonable rules or regulations that 274
violate the intent of giving charter scho ols greater flexibility 275
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to meet educational goals. The charter shall be signed by the 276
governing board of the charter school and the sponsor, following 277
a public hearing to ensure community input. 278
(a) The charter shall address and criteria for approval of 279
the charter shall be based on: 280
1. The school's mission, the types of students to be 281
served, and, for a virtual charter school, the types of students 282
the school intends to serve who reside outside of the sponsoring 283
school district, and the ages and grades to be included. 284
2. The focus of the curriculum, the instructional methods 285
to be used, any distinctive instructional techniques to be 286
employed, and identification and acquisition of appropriate 287
technologies needed to improve educational and administrativ e 288
performance which include a means for promoting safe, ethical, 289
and appropriate uses of technology which comply with legal and 290
professional standards. 291
a. The charter shall ensure that reading is a primary 292
focus of the curriculum and that resources are p rovided to 293
identify and provide specialized instruction for students who 294
are reading below grade level. The curriculum and instructional 295
strategies for reading must be consistent with the Next 296
Generation Sunshine State Standards and grounded in 297
scientifically based reading research. 298
b. In order to provide students with access to diverse 299
instructional delivery models, to facilitate the integration of 300
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technology within traditional classroom instruction, and to 301
provide students with the skills they need to c ompete in the 302
21st century economy, the Legislature encourages instructional 303
methods for blended learning courses consisting of both 304
traditional classroom and online instructional techniques. 305
Charter schools may implement blended learning courses which 306
combine traditional classroom instruction and virtual 307
instruction. Students in a blended learning course must be full -308
time students of the charter school pursuant to s. 309
1011.61(1)(a)1. Instructional personnel certified pursuant to s. 310
1012.55 who provide virtu al instruction for blended learning 311
courses may be employees of the charter school or may be under 312
contract to provide instructional services to charter school 313
students. At a minimum, such instructional personnel must hold 314
an active state or school distric t adjunct certification under 315
s. 1012.57 for the subject area of the blended learning course. 316
The funding and performance accountability requirements for 317
blended learning courses are the same as those for traditional 318
courses. 319
3. The current incoming base line standard of student 320
academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the 321
method of measurement that will be used. The criteria listed in 322
this subparagraph shall include a detailed description of: 323
a. How the baseline student academic achievemen t levels 324
and prior rates of academic progress will be established. 325
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b. How these baseline rates will be compared to rates of 326
academic progress achieved by these same students while 327
attending the charter school. 328
c. To the extent possible, how these rates of progress 329
will be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other 330
closely comparable student populations. 331
332
A district school board is required to provide academic student 333
performance data to charter schools for each of their students 334
coming from the district school system, as well as rates of 335
academic progress of comparable student populations in the 336
district school system. 337
4. The methods used to identify the educational strengths 338
and needs of students and how well educational goals and 339
performance standards are met by students attending the charter 340
school. The methods shall provide a means for the charter school 341
to ensure accountability to its constituents by analyzing 342
student performance data and by evaluating the effectiveness and 343
efficiency of its major educational programs. Students in 344
charter schools shall, at a minimum, participate in the 345
statewide assessment program created under s. 1008.22. 346
5. In secondary charter schools, a method for determining 347
that a student has satisfied the requir ements for graduation in 348
s. 1002.3105(5), s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282. 349
6. A method for resolving conflicts between the governing 350
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board of the charter school and the sponsor. 351
7. The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures, 352
including the school' s code of student conduct. Admission or 353
dismissal must not be based on a student's academic performance , 354
except as authorized under subparagraph (10)(e)5 . 355
8. The ways by which the school will achieve a 356
racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or 357
within the racial/ethnic range of other nearby public schools or 358
school districts. 359
9. The financial and administrative management of the 360
school, including a reasonable demonstration of the professional 361
experience or competence of those individ uals or organizations 362
applying to operate the charter school or those hired or 363
retained to perform such professional services and the 364
description of clearly delineated responsibilities and the 365
policies and practices needed to effectively manage the charter 366
school. A description of internal audit procedures and 367
establishment of controls to ensure that financial resources are 368
properly managed must be included. Both public sector and 369
private sector professional experience shall be equally valid in 370
such a consideration. 371
10. The asset and liability projections required in the 372
application which are incorporated into the charter and shall be 373
compared with information provided in the annual report of the 374
charter school. 375
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11. A description of procedures that ident ify various 376
risks and provide for a comprehensive approach to reduce the 377
impact of losses; plans to ensure the safety and security of 378
students and staff; plans to identify, minimize, and protect 379
others from violent or disruptive student behavior; and the 380
manner in which the school will be insured, including whether or 381
not the school will be required to have liability insurance, 382
and, if so, the terms and conditions thereof and the amounts of 383
coverage. 384
12. The term of the charter which shall provide for 385
cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been 386
made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the 387
charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be 388
achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of a 389
charter shall be for 5 years, excluding 2 planning years. In 390
order to facilitate access to long -term financial resources for 391
charter school construction, charter schools that are operated 392
by a municipality or other public entity as provided by law are 393
eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the 394
sponsor. A charter lab school is eligible for a charter for a 395
term of up to 15 years. In addition, to facilitate access to 396
long-term financial resources for charter school construction, 397
charter schools that are operated by a private, not -for-profit, 398
s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible for up to a 15 -year 399
charter, subject to approval by the sponsor. Such long -term 400
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charters remain subject to annual review and may be terminated 401
during the term of the ch arter, but only according to the 402
provisions set forth in subsection (8). 403
13. The facilities to be used and their location. The 404
sponsor may not require a charter school to have a certificate 405
of occupancy or a temporary certificate of occupancy for such a 406
facility earlier than 15 calendar days before the first day of 407
school. 408
14. The qualifications to be required of the teachers and 409
the potential strategies used to recruit, hire, train, and 410
retain qualified staff to achieve best value. 411
15. The governance structure of the school, including the 412
status of the charter school as a public or private employer as 413
required in paragraph (12)(i). 414
16. A timetable for implementing the charter which 415
addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the 416
date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this 417
timetable. 418
17. In the case of an existing public school that is being 419
converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for 420
current students who choose not to attend the charter school and 421
for current teachers who choose not to teach in the charter 422
school after conversion in accordance with the existing 423
collective bargaining agreement or district school board rule in 424
the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. However, 425
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alternative arrangements shall not be required for current 426
teachers who choose not to teach in a charter lab school, except 427
as authorized by the employment policies of the state university 428
which grants the charter to the lab school. 429
18. Full disclosure of the identity of a ll relatives 430
employed by the charter school who are related to the charter 431
school owner, president, chairperson of the governing board of 432
directors, superintendent, governing board member, principal, 433
assistant principal, or any other person employed by the charter 434
school who has equivalent decisionmaking authority. For the 435
purpose of this subparagraph, the term "relative" means father, 436
mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first 437
cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father -in-law, mother-in-438
law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, 439
stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, 440
stepsister, half brother, or half sister. 441
19. Implementation of the activities authorized under s. 442
1002.331 by the charter school when it satisfies the eligibility 443
requirements for a high -performing charter school. A high -444
performing charter school shall notify its sponsor in writing by 445
March 1 if it intends to increase enrollment or expand grade 446
levels the following school year. The written notice shall 447
specify the amount of the enrollment increase and the grade 448
levels that will be added, as applicable. 449
Section 4. Subsection (13) of section 1002.42, Florida 450
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Statutes, is amended to read: 451
1002.42 Private schools. — 452
(13) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM.—An 453
organization of private schools that has no fewer than 10 member 454
schools in this state may develop a professional learning 455
development system to be filed with the Department of Education 456
in accordance with s. 1012.98(7) the provisions of s. 457
1012.98(6). 458
Section 5. Section 1003.07, Florida Statutes, is created 459
to read: 460
1003.07 Year-round School Pilot Program. —Beginning with 461
the 2024-2025 school year, the Year -round School Pilot Program 462
is created for a period of 4 sch ool years. The purpose of the 463
program is for the Department of Education to assist school 464
districts in establishing a year -round school program within at 465
least one elementary school in the district and study the 466
issues, benefits, and schedule options for i nstituting year-467
round school programs for all students. 468
(1)(a) School districts shall apply to the Department of 469
Education, in a format and by a date prescribed by the 470
department, to participate in the program. The application must 471
include: 472
1. The number of students enrolled in the elementary 473
school or schools that will implement a year -round school 474
program. 475
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2. The academic performance of the students enrolled in 476
such school or schools. 477
3. The rate of absenteeism and tardiness of students 478
enrolled in such school or schools. 479
4. The commitment of such school's or schools' 480
instructional personnel and students to the year -round school 481
program. 482
5. An explanation of how the implementation of the year -483
round school program will benefit the students. 484
(b) The Commissioner of Education shall select five school 485
districts to participate in the program. To the extent possible, 486
the commissioner shall select school districts that represent a 487
variety of demographics, including, but not limited to, an 488
urban, suburban, and rural school district. 489
(2) A school district enrolled in a year -round school 490
program shall: 491
(a) Implement a single -track or multi-track schedule. 492
(b) Provide data to the department to allow for: 493
1. An assessment of the academic and safety benefits 494
associated with establishing a year -round school program. 495
2. An evaluation of any potential barriers for the school 496
district upon implementation of a year -round school program, 497
including, but not limi ted to: 498
a. Issues related to the commitment of instructional 499
personnel and students. 500
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b. The provision of services during the summer months. 501
c. School district budgeting. 502
d. Parental engagement and participation. 503
e. Coordination with community ser vices. 504
f. Student assessment and progression practices. 505
g. Student transportation. 506
3. The consideration of strategies for addressing such 507
potential barriers. 508
(3) Upon completion of the program, the commissioner shall 509
provide a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 510
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must 511
include: 512
(a) The number of students enrolled at participating 513
schools. 514
(b) The number of students enrolled at participating 515
schools before and after the implementation of the year -round 516
school program. 517
(c) Any health, academic, and safety benefits for students 518
or instructional personnel from the implementation of the year -519
round school program. 520
(d) An evaluation of any poten tial barriers for school 521
districts and families associated with a year -round school 522
program. 523
(e) The commissioner's recommendation on the adoption of 524
year-round school programs for all students. 525
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(4) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to 526
administer the program. 527
Section 6. Subsection (2) of section 1003.42, Florida 528
Statutes, is amended to read: 529
1003.42 Required instruction. — 530
(2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 531
schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 532
and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 533
faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 534
highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, 535
following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 536
approved methods of instruction, the following: 537
(a) The history and content of the Declaration of 538
Independence, including national sovereignty, natural law, self -539
evident truth, equality of all persons, limited government, 540
popular sovereignty, and inalienable rights of life, liberty, 541
and property, and how they form the philosophical foundation of 542
our government. 543
(b) The history, meaning, significance, and effect of the 544
provisions of the Constitution of the United States and 545
amendments thereto, with emphasis on each of the 10 amendments 546
that make up the Bill of Rights and how the constitution 547
provides the structure of our government. 548
(c) The arguments in support of adopting our republican 549
form of government, as they are embodied in the most important 550
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of the Federalist Papers. 551
(d) Flag education, including proper flag display and flag 552
salute. 553
(e) The elements of civil government, including the 554
primary functions of and interrelationships between the Federal 555
Government, the state, and its counties, municipalities, school 556
districts, and special districts. 557
(f) The history of the United States, including the period 558
of discovery, early colonies, the War for Independence, the 559
Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present 560
boundaries, the world wars, and t he civil rights movement to the 561
present. American history shall be viewed as factual, not as 562
constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and 563
testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation 564
based largely on the universal principles s tated in the 565
Declaration of Independence. 566
(g)1. The history of the Holocaust (1933 -1945), the 567
systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other 568
groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of 569
humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an 570
investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the 571
ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an 572
examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful 573
person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity 574
in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting 575
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democratic values and institutions, including the policy, 576
definition, and historical and current examples of anti -577
Semitism, as described in s. 1000.05(8), and the prevention of 578
anti-Semitism. Each school district must annually certify and 579
provide evidence to the department, in a manner prescribed by 580
the department, that the requirements of this paragraph are met. 581
The department shall prepare and offer standards and curriculum 582
for the instruction req uired by this paragraph and may seek 583
input from the Commissioner of Education's Task Force on 584
Holocaust Education or from any state or nationally recognized 585
Holocaust educational organizations. The department may contract 586
with any state or nationally recog nized Holocaust educational 587
organizations to develop training for instructional personnel 588
and grade-appropriate classroom resources to support the 589
developed curriculum. 590
2. The second week in November shall be designated as 591
"Holocaust Education Week" in t his state in recognition that 592
November is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, widely recognized 593
as a precipitating event that led to the Holocaust. 594
(h) The history of African Americans, including the 595
history of African peoples before the political conflict s that 596
led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the 597
enslavement experience, abolition, and the history and 598
contributions of Americans of the African diaspora to society. 599
Students shall develop an understanding of the ramifications of 600
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prejudice, racism, and stereotyping on individual freedoms, and 601
examine what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, 602
for the purpose of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a 603
pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic 604
values and institutions. Instruction shall include the roles and 605
contributions of individuals from all walks of life and their 606
endeavors to learn and thrive throughout history as artists, 607
scientists, educators, businesspeople, influential thinkers, 608
members of the faith community, and political and governmental 609
leaders and the courageous steps they took to fulfill the 610
promise of democracy and unite the nation. Instructional 611
materials shall include the vital contributions of African 612
Americans to build and strengthen American society and celebrate 613
the inspirational stories of African Americans who prospered, 614
even in the most difficult circumstances. Instructional 615
personnel may facilitate discussions and use curricula to 616
address, in an age-appropriate manner, how the in dividual 617
freedoms of persons have been infringed by slavery, racial 618
oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination, as 619
well as topics relating to the enactment and enforcement of laws 620
resulting in racial oppression, racial segregation, and racia l 621
discrimination and how recognition of these freedoms has 622
overturned these unjust laws. However, classroom instruction and 623
curriculum may not be used to indoctrinate or persuade students 624
to a particular point of view inconsistent with the principles 625
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enumerated in subsection (3) or the state academic standards. 626
The department shall prepare and offer standards and curriculum 627
for the instruction required by this paragraph and may seek 628
input from the Commissioner of Education's African American 629
History Task Force. 630
(i) The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, 631
including the history of Japanese internment camps and the 632
incarceration of Japanese -Americans during World War II; the 633
immigration, citizenship, civil rights, identity, and culture of 634
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and the contributions of 635
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society. 636
Instructional materials shall include the contributions of Asian 637
Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society. 638
(j)(i) The elementary principles of agriculture. 639
(k)(j) The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating 640
liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the human body and 641
mind. 642
(l)(k) Kindness to animals. 643
(m)(l) The history of the state. 644
(n)(m) The conservation of natura l resources. 645
(o)(n) Comprehensive age-appropriate and developmentally 646
appropriate K-12 instruction on: 647
1. Health education that addresses concepts of community 648
health, consumer health, environmental health, and family life, 649
including: 650
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a. Injury prevention and safety. 651
b. Internet safety. 652
c. Nutrition. 653
d. Personal health. 654
e. Prevention and control of disease. 655
f. Substance use and abuse. 656
g. Prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and 657
human trafficking. 658
2. For students in grades 7 through 12, teen dating 659
violence and abuse. This component must include, but not be 660
limited to, the definition of dating violence and abuse, the 661
warning signs of dating violence and abusive behavior, the 662
characteristics of healthy relationships, measure s to prevent 663
and stop dating violence and abuse, and community resources 664
available to victims of dating violence and abuse. 665
3. For students in grades 6 through 12, awareness of the 666
benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the 667
consequences of teenage pregnancy. 668
4. Life skills that build confidence, support mental and 669
emotional health, and enable students to overcome challenges, 670
including: 671
a. Self-awareness and self-management. 672
b. Responsible decisionmaking. 673
c. Resiliency. 674
d. Relationship skills and conflict resolution. 675
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e. Understanding and respecting other viewpoints and 676
backgrounds. 677
f. For grades 9 through 12, developing leadership skills, 678
interpersonal skills, organization skills, and research skills; 679
creating a resume, inc luding a digital resume; exploring career 680
pathways; using state career planning resources; developing and 681
practicing the skills necessary for employment interviews; 682
workplace ethics and workplace law; managing stress and 683
expectations; and self -motivation. 684
685
Health education and life skills instruction and materials may 686
not contradict the principles enumerated in subsection (3). 687
(p)(o) Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or 688
fields in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of 689
the State Board of Education and the district school board in 690
fulfilling the requirements of law. 691
(q)(p) The study of Hispanic contributions to the United 692
States. 693
(r)(q) The study of women's contributions to the United 694
States. 695
(s)(r) The nature and importance of free enterprise to the 696
United States economy. 697
(t)(s) Civic and character education on the qualities and 698
responsibilities of patriotism and citizenship, including 699
kindness; respect for authority, life, liberty, and personal 700
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property; honesty; charity; ra cial, ethnic, and religious 701
tolerance; and cooperation and, for grades 11 and 12, voting 702
using the uniform primary and general election ballot described 703
in s. 101.151(9). 704
(u)(t) In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices 705
that veterans and Medal of Honor recipients have made in serving 706
our country and protecting democratic values worldwide. Such 707
instruction must occur on or before Medal of Honor Day, 708
Veterans' Day, and Memorial Day. Members of the instructional 709
staff are encouraged to use the assista nce of local veterans and 710
Medal of Honor recipients when practicable. 711
712
The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 713
and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 714
Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 715
recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 716
offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 717
other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 718
initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u) (t). 719
Section 7. Paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section 720
1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 721
1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school 722
diploma.— 723
(3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT 724
REQUIREMENTS.— 725
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(e) One credit in fine or performing arts, speech and 726
debate, or career and technical education practical arts.—A The 727
practical arts course that incorporates must incorporate 728
artistic content and techniques of creativity, interpretation, 729
and imagination satisfies the one credit requirement in fine or 730
performing arts, speech and debate, or career and technical 731
education. Eligible practical arts courses are identified in the 732
Course Code Directory. 733
Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 734
1004.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 735
1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for 736
teacher preparation programs. — 737
(2) UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT. — 738
(b) The rules to establish uniform core curricula for each 739
state-approved teacher preparation program must include, but are 740
not limited to, the following: 741
1. Candidate instruction and assessment in the Florida 742
Educator Accomplished Practices across content areas. 743
2. The use of state -adopted content standards to guide 744
curricula and instruction. 745
3. Scientifically researched and evidence -based reading 746
instructional strategies that improve reading performance for 747
all students, including explicit, systematic, and sequential 748
approaches to teaching phonemic awareness, phoni cs, vocabulary, 749
fluency, and text comprehension and multisensory intervention 750
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strategies. 751
4. Content literacy and mathematics practices. 752
5. Strategies appropriate for the instruction of English 753
language learners. 754
6. Strategies appropriate for the ins truction of students 755
with disabilities. 756
7. Strategies to differentiate instruction based on 757
student needs. 758
8. Strategies and practices to support evidence -based 759
content aligned to state standards and grading practices. 760
9. Strategies appropriate for t he early identification of 761
a student in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge 762
and the referral of such student to a mental health professional 763
for support. 764
10. Strategies to support the use of technology in 765
education and distance learning. 766
11. Strategies and practices to support effective, 767
research-based assessment and grading practices aligned to the 768
state's academic standards. 769
Section 9. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) and subsections 770
(3), (4), and (5) of section 1004.85, Florida Statut es, are 771
amended to read: 772
1004.85 Postsecondary educator preparation institutes. — 773
(2)(a) Postsecondary institutions that are accredited or 774
approved as described in State Board of Education rule may seek 775
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approval from the Department of Education to creat e educator 776
preparation institutes for the purpose of providing any or all 777
of the following: 778
1. Professional learning development instruction to assist 779
teachers in improving classroom instruction and in meeting 780
certification or recertification requirement s. 781
2. Instruction to assist potential and existing substitute 782
teachers in performing their duties. 783
3. Instruction to assist paraprofessionals in meeting 784
education and training requirements. 785
4. Instruction for baccalaureate degree holders to become 786
certified teachers as provided in this section in order to 787
increase routes to the classroom for mid-career professionals 788
who hold a baccalaureate degree and college graduates who were 789
not education majors. 790
5. Instruction and professional learning development for 791
part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career programs 792
under s. 1012.39(1)(c). 793
(3) Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to 794
this section may offer competency -based certification programs 795
specifically designed for noneducation m ajor baccalaureate 796
degree holders to enable program participants to meet the 797
educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator 798
preparation institute choosing to offer a competency -based 799
certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section 800
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must implement a program previously approved by the Department 801
of Education for this purpose or a program developed by the 802
institute and approved by the department for this purpose. 803
Approved programs shall be available for use by other approved 804
educator preparation institutes. 805
(a) Within 90 days after receipt of a request for 806
approval, the Department of Education shall approve a 807
preparation program pursuant to the requirements of this 808
subsection or issue a statement of the deficiencies in the 809
request for approval. The department shall approve a 810
certification program if the institute provides evidence of the 811
institute's capacity to implement a competency -based program 812
that instructs and assesses each candidate in includes each of 813
the following: 814
1.a. Participant instruction and assessment in The Florida 815
Educator Accomplished Practices approved by the state board 816
across content areas . 817
b. The state academic use of state-adopted student content 818
standards provided under s. 1003.41, including scientifi cally 819
based reading instruction, content literacy, and mathematical 820
practices, for each subject identified on the statement of 821
status of eligibility or the temporary certificate to guide 822
curriculum and instruction . 823
c. Scientifically researched and evidence -based reading 824
instructional strategies that improve reading performance for 825
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all students, including explicit, systematic, and sequential 826
approaches to teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, 827
fluency, and text comprehension and multisensory intervention 828
strategies. 829
d. Content literacy and mathematical practices. 830
e. Strategies appropriate for instruction of English 831
language learners. 832
f. Strategies appropriate for instruction of students with 833
disabilities. 834
g. Strategies to differentiate instruction based on 835
student needs. 836
h. Strategies and practices to support evidence -based 837
content aligned to state standards and grading practices. 838
i. Strategies appropriate for the early identification of 839
a student in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge 840
and the referral of such student to a mental health professional 841
for support. 842
j. Strategies to support the use of technology in 843
education and distance learning. 844
2. An educational plan for each parti cipant to meet 845
certification requirements and demonstrate his or her ability to 846
teach the subject area for which the participant is seeking 847
certification, which is based on an assessment of his or her 848
competency in the areas listed in subparagraph 1. 849
3. Field experiences appropriate to the certification 850
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subject area specified in the educational plan with a diverse 851
population of students in a variety of challenging environments, 852
including, but not limited to, high -poverty schools, urban 853
schools, and rural schools, under the supervision of qualified 854
educators. The state board shall determine in rule the amount of 855
field experience necessary to serve as the teacher of record, 856
beginning with candidates entering a program in the 2023 -2024 857
school year. 858
4. A certification ombudsman to facilitate the process and 859
procedures required for participants who complete the program to 860
meet any requirements related to the background screening 861
pursuant to s. 1012.32 and educator professional or temporary 862
certification pursua nt to s. 1012.56. 863
(b) Each program participant must: 864
1. Meet certification requirements pursuant to s. 865
1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in 866
the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet 867
the requirements of s . 1012.56(2)(a)-(f). 868
2. Demonstrate competency and participate in coursework 869
and field experiences that are appropriate to his or her 870
educational plan prepared under paragraph (a). Beginning with 871
candidates entering an educator preparation institute in t he 872
2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 873
coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f) must 874
successfully complete all competencies for a reading 875
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endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum 876
through the candidate's field experience, in order to graduate 877
from the program. 878
3. Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his 879
or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is 880
seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on 881
student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12 882
setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving 883
a passing score on the professional education competency 884
examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area 885
examination for the subject area certification which is required 886
by state board rule. 887
(c) Upon completion of all requirements for a 888
certification program approved pursuant to this subsection, a 889
participant shall receive a credential from the sponsoring 890
institution signifyi ng that the participant has completed a 891
state-approved competency-based certification program in the 892
certification subject area specified in the educational plan. A 893
participant is eligible for educator certification through the 894
Department of Education upon satisfaction of all requirements 895
for certification set forth in s. 1012.56(2). 896
(4) The state board shall adopt rules for the continued 897
approval of each program approved pursuant to this section . 898
shall be determined by the Commissioner of Education based upon 899
a periodic review of the following areas: 900
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(a) Candidate readiness based on passage rates on educator 901
certification examinations under s. 1012.56, as applicable. 902
(b) Evidence of performance in each of the following 903
areas: 904
1. Performance of stude nts in prekindergarten through 905
grade 12 who are assigned to in -field program completers on 906
statewide assessments using the results of the student learning 907
growth formula adopted under s. 1012.34. 908
2. Results of program completers' annual evaluations in 909
accordance with the timeline as set forth in s. 1012.34. 910
3. Workforce contributions, including placement of program 911
completers in instructional positions in Florida public and 912
private schools, with additional weight given to production of 913
program completers in statewide critical teacher shortage areas 914
as identified in s. 1012.07. 915
(5) Each institute approved pursuant to this section shall 916
submit to the Department of Education annual performance 917
evaluations that measure the effectiveness of the programs, 918
including the pass rates of participants on all examinations 919
required for teacher certification, employment rates, 920
longitudinal retention rates, and satisfaction surveys of 921
employers and program completers. The satisfaction surveys must 922
be designed to measure the sufficient preparation of the 923
educator for the realities of the classroom and the institute's 924
responsiveness to local school districts. These evaluations 925
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shall be used by the Department of Education for purposes of 926
continued approval of an educator preparation institute's 927
certification program . 928
Section 10. Section 1005.04, Florida Statutes, is amended 929
to read: 930
1005.04 Fair consumer practices. — 931
(1) Every institution that is under the jurisdiction of 932
the commission or is exempt f rom the jurisdiction or purview of 933
the commission pursuant to s. 1005.06(1)(c) or (f) and that 934
either directly or indirectly solicits for enrollment any 935
student shall: 936
(a) Disclose to each prospective student a statement of 937
the purpose of such institutio n, its educational programs and 938
curricula, a description of its physical facilities, its status 939
regarding licensure, its fee schedule and policies regarding 940
retaining student fees if a student withdraws, and a statement 941
regarding the transferability of cre dits to and from other 942
institutions. The institution shall make the required 943
disclosures in writing at least 1 week prior to enrollment or 944
collection of any tuition from the prospective student. The 945
required disclosures may be made in the institution's cur rent 946
catalog; 947
(b) Use a reliable method to assess, before accepting a 948
student into a program, the student's ability to complete 949
successfully the course of study for which he or she has 950
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applied; 951
(c) Inform each student accurately about financial 952
assistance and obligations for repayment of loans; describe any 953
employment placement services provided and the limitations 954
thereof; and refrain from promising or implying guaranteed 955
placement, market availability, or salary amounts; 956
(d) Provide to prospective and enrolled students accurate 957
information regarding the relationship of its programs to state 958
licensure requirements for practicing related occupations and 959
professions in Florida; 960
(e) Ensure that all advertisements are accura te and not 961
misleading; 962
(f) Publish and follow an equitable prorated refund policy 963
for all students, and follow both the federal refund guidelines 964
for students receiving federal financial assistance and the 965
minimum refund guidelines set by commission rule ; 966
(g) Follow the requirements of state and federal laws that 967
require annual reporting with respect to crime statistics and 968
physical plant safety and make those reports available to the 969
public; and 970
(h) Publish and follow procedures for handling student 971
complaints, disciplinary actions, and appeals ; and 972
(i) Prior to enrollment, provide a written disclosure to a 973
student or prospective student of all fees and costs that will 974
be incurred by a student, the institution's refund policy, any 975
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exit examination requirements, and the grade point average 976
required for completion of the student's program or degree. The 977
disclosure shall include a statement regarding the scope of 978
accreditation, if applicable. Institutions licensed by the 979
Commission for Independent Educa tion shall disclose the 980
information required pursuant to this paragraph in a format 981
prescribed by the commission . 982
(2) In addition, institutions that are required to be 983
licensed by the commission shall disclose to prospective 984
students that additional info rmation regarding the institution 985
may be obtained by contacting the Commission for Independent 986
Education, Department of Education, Tallahassee. 987
(3) In an application for licensure, the burden of 988
demonstrating compliance with fair consumer practice is upo n the 989
person, entity, or institution asserting compliance. Determining 990
compliance with this section shall rest with the commission. The 991
commission may require further evidence and make such further 992
investigation, in addition to any information submitted, a s may 993
be reasonably necessary in the commission's judgment. 994
Section 11. Section 1005.11, Florida Statutes, is created 995
to read: 996
1005.11 Accountability for institutions licensed by the 997
Commission for Independent Education. — 998
(1) By June 30, 2024, and by April 15 of each year 999
thereafter, the commission shall prepare an annual 1000
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accountability report for licensed institutions. The report must 1001
contain, at a minimum, the graduation rates, including the 1002
number of graduates by program, retention rates, and pla cement 1003
rates for all licensed institutions. 1004
(2) By March 15, 2024, and by November 30 of each year 1005
thereafter, each licensed institution shall provide data to the 1006
commission in a format prescribed by the commission. Placement 1007
rates shall be determined us ing a methodology approved by the 1008
commission. 1009
(3) The commission shall establish a common set of data 1010
definitions for institutional reporting purposes. 1011
(4) The commission shall impose an administrative fine of 1012
not more than $500 when a licensed institu tion fails to timely 1013
submit the required data to the commission pursuant to this 1014
section. Administrative fines collected under this subsection 1015
shall be deposited into the Student Protection Fund. 1016
(5) Notwithstanding s. 1005.32(3), the commission shall 1017
have the authority to require licensed institutions to provide 1018
institutional, graduate, and student data through reasonable 1019
data collection efforts as required or necessitated by statute 1020
or rule. 1021
Section 12. Paragraph (p) is added to subsection (1) of 1022
section 1005.22, Florida Statutes, to read: 1023
1005.22 Powers and duties of commission. — 1024
(1) The commission shall: 1025
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(p) Have the power, within its respective regulatory 1026
jurisdiction, to examine and investigate the affairs of every 1027
person, entity, or indep endent postsecondary institution in 1028
order to determine whether the person, entity, or independent 1029
postsecondary institution is operating in accordance with the 1030
provisions of this chapter or has been or is engaged in any 1031
unfair or deceptive act or practice prohibited by s. 1005.04. 1032
Section 13. Subsections (6) and (7) of section 1005.31, 1033
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (7) and (8), 1034
respectively, subsections (2) and (8) are amended, and a new 1035
subsection (6) is added to that section, to read : 1036
1005.31 Licensure of institutions. — 1037
(2) The commission shall develop minimum standards by 1038
which to evaluate institutions for licensure. These standards 1039
must include, at a minimum, at least the institution's name, 1040
financial stability, purpose, adminis trative organization, 1041
admissions and recruitment, educational programs and curricula, 1042
retention and, completion, including a retention and completion 1043
management plan, career placement, faculty, learning resources, 1044
student personnel services, physical plant and facilities, 1045
publications, and disclosure statements about the status of the 1046
institution with respect to professional certification and 1047
licensure. The commission may adopt rules to ensure that 1048
institutions licensed under this section meet these standar ds in 1049
ways that are appropriate to achieve the stated intent of this 1050
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chapter, including provisions for nontraditional or distance 1051
education programs and delivery. 1052
(a) The standard relating to admissions and recruitment 1053
shall include, but is not limited t o, requirements for 1054
verification of high school graduation, high school equivalency, 1055
or qualifying scores on an ability -to-benefit test. 1056
(b) The commission may require a licensed institution to 1057
submit a management plan, prohibit a licensed institution fr om 1058
enrolling new students in the institution or a program of the 1059
institution, or limit the number of students in a program at a 1060
licensed institution, based upon the institution's performance 1061
on the licensure standards or criteria established pursuant to 1062
this chapter; the placement of the institution or a program of 1063
the institution on probation or the imposition of other adverse 1064
actions by the commission, an accrediting agency, or other 1065
regulatory agency, including the United States Department of 1066
Education; or similar circumstances that leave the institution 1067
unable to meet the needs of students or prospective students. 1068
(6) The commission may establish, by rule, performance 1069
benchmarks to identify high -performing institutions licensed by 1070
the commission. 1071
(8) An institution may not conduct a program unless 1072
specific authority is granted in its license. 1073
Section 14. Section 1005.335, Florida Statutes, is created 1074
to read: 1075
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1005.335 Accreditation requirements and programmatic 1076
approval.— 1077
(1) All programs offe red by a licensed institution must be 1078
disclosed to the commission, including, but not limited to, 1079
avocational programs, examination preparation programs, contract 1080
training programs, continuing education, or professional 1081
development programs. 1082
(2) An institution must obtain institutional accreditation 1083
prior to obtaining approval from the commission to offer a 1084
prelicensure professional nursing program. 1085
(3) The commission shall adopt rules to implement this 1086
section. 1087
Section 15. Subsection ( 10) is added to section 1006.09, 1088
Florida Statutes, to read: 1089
1006.09 Duties of school principal relating to student 1090
discipline and school safety. — 1091
(10) Any search of a student's personal belongings, 1092
including a purse, backpack, or bookbag, must be condu cted 1093
discreetly to maintain the privacy of the student's personal 1094
items within such belongings. Personal items that are not 1095
prohibited on school grounds must be immediately returned to the 1096
student's personal belongings. 1097
Section 16. Paragraph (d) of sub section (2) of section 1098
1006.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1099
1006.13 Policy of zero tolerance for crime and 1100
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victimization.— 1101
(2) Each district school board shall adopt a policy of 1102
zero tolerance that: 1103
(d) Minimizes the victimization of studen ts, staff, or 1104
volunteers, including taking all steps necessary to protect the 1105
victim of any violent act crime from any further victimization. 1106
In a disciplinary action, there is a rebuttable presumption that 1107
the actions of a student who intervened, using on ly the amount 1108
of force necessary, to stop a violent act against a student, 1109
staff, or volunteer were necessary to restore or maintain the 1110
safety of others. 1111
Section 17. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 1112
1006.148, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1113
1006.148 Dating violence and abuse prohibited. — 1114
(1) Each district school board shall adopt and implement a 1115
dating violence and abuse policy. The policy shall: 1116
(c) Define dating violence and abuse and provide for a 1117
teen dating violence and abuse component in the health education 1118
curriculum, according to s. 1003.42(2)(o)2. s. 1003.42(2)(n)2., 1119
with emphasis on prevention education. 1120
Section 18. Subsections (1), (2), and (5) of section 1121
1007.27, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (9) is 1122
added to that section, to read: 1123
1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms. — 1124
(1)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that a variety 1125
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of articulated acceleration mechanisms be available for 1126
secondary and postsecondary students attending public 1127
educational institutions. It is intended that articulated 1128
acceleration serve to shorten the time necessary for a student 1129
to complete the requirements associated with the conference of a 1130
high school diploma and a postsecondary degree, broaden the 1131
scope of curricular options available to students, or increase 1132
the depth of study available for a particular subject. 1133
Articulated acceleration mechanisms shall include, but are not 1134
limited to, dual enrollment and early admission as provided for 1135
in s. 1007.271, advanced placement, credit by examination, the 1136
College Board Advanced Placement Program, the International 1137
Baccalaureate Program, and the Advanced International 1138
Certificate of Education Program. Credit earned through the 1139
Florida Virtual School shall provide addition al opportunities 1140
for early graduation and acceleration. Students of Florida 1141
public secondary schools enrolled pursuant to this subsection 1142
shall be deemed authorized users of the state -funded electronic 1143
library resources that are licensed for Florida Colleg e System 1144
institutions and state universities by the Florida Postsecondary 1145
Academic Library Network. Verification of eligibility shall be 1146
in accordance with rules established by the State Board of 1147
Education and regulations established by the Board of Govern ors 1148
and processes implemented by Florida College System institutions 1149
and state universities. 1150
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(b) The State Board of Education and the Board of 1151
Governors shall identify Florida College System institutions and 1152
state universities to develop courses that ali gn with s. 1007.25 1153
for students in secondary education and provide the training 1154
required under s. 1007.35(6). 1155
(2)(a) The Department of Education shall annually identify 1156
and publish the minimum scores, maximum credit, and course or 1157
courses for which credit is to be awarded for each course 1158
developed under paragraph (1)(b), College Level Examination 1159
Program (CLEP) subject examination, College Board Advanced 1160
Placement Program examination, Advanced International 1161
Certificate of Education examination, International 1162
Baccalaureate examination, Excelsior College subject 1163
examination, Defense Activity for Non -Traditional Education 1164
Support (DANTES) subject standardized test, and Defense Language 1165
Proficiency Test (DLPT). 1166
(b) The department may p artner with an independent third -1167
party testing or assessment organization to develop assessments 1168
that measure competencies consistent with the required course 1169
competencies identified by the Articulation Coordinating 1170
Committee for general education core cou rses under paragraph 1171
(1)(b). Postsecondary credit shall be limited to students who 1172
achieve a minimum score as established in this subsection. 1173
(c) The department shall use student performance data in 1174
subsequent postsecondary courses to determine the appro priate 1175
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examination scores and courses for which credit is to be 1176
granted. Minimum scores may vary by subject area based on 1177
available performance data. In addition, the department shall 1178
identify such courses in the general education core curriculum 1179
of each state university and Florida College System institution. 1180
(5) Advanced courses include placement shall be the 1181
enrollment of an eligible secondary student in a course offered 1182
through the Advanced Placement Program administered by the 1183
College Board or a course that prepares students for assessments 1184
developed under paragraph (2)(b) . Postsecondary credit for an 1185
advanced course or advanced placement course shall be limited to 1186
students who score a minimum of 3, on a 5 -point scale, on the 1187
corresponding Advanced Pl acement Examination or at least the 1188
minimum score on an assessment identified in subsection (2) . The 1189
specific courses for which students receive such credit shall be 1190
identified in the statewide articulation agreement required by 1191
s. 1007.23(1). Students of Florida public secondary schools 1192
enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the 1193
payment of any fees for administration of the examination 1194
regardless of whether or not the student achieves a passing 1195
score on the examination. 1196
(9) The department, in consultation with the Board of 1197
Governors, shall issue a report to the Legislature by January 1, 1198
2024, on the alignment between acceleration mechanisms available 1199
to secondary students and student success at the postsecondary 1200
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level. At a minimum, the report must explain how: 1201
(a) Acceleration mechanisms align to secondary completion 1202
and rates of success. 1203
(b) Bonuses provided to classroom teachers for the 1204
completion or passage of acceleration courses by students impact 1205
school quality and performance . 1206
(c) Acceleration mechanisms align to postsecondary 1207
completion rates. 1208
(d) Acceleration course offerings align with general 1209
education core courses and reduce the amount of time needed for 1210
students to complete a postsecondary degree. 1211
(e) To improve acceptance of postsecondary credit earned 1212
through acceleration courses through agreements with other 1213
states. 1214
Section 19. Subsection (14) of section 1007.271, Florida 1215
Statutes, is amended to read: 1216
1007.271 Dual enrollment programs. — 1217
(14) The Department of Education shall approve any course 1218
for inclusion in the dual enrollment program that is age and 1219
developmentally appropriate and contained within the statewide 1220
course numbering system. However, developmental education and 1221
physical education and other courses that focus on the physical 1222
execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of 1223
the activity, may not be so approved but must be evaluated 1224
individually for potential inclusion in the dual enrollment 1225
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program. This subsec tion may not be construed to mean that an 1226
independent postsecondary institution eligible for inclusion in 1227
a dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s. 1228
1011.62 must participate in the statewide course numbering 1229
system developed pursuant to s. 1007.24 to participate in a dual 1230
enrollment program. 1231
Section 20. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) and subsection 1232
(6) of section 1007.35, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1233
1007.35 Florida Partnership for Minority and 1234
Underrepresented Student Achi evement.— 1235
(5) Each public high school, including, but not limited 1236
to, schools and alternative sites and centers of the Department 1237
of Juvenile Justice, shall provide for the administration of the 1238
Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test 1239
(PSAT/NMSQT), or the PreACT to all enrolled 10th grade students. 1240
However, a written notice shall be provided to each parent which 1241
must include the opportunity to exempt his or her child from 1242
taking the PSAT/NMSQT or the PreACT. 1243
(a) Test results will pro vide each high school with a 1244
database of student assessment data which certified school 1245
counselors will use to identify students who are prepared or who 1246
need additional work to be prepared to enroll and be successful 1247
in AP courses or other advanced high school courses. 1248
(6) The partnership shall: 1249
(a) Provide teacher training and professional development 1250
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to enable teachers of AP or other advanced courses to have the 1251
necessary content knowledge and instructional skills to prepare 1252
students for success on assessments developed pursuant to s. 1253
1007.27(2) AP or other advanced course examinations and mastery 1254
of postsecondary general education core courses course content. 1255
(b) Provide to middle school teachers and administrators 1256
professional development that will enable them to educate middle 1257
school students at the level necessary to prepare the students 1258
to enter high school ready to participate in advanced courses. 1259
(c) Provide teacher training and materials that are 1260
aligned with the state standards Next Generation Sunshine State 1261
Standards and are consistent with best theory and practice 1262
regarding multiple learning styles and research on learning, 1263
instructional strategies, instructional design, and classroom 1264
assessment. Curriculum materials must be based on curre nt, 1265
accepted, and essential academic knowledge. 1266
(d) Provide assessment of individual strengths and 1267
weaknesses as related to potential success in AP or other 1268
advanced courses and readiness for college. 1269
(e) Provide college entrance exam preparation throu gh a 1270
variety of means that may include, but are not limited to, 1271
training teachers to provide courses at schools; training 1272
community organizations to provide courses at community centers, 1273
faith-based organizations, and businesses; and providing online 1274
courses. 1275
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(f) Consider ways to incorporate Florida College System 1276
institutions in the mission of preparing all students for 1277
postsecondary success. 1278
(g) Provide a plan for communication and coordination of 1279
efforts with the Florida Virtual School's provision of online AP 1280
or other advanced courses. 1281
(h) Work with school districts to identify minority and 1282
underrepresented students for participation in AP or other 1283
advanced courses. 1284
(i) Work with school districts to provide information to 1285
students and parents tha t explains available opportunities for 1286
students to take AP and other advanced courses and that explains 1287
enrollment procedures that students must follow to enroll in 1288
such courses. Such information must also explain the value of 1289
such courses as they relate t o: 1290
1. Preparing the student for postsecondary level 1291
coursework. 1292
2. Enabling the student to gain access to postsecondary 1293
education opportunities. 1294
3. Qualifying for scholarships and other financial aid 1295
opportunities. 1296
(j) Provide information to studen ts, parents, teachers, 1297
counselors, administrators, districts, Florida College System 1298
institutions, and state universities regarding PSAT/NMSQT or the 1299
PreACT administration, including, but not limited to: 1300
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1. Test administration dates and times. 1301
2. That participation in the PSAT/NMSQT or the PreACT is 1302
open to all 10th grade students. 1303
3. The value of such tests in providing diagnostic 1304
feedback on student skills. 1305
4. The value of student scores in predicting the 1306
probability of success on AP or other advanced course 1307
examinations. 1308
(k) Cooperate with the department to provide information 1309
to administrators, teachers, and counselors, whenever possible, 1310
about partnership activities, opportunities, and priorities. 1311
(l) Partner with the Florida College System institutions 1312
and state universities identified by the State Board of 1313
Education and Board of Governors pursuant to s. 1007.25(3) to 1314
develop advanced courses and provide teacher training. 1315
Section 21. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section 1316
1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1317
1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools. — 1318
(3) STATEWIDE, STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. —The 1319
Commissioner of Education shall design and implement a 1320
statewide, standardized assessment program aligned to the core 1321
curricular content established in the state academic standards. 1322
The commissioner also must develop or select and implement a 1323
common battery of assessment tools that will be used in all 1324
juvenile justice education programs in the state. These tools 1325
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must accurately measure the core curricular content established 1326
in the state academic standards. Participation in the assessment 1327
program is mandatory for all school districts and all students 1328
attending public schools, including adult students seeking a 1329
standard high school diploma under s. 1003.4282 and students in 1330
Department of Juvenile Justice education programs, except as 1331
otherwise provided by law. If a student does not participate in 1332
the assessment program, the school district must notify the 1333
student's parent and provide the parent with information 1334
regarding the implications of such nonparticipation. The 1335
statewide, standardized assessment program shall be designed and 1336
implemented as follows: 1337
(c) Nationally recognized high school assessments. — Each 1338
school district shall, by the 2023-2024 2021-2022 school year 1339
and subject to appropriation, select either the SAT , or ACT, or 1340
Classic Learning Test for districtwide administration to each 1341
public school student in grade 11, including students attending 1342
public high schools, alternative schools, and Department of 1343
Juvenile Justice education programs. 1344
Section 22. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 1345
1008.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1346
1008.34 School grading system; school report cards; 1347
district grade.— 1348
(3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES. — 1349
(b)1. Beginning with the 2014 -2015 school year, A school's 1350
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grade shall be based on the following components, each worth 100 1351
points: 1352
a. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide, 1353
standardized assessments in English Language Arts under s. 1354
1008.22(3). 1355
b. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide, 1356
standardized assessments in mathematics under s. 1008.22(3). 1357
c. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide, 1358
standardized assessments in science under s. 1008.22(3). 1359
d. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide, 1360
standardized assessments in social studies under s. 1008.22(3). 1361
e. The percentage of eligible students who make Learning 1362
Gains in English Language Ar ts as measured by statewide, 1363
standardized assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3). 1364
f. The percentage of eligible students who make Learning 1365
Gains in mathematics as measured by statewide, standardized 1366
assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3). 1367
g. The percentage of eligible students in the lowest 25 1368
percent in English Language Arts, as identified by prior year 1369
performance on statewide, standardized assessments, who make 1370
Learning Gains as measured by statewide, standardized English 1371
Language Arts assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3). 1372
h. The percentage of eligible students in the lowest 25 1373
percent in mathematics, as identified by prior year performance 1374
on statewide, standardized assessments, who make Learning Gains 1375
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as measured by statewide, standardized Mathematics assessments 1376
administered under s. 1008.22(3). 1377
i. For schools comprised of middle grades 6 through 8 or 1378
grades 7 and 8, the percentage of eligible students passing high 1379
school level statewide, standardized end -of-course assessments 1380
or attaining national industry certifications identified in the 1381
CAPE Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to state board 1382
rule. 1383
j. Beginning in the 2023 -2024 school year, for schools 1384
comprised of grade levels that include grade 3, the percentage 1385
of eligible students who score an achievement level 3 or higher 1386
on the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts 1387
assessment administered under s. 1008.22(3). 1388
1389
In calculating Learning Gains for the components listed in sub -1390
subparagraphs e.-h., the State Board of Education shall require 1391
that learning growth toward achievement levels 3, 4, and 5 is 1392
demonstrated by students who scored below each of those levels 1393
in the prior year. In calculating the components in sub -1394
subparagraphs a.-d., the state board shall include the 1395
performance of English language learners only if they have been 1396
enrolled in a school in the United States for more than 2 years. 1397
2. For a school comprised of grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or 1398
grades 10, 11, and 12, the school's grade sh all also be based on 1399
the following components, each worth 100 points: 1400
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a. The 4-year high school graduation rate of the school as 1401
defined by state board rule. 1402
b. The percentage of students who were eligible to earn 1403
college and career credit through an assessment identified 1404
pursuant to s. 1007.27(2), College Board Advanced Placement 1405
examinations, International Baccalaureate examinations, dual 1406
enrollment courses, including career dual enrollment courses 1407
resulting in the completion of 300 or more clock hours during 1408
high school which are approved by the state board as meeting the 1409
requirements of s. 1007.271, or Advanced International 1410
Certificate of Education examinations; who, at any time during 1411
high school, earned national industry certification identified 1412
in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List, pursuant to 1413
rules adopted by the state board; or , beginning with the 2022 -1414
2023 school year, who earned an Armed Services Qualification 1415
Test score that fall s within Category II or higher on the Armed 1416
Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and earned a minimum of two 1417
credits in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps courses from 1418
the same branch of the United States Armed Forces. 1419
Section 23. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) and paragraph 1420
(c) of subsection (6) of section 1009.531, Florida Statutes, are 1421
amended to read: 1422
1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; 1423
student eligibility requirements for initial awards. — 1424
(3) For purposes of calculating t he grade point average to 1425
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be used in determining initial eligibility for a Florida Bright 1426
Futures Scholarship, the department shall assign additional 1427
weights to grades earned in the following courses: 1428
(a) Courses identified in the course code directory a s 1429
Advanced Placement, pre -International Baccalaureate, 1430
International Baccalaureate, International General Certificate 1431
of Secondary Education (pre -AICE), or Advanced International 1432
Certificate of Education , or advanced courses developed under s. 1433
1007.27(1)(b). 1434
1435
The department may assign additional weights to courses, other 1436
than those described in paragraphs (a) and (b), that are 1437
identified by the Department of Education as containing rigorous 1438
academic curriculum and performance standards. The additional 1439
weight assigned to a course pursuant to this subsection shall 1440
not exceed 0.5 per course. The weighted system shall be 1441
developed and distributed to all high schools in the state. The 1442
department may determine a student's eligibility status during 1443
the senior year before graduation and may inform the student of 1444
the award at that time. 1445
(6) 1446
(c) To ensure that the required examination scores 1447
represent top student performance and are equivalent between the 1448
SAT, and ACT, and Classic Learning Test (CLT) , the department 1449
shall develop a method for determining the required examination 1450
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scores which incorporates all of the following: 1451
1. The minimum required SAT score for the Florida Academic 1452
Scholarship must be set no lower than the 89th national 1453
percentile on the SAT. The department may adjust the required 1454
SAT score only if the required score drops below the 89th 1455
national percentile, and any such adjustment must be applied to 1456
the bottom of the SAT score range that is concordant to the ACT 1457
and CLT. 1458
2. The minimum required SAT score for the Florida 1459
Medallion Scholarship must be set no lower than the 75th 1460
national percentile on the SAT. The department may adjust the 1461
required SAT score only if the required score drops below the 1462
75th national percentile, and any such adjustmen t must be made 1463
to the bottom of the SAT score range that is concordant to the 1464
ACT and CLT. 1465
3. The required ACT and CLT scores must be made concordant 1466
to the required SAT scores, using the latest published national 1467
concordance table developed jointly by the College Board, and 1468
ACT, Inc., and Classic Learning Initiatives. 1469
Section 24. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida 1470
Statutes, is amended to read: 1471
1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award. — 1472
(1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Sc holars 1473
award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements 1474
for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and: 1475
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(a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as 1476
calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high 1477
school courses that are designated by the State Board of 1478
Education as college -preparatory academic courses and has 1479
attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(a) on 1480
the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic 1481
Aptitude Test, the Scholast ic Assessment Test, or the recentered 1482
Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, 1483
or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; 1484
(b) Has attended a home education program according to s. 1485
1002.41 during grades 11 and 12, has com pleted the International 1486
Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the International 1487
Baccalaureate Diploma, or has completed the Advanced 1488
International Certificate of Education curriculum but failed to 1489
earn the Advanced International Certificate of Educa tion 1490
Diploma, and has attained at least the score required under s. 1491
1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of 1492
the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or 1493
the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College 1494
Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT 1495
Assessment Program; 1496
(c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate 1497
Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office or an 1498
Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma from the 1499
University of Cambridge International Examinations Office; 1500
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(d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement 1501
programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a 1502
scholar or finalist; or 1503
(e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic 1504
Recognition Program as a scholar recipient. 1505
1506
The student must complete a program of volunteer service or, 1507
beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022 -2023 1508
academic year and thereafter, paid work, as approved by the 1509
district school board, the administrat ors of a nonpublic school, 1510
or the Department of Education for home education program 1511
students, which must include 100 hours of volunteer service , or 1512
paid work, or a combination of both. Eligible paid work 1513
completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be inclu ded in the 1514
student's total of paid work hours . The student may identify a 1515
social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him 1516
or her and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in 1517
addressing the issue or learning about the area. The student 1518
must, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and 1519
reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid work 1520
experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but 1521
is not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work 1522
for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on 1523
behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer 1524
service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the 1525
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document must be signed by the student, the student's parent or 1526
guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the 1527
student performed the volunteer service or paid work. 1528
Section 25. Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida 1529
Statutes, is amended to read: 1530
1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award. — 1531
(1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars 1532
award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements 1533
for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and: 1534
(a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as 1535
calculated pursuant to s. 10 09.531, or the equivalent, in high 1536
school courses that are designated by the State Board of 1537
Education as college -preparatory academic courses and has 1538
attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on 1539
the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic 1540
Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered 1541
Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, 1542
or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; 1543
(b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate 1544
curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate 1545
Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate 1546
of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced 1547
International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained 1548
at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the 1549
combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic 1550
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Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered 1551
Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, 1552
or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; 1553
(c) Has attended a home education program according to s. 1554
1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the 1555
score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal 1556
and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the 1557
Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic 1558
Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an 1559
equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; 1560
(d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement 1561
program of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a 1562
scholar or finalist but has not completed the program of 1563
volunteer service or paid work required under s. 1009.534; or 1564
(e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic 1565
Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed the 1566
program of volunteer service or paid work required under s. 1567
1009.534. 1568
1569
A high school student must complete a program at least 75 hours 1570
of volunteer service or, beginning with a high school student 1571
graduating in the 2022 -2023 academic year an d thereafter, 100 1572
hours of paid work approved by the district school board, the 1573
administrators of a nonpublic school, or the Department of 1574
Education for home education program students , which must 1575
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include 75 hours of volunteer service, 100 hours of paid wo rk, 1576
or 100 hours of a combination of both. Eligible paid work 1577
completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in a 1578
student's total of required paid work hours . The student may 1579
identify a social or civic issue or a professional area that 1580
interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her personal 1581
involvement in addressing the issue or learning about the area. 1582
The student must, through papers or other presentations, 1583
evaluate and reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid 1584
work experience. Suc h volunteer service or paid work may 1585
include, but is not limited to, a business or governmental 1586
internship, work for a nonprofit community service organization, 1587
or activities on behalf of a candidate for public office. The 1588
hours of volunteer service or pai d work must be documented in 1589
writing, and the document must be signed by the student, the 1590
student's parent or guardian, and a representative of the 1591
organization for which the student performed the volunteer 1592
service or paid work. 1593
Section 26. Paragraph ( e) of subsection (1) and paragraph 1594
(b) of subsection (2) of section 1009.536, Florida Statutes, are 1595
amended to read: 1596
1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars and Florida 1597
Gold Seal CAPE Scholars awards. —The Florida Gold Seal Vocational 1598
Scholars award and the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award are 1599
created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to 1600
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recognize and reward academic achievement and career preparation 1601
by high school students who wish to continue their education. 1602
(1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal 1603
Vocational Scholars award if he or she meets the general 1604
eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures 1605
Scholarship Program and: 1606
(e) Completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service or, 1607
beginning with high school students graduating in the 2022 -2023 1608
academic year and thereafter, 100 hours of paid work, approved 1609
by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic 1610
school, or the Department of Education for home education 1611
program students, or 100 hours of a combination of both. 1612
Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be 1613
included in a student's total of required paid work hours . The 1614
student may identify a social or civic issue or a professional 1615
area that interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her 1616
personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about 1617
the area. The student must, through papers or other 1618
presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her volunteer 1619
service or paid work experience. Such volunteer service or paid 1620
work may include, but is not limited to, a business or 1621
governmental internship, work for a nonprofit community service 1622
organization, or activities on behalf of a candidate for public 1623
office. The hours of volunteer service or paid work must be 1624
documented in writing, and the document must be signed by the 1625
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student, the student's parent or guardian, and a representative 1626
of the organization for which the student performed the 1627
volunteer service or paid work. 1628
(2) A student is eligible for a Flori da Gold Seal CAPE 1629
Scholars award if he or she meets the general eligibility 1630
requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, 1631
and the student: 1632
(b) Completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service or, 1633
beginning with a high school student gr aduating in the 2022 -2023 1634
academic year and thereafter, 100 hours of paid work, approved 1635
by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic 1636
school, or the Department of Education for home education 1637
program students, or 100 hours of a combinati on of both. 1638
Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be 1639
included in a student's total required paid work hours . The 1640
student may identify a social or civic issue or a professional 1641
area that interests him or her and develop a plan for hi s or her 1642
personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about 1643
the area. The student must, through papers or other 1644
presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her experience. 1645
Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but is not 1646
limited to, a business or governmental internship, work for a 1647
nonprofit community service organization, or activities on 1648
behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer 1649
service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the 1650
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document must be signed by the student, the student's parent or 1651
guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the 1652
student performed the volunteer service or paid work. 1653
Section 27. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 1654
1012.34, Florida Statutes, is ame nded to read: 1655
1012.34 Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria. — 1656
(3) EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA. —Instructional 1657
personnel and school administrator performance evaluations must 1658
be based upon the performance of students assigned to their 1659
classrooms or schools, as provided in this section. Pursuant to 1660
this section, a school district's performance evaluation system 1661
is not limited to basing unsatisfactory performance of 1662
instructional personnel and school administrators solely upon 1663
student performance, but may include other criteria to evaluate 1664
instructional personnel and school administrators' performance, 1665
or any combination of student performance and other criteria. 1666
Evaluation procedures and criteria must comply with, but are not 1667
limited to, the following: 1668
(a) A performance evaluation must be conducted for each 1669
employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher, 1670
as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding substitute teachers, 1671
who is newly hired by the district school board must be observed 1672
and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching in 1673
the school district. The performance evaluation must be based 1674
upon sound educational principles and contemporary research in 1675
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effective educational practices. The evaluation criteria mus t 1676
include: 1677
1. Performance of students. —At least one-third of a 1678
performance evaluation must be based upon data and indicators of 1679
student performance, as determined by each school district. This 1680
portion of the evaluation must include growth or achievement 1681
data of the teacher's students or, for a school administrator, 1682
the students attending the school over the course of at least 3 1683
years. If less than 3 years of data are available, the years for 1684
which data are available must be used. The proportion of growth 1685
or achievement data may be determined by instructional 1686
assignment. 1687
2. Instructional practice. —For instructional personnel, at 1688
least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based upon 1689
instructional practice. Evaluation criteria used when annually 1690
observing classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), 1691
excluding substitute teachers, must include indicators based 1692
upon each of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices adopted 1693
by the State Board of Education. For instructional personnel who 1694
are not classroom teachers, evaluation criteria must be based 1695
upon indicators of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices 1696
and may include specific job expectations related to student 1697
support. This section does not preclude a school administrator 1698
from visiting and observing classroom teachers throughout the 1699
school year for purposes of providing mentorship, training, 1700
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instructional feedback, or professional learning. 1701
3. Instructional leadership. —For school administrators, at 1702
least one-third of the performanc e evaluation must be based on 1703
instructional leadership. Evaluation criteria for instructional 1704
leadership must include indicators based upon each of the 1705
leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education 1706
under s. 1012.986, including performance me asures related to the 1707
effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the 1708
administrator's appropriate use of evaluation criteria and 1709
procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly 1710
effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentag e of 1711
instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or 1712
effective level, and other leadership practices that result in 1713
student learning growth. The system may include a means to give 1714
parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide 1715
input into the administrator's performance evaluation. 1716
4. Other indicators of performance. —For instructional 1717
personnel and school administrators, the remainder of a 1718
performance evaluation may include, but is not limited to, 1719
professional and job responsibi lities as recommended by the 1720
State Board of Education or identified by the district school 1721
board and, for instructional personnel, peer reviews, 1722
objectively reliable survey information from students and 1723
parents based on teaching practices that are consiste ntly 1724
associated with higher student achievement, and other valid and 1725
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reliable measures of instructional practice. 1726
Section 28. Subsections (9) through (16) of section 1727
1012.56, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (10) 1728
through (17), respective ly, subsection (1), paragraphs (d), (g), 1729
and (i) of subsection (2) and subsections (6), (7), and (8) are 1730
amended, and a new subsection (9) is added to that section, to 1731
read: 1732
1012.56 Educator certification requirements. — 1733
(1) APPLICATION.—Each person seeking certification 1734
pursuant to this chapter shall submit a completed application 1735
containing the applicant's social security number to the 1736
Department of Education and remit the fee required pursuant to 1737
s. 1012.59 and rules of the State Board of Education. P ursuant 1738
to the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 1739
Reconciliation Act of 1996, each party is required to provide 1740
his or her social security number in accordance with this 1741
section. Disclosure of social security numbers obtained through 1742
this requirement is limited to the purpose of administration of 1743
the Title IV-D program of the Social Security Act for child 1744
support enforcement. 1745
(a) Pursuant to s. 120.60, the department shall issue 1746
within 90 calendar days after receipt of the completed 1747
application a professional certificate to a qualifying applicant 1748
covering the classification, level, and area for which the 1749
applicant is deemed qualified and a document explaining the 1750
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requirements for renewal of the professional certificate. 1751
(b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 1752
a qualifying applicant within 14 calendar days after receipt of 1753
a request from an employer with a professional education 1754
competence demonstration program pursuant to paragraph 1755
paragraphs (6)(f) and subsection (9) (8)(b). The temporary 1756
certificate must cover the classification, level, and area for 1757
which the applicant is deemed qualified. The department shall 1758
electronically notify the applicant's employer that the 1759
temporary certificate has been issued and provide the applicant 1760
an official statement of status of eligibility at the time the 1761
certificate is issued. 1762
(c) Pursuant to s. 120.60, the department shall issue 1763
within 90 calendar days after receipt of the completed 1764
application, if an applicant does not meet the re quirements for 1765
either certificate, an official statement of status of 1766
eligibility. 1767
1768
The statement of status of eligibility must be provided 1769
electronically and must advise the applicant of any 1770
qualifications that must be completed to qualify for 1771
certification. Each method by which an applicant can complete 1772
the qualifications for a professional certificate must be 1773
included in the statement of status of eligibility. Each 1774
statement of status of eligibility is valid for 5 3 years after 1775
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its date of issuance, exce pt as provided in paragraph (2)(d). 1776
(2) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. —To be eligible to seek 1777
certification, a person must: 1778
(d) Submit to background screening in accordance with 1779
subsection (11) (10). If the background screening indicates a 1780
criminal history or i f the applicant acknowledges a criminal 1781
history, the applicant's records shall be referred to the 1782
investigative section in the Department of Education for review 1783
and determination of eligibility for certification. If the 1784
applicant fails to provide the nece ssary documentation requested 1785
by the department within 90 days after the date of the receipt 1786
of the certified mail request, the statement of eligibility and 1787
pending application shall become invalid. 1788
(g) Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge , pursuant to 1789
subsection (3), if the person serves as a classroom teacher 1790
pursuant to s. 1012.01(2)(a) . 1791
(i) Demonstrate mastery of professional preparation and 1792
education competence, pursuant to subsection (6) , if the person 1793
serves as a classroom teacher or school a dministrator as 1794
classified in s. 1012.01(2)(a) and (3)(c), respectively . 1795
(6) MASTERY OF PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND EDUCATION 1796
COMPETENCE.—Acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of 1797
professional preparation and education competence are: 1798
(a) Successful completion of an approved teacher 1799
preparation program at a postsecondary educational institution 1800
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within this state and achievement of a passing score on the 1801
professional education competency examination required by state 1802
board rule; 1803
(b) Successful comp letion of a teacher preparation program 1804
at a postsecondary educational institution outside Florida and 1805
achievement of a passing score on the professional education 1806
competency examination required by state board rule; 1807
(c) Documentation of a valid professi onal standard 1808
teaching certificate issued by another state; 1809
(d) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 1810
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national 1811
educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of 1812
Education; 1813
(e) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full -1814
time or part-time teaching in a Florida College System 1815
institution, state university, or private college or university 1816
that awards an associate or higher degree and is an accredited 1817
institution or an in stitution of higher education identified by 1818
the Department of Education as having a quality program and 1819
achievement of a passing score on the professional education 1820
competency examination required by state board rule; 1821
(f) Successful completion of profess ional preparation 1822
courses as specified in state board rule, successful completion 1823
of a professional preparation and education competence program 1824
pursuant to subsection (9) paragraph (8)(b), and achievement of 1825
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a passing score on the professional education c ompetency 1826
examination required by state board rule; 1827
(g) Successful completion of a professional learning 1828
development certification and education competency program, 1829
outlined in subsection (8) paragraph (8)(a); or 1830
(h) Successful completion of a competency -based 1831
certification program pursuant to s. 1004.85 and achievement of 1832
a passing score on the professional education competency 1833
examination required by rule of the State Board of Education. 1834
1835
The State Board of Educ ation shall adopt rules to implement this 1836
subsection by December 31, 2014 , including rules to approve 1837
specific teacher preparation programs that are not identified in 1838
this subsection which may be used to meet requirements for 1839
mastery of professional prepar ation and education competence. 1840
(7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION. — 1841
(a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional 1842
certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant 1843
who fulfills one of the following: 1844
1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in 1845
subsection (2). 1846
2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 1847
through 12: 1848
a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) -1849
(h). 1850
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b. Holds a master's or higher degree in the area of 1851
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 1852
c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the 1853
advanced degree. 1854
d. Is rated highly effective as determined by the 1855
teacher's performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part 1856
on student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized 1857
assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International 1858
Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate 1859
examination. 1860
e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional 1861
education competency examination required by state board rule. 1862
3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) -1863
(h) and completes a professional learning certification 1864
preparation and education competence program approved by the 1865
department pursuant to paragraph (8)(b) (8)(c) or an educator 1866
preparation institute approved by the department pursuant to s. 1867
1004.85. An applicant who completes one of these programs and is 1868
rated highly effective as determined by his or her performance 1869
evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not requ ired to take or achieve a 1870
passing score on the professional education competency 1871
examination in order to be awarded a professional certificate. 1872
(b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 1873
any applicant who: 1874
1. Completes the requirements o utlined in paragraphs 1875
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(2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content requirements 1876
specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 1877
area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an 1878
accredited degree or a degree approved by the Depar tment of 1879
Education at the level required for the subject area 1880
specialization in state board rule; or 1881
2. For a subject area specialization for which the state 1882
board otherwise requires a bachelor's degree, documents 48 1883
months of active-duty military servic e with an honorable 1884
discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements 1885
outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d) -(f); completes the 1886
subject area content requirements specified in state board rule 1887
or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowled ge pursuant to 1888
subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits 1889
with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 1890
scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of 1891
higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of highe r 1892
learning identified by the Department of Education as having a 1893
quality program resulting in a bachelor's degree or higher ; or. 1894
3. Is enrolled in a state -approved teacher preparation 1895
program under s. 1004.04; is actively completing the required 1896
program field experience or internship at a public school; 1897
completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), 1898
(d), (e), and (f); completes the subject area content 1899
requirements specified in state board rule or demonstrates 1900
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mastery of subject area knowl edge pursuant to subsection (5); 1901
and documents completion of 60 college credits with a minimum 1902
cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as 1903
provided by one or more accredited institutions of higher 1904
learning or a nonaccredited institution of hig her learning 1905
identified by the Department of Education as having a quality 1906
program resulting in a bachelor's degree or higher. 1907
(c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2 -year 1908
temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5 -year professional 1909
certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor's 1910
degree in the area of speech -language impairment to allow for 1911
completion of a master's degree program in speech -language 1912
impairment. 1913
(d) A person who is issued a temporary certificate under 1914
subparagraph (b)2. must be assigned a teacher mentor for a 1915
minimum of 2 school years after commencing employment. Each 1916
teacher mentor selected by the school district, charter school, 1917
or charter management organization must: 1918
1. Hold a valid professional certificate is sued pursuant 1919
to this section; 1920
2. Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in 1921
prekindergarten through grade 12; and 1922
3. Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on 1923
the prior year's performance evaluation under s. 1012.34. 1924
(e)(e)1. A temporary certificate issued under subparagraph 1925
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(b)1. is valid for 3 school fiscal years and is nonrenewable. 1926
2. A temporary certificate issued under subparagraph (b)2. 1927
is valid for 5 school fiscal years, is limited to a one -time 1928
issuance, and is non renewable. 1929
1930
At least 1 year before an individual's temporary certificate is 1931
set to expire, the department shall electronically notify the 1932
individual of the date on which his or her certificate will 1933
expire and provide a list of each method by which the 1934
qualifications for a professional certificate can be completed. 1935
The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow the 1936
department to extend the validity period of a temporary 1937
certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the 1938
professional certificate w ere not completed due to the serious 1939
illness or injury of the applicant, the military service of an 1940
applicant's spouse, other extraordinary extenuating 1941
circumstances, or if the certificateholder is rated highly 1942
effective in the immediate prior year's perfo rmance evaluation 1943
pursuant to s. 1012.34 or has completed a 2 -year mentorship 1944
program pursuant to subsection (8). The department shall extend 1945
the temporary certificate upon approval by the Commissioner of 1946
Education. A written request for extension of the c ertificate 1947
shall be submitted by the district school superintendent, the 1948
governing authority of a university lab school, the governing 1949
authority of a state -supported school, or the governing 1950
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authority of a private school. 1951
(8) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION AND 1952
EDUCATION COMPETENCY PROGRAM.— 1953
(a) The Department of Education shall develop and each 1954
school district, charter school, and charter management 1955
organization may provide a cohesive competency -based 1956
professional learning development certification and education 1957
competency program by which instructional staff may satisfy the 1958
mastery of professional preparation and education competence 1959
requirements specified in subsection (6) and rules of the State 1960
Board of Education. Participants must ho ld a state-issued 1961
temporary certificate. A school district, charter school, or 1962
charter management organization that implements the program 1963
shall provide a competency -based certification program developed 1964
by the Department of Education or developed by the d istrict, 1965
charter school, or charter management organization and approved 1966
by the Department of Education. These entities may collaborate 1967
with other supporting agencies or educational entities for 1968
implementation. The program shall include the following: 1969
1. A minimum period of initial preparation before assuming 1970
duties as the teacher of record. 1971
2. An option for collaboration with other supporting 1972
agencies or educational entities for implementation. 1973
1.3. A teacher mentorship and induction component. 1974
a. Each individual selected by the district , charter 1975
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school, or charter management organization as a mentor: 1976
(I) Must hold a valid professional certificate issued 1977
pursuant to this section; 1978
(II) Must have earned at least 3 years of teaching 1979
experience in prekindergarten through grade 12; 1980
(III) Must have completed specialized training in clinical 1981
supervision and participate in ongoing mentor training provided 1982
through the coordinated system of professional learning 1983
development under s. 1012.98(4) s. 1012.98(3)(e); 1984
(IV) Must have earned an effective or highly effective 1985
rating on the prior year's performance evaluation under s. 1986
1012.34; and 1987
(V) May be a peer evaluator under the district's 1988
evaluation system approved under s. 1012.34. 1989
b. The teacher mento rship and induction component must, at 1990
a minimum, provide routine weekly opportunities for mentoring 1991
and induction activities, including common planning time, 1992
ongoing professional learning as described in s. 1012.98 1993
development targeted to a teacher's need s, opportunities for a 1994
teacher to observe other teachers, co -teaching experiences, and 1995
reflection and followup discussions. Professional learning must 1996
meet the criteria established in s. 1012.98(3). Mentorship and 1997
induction activities must be provided for an applicant's first 1998
year in the program and may be provided until the applicant 1999
attains his or her professional certificate in accordance with 2000
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this section. A principal who is rated highly effective as 2001
determined by his or her performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 2002
must be provided flexibility in selecting professional 2003
development activities under this paragraph; however, the 2004
activities must be approved by the department as part of the 2005
district's, charter school's, or charter management 2006
organization's program. 2007
2.4. An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the 2008
district's, charter school's, or charter management 2009
organization's system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34 2010
which provides for: 2011
a. An initial evaluation of each educator's competencies 2012
to determine an appropriate individualized professional learning 2013
development plan. 2014
b. A summative evaluation to assure successful completion 2015
of the program. 2016
3.5. Professional education preparati on content knowledge, 2017
which must be included in the mentoring and induction activities 2018
under subparagraph 1. 3., that includes, but is not limited to, 2019
the following: 2020
a. The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41, 2021
including scientifically base d reading instruction, content 2022
literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject 2023
identified on the temporary certificate. 2024
b. The educator-accomplished practices approved by the 2025
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state board. 2026
c. A variety of data indicators for monitoring student 2027
progress. 2028
d. Methodologies for teaching students with disabilities. 2029
e. Methodologies for teaching students of limited English 2030
proficiency appropriate for each subject area identified on the 2031
temporary certificate. 2032
f. Techniques and strategies for operat ionalizing the role 2033
of the teacher in assuring a safe learning environment for 2034
students. 2035
4.6. Required achievement of passing scores on the subject 2036
area and professional education competency examination required 2037
by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge 2038
must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3). 2039
5.7. Beginning with candidates entering a program in the 2040
2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 2041
coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f) must 2042
successfully complete all competencies for a reading 2043
endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum 2044
through the candidate's demonstration of mastery of professional 2045
preparation and education competence under paragraph (b) . 2046
(b)1. Each school di strict must and a private school or 2047
state-supported public school, including a charter school, may 2048
develop and maintain a system by which members of the 2049
instructional staff may demonstrate mastery of professional 2050
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preparation and education competence as req uired by law. Each 2051
program must be based on classroom application of the Florida 2052
Educator Accomplished Practices and instructional performance 2053
and, for public schools, must be aligned with the district's or 2054
state-supported public school's evaluation system established 2055
under s. 1012.34, as applicable. 2056
2. The Commissioner of Education shall determine the 2057
continued approval of programs implemented under this paragraph, 2058
based upon the department's review of performance data. The 2059
department shall review the pe rformance data as a part of the 2060
periodic review of each school district's professional 2061
development system required under s. 1012.98. 2062
(b)(c) No later than December 31, 2017, The department 2063
State Board of Education shall adopt rules standards for the 2064
approval and continued approval of professional learning 2065
development certification and education competency programs 2066
aligned to, including standards for the teacher mentorship and 2067
induction component, under paragraph (a). Standards for the 2068
teacher mentorship an d induction component must include program 2069
administration and evaluation; mentor roles, selection, and 2070
training; beginning teacher assessment and professional 2071
development; and teacher content knowledge and practices aligned 2072
to the Florida Educator Accompli shed Practices. Each school 2073
district or charter school with a program under this subsection 2074
must submit its program, including the teacher mentorship and 2075
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induction component, to the department for approval no later 2076
than June 30, 2018. After December 31, 20 18, A teacher may not 2077
satisfy requirements for a professional certificate through a 2078
professional learning development certification and education 2079
competency program under paragraph (a) unless the program has 2080
been approved by the department pursuant to this paragraph. 2081
(9) PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COMPETENCY PROGRAM. — 2082
(a) Each school district must and a private school or 2083
state-supported public school, including a charter school, may 2084
develop and maintain a system by which members of the 2085
instructional staff m ay demonstrate mastery of professional 2086
preparation and education competence as required by law. Each 2087
program must be based on classroom application of the Florida 2088
Educator Accomplished Practices and instructional performance 2089
and, for public schools, must b e aligned with the district's or 2090
state-supported public school's evaluation system established 2091
under s. 1012.34, as applicable. 2092
(b) The Commissioner of Education shall determine the 2093
continued approval of programs implemented under this paragraph, 2094
based upon the department's review of performance data. The 2095
department shall review the performance data as a part of the 2096
periodic review of each school district's professional learning 2097
system required under s. 1012.98. 2098
(d) The Commissioner of Education shall d etermine the 2099
continued approval of programs implemented under paragraph (a) 2100
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based upon the department's periodic review of the following: 2101
1. Evidence that the requirements in paragraph (a) are 2102
consistently met; and 2103
2. Evidence of performance in each of the following areas: 2104
a. Rate of retention for employed program completers in 2105
instructional positions in Florida public schools. 2106
b. Performance of students in prekindergarten through 2107
grade 12 who are assigned to in -field program completers on 2108
statewide assessments using the results of the student learning 2109
growth formula adopted under s. 1012.34. 2110
c. Performance of students in prekindergarten through 2111
grade 12 who are assigned to in -field program completers 2112
aggregated by student subgroups, as defined in the federal 2113
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. s. 2114
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II), as a measure of how well the program 2115
prepares teachers to work with a variety of students in Florida 2116
public schools. 2117
d. Results of program completers' annual evaluations in 2118
accordance with the timeline as set forth in s. 1012.34. 2119
e. Production of program completers in statewide critical 2120
teacher shortage areas as defined in s. 1012.07. 2121
Section 29. Section 1012.57, Florida Statutes, is amended 2122
to read: 2123
1012.57 Certification of adjunct educators. — 2124
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 1012.32, 2125
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1012.55, and 1012.56, or any other provision of law or rule to 2126
the contrary, district sc hool boards and charter school 2127
governing boards shall adopt rules to allow for the issuance of 2128
an adjunct teaching certificate to any applicant who fulfills 2129
the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f) and (11) s. 2130
1012.56(2)(a)-(f) and (10) and who has expertise in the subject 2131
area to be taught. An applicant shall be considered to have 2132
expertise in the subject area to be taught if the applicant 2133
demonstrates sufficient subject area mastery through passage of 2134
a subject area test. 2135
(2) The Legislature intends tha t this section allow school 2136
districts and charter schools to tap the wealth of talent and 2137
expertise represented in Florida's citizens who may wish to 2138
teach in a Florida public school by permitting school districts 2139
and charter schools to issue adjunct certi ficates to qualified 2140
applicants. 2141
(3) Adjunct certificateholders should be used primarily as 2142
a strategy to enhance the diversity of course offerings offered 2143
to all students. School districts and charter schools may use 2144
the expertise of individuals in the state who wish to provide 2145
online instruction to students by issuing adjunct certificates 2146
to qualified applicants. 2147
(4) Each adjunct teaching certificate is valid through the 2148
term of the annual contract between the educator and the school 2149
district or charter school. An additional annual certification 2150
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and an additional annual contract may be awarded by the district 2151
or charter school at the district's or charter school's 2152
discretion but only if the applicant is rated effective or 2153
highly effective under s. 1012 .34 during each year of teaching 2154
under adjunct teaching certification. A school district and 2155
charter school may issue an adjunct teaching certificate for a 2156
part-time or full-time teaching position; however, an adjunct 2157
teaching certificate issued for a full -time teaching position is 2158
valid for no more than 3 years and is nonrenewable. 2159
(5) Individuals who are certified and employed under this 2160
section shall have the same rights and protection of laws as 2161
teachers certified under s. 1012.56. 2162
(6) Each school district and charter school shall: 2163
(a) Post requirements on its website for the issuance of 2164
an adjunct teaching certificate, which must specify the subject 2165
area test through which an applicant demonstrates subject area 2166
mastery. 2167
(b) Annually report to th e department the number of 2168
adjunct teaching certificates issued for part -time teaching 2169
positions and full-time teaching positions pursuant to this 2170
section. 2171
Section 30. Section 1012.575, Florida Statutes, is amended 2172
to read: 2173
1012.575 Alternative prepa ration programs for certified 2174
teachers to add additional coverage. —A district school board, or 2175
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an organization of private schools or a consortium of charter 2176
schools with an approved professional learning development 2177
system as described in s. 1012.98(7) s. 1012.98(6), may design 2178
alternative teacher preparation programs to enable persons 2179
already certificated to add an additional coverage to their 2180
certificates. Each alternative teacher preparation program shall 2181
be reviewed and approved by the Department of Edu cation to 2182
assure that persons who complete the program are competent in 2183
the necessary areas of subject matter specialization. Two or 2184
more school districts may jointly participate in an alternative 2185
preparation program for teachers. 2186
Section 31. Paragraph (g) of subsection (3) of section 2187
1012.585, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph (h), 2188
and a new paragraph (g) is added to that subsection, to read: 2189
1012.585 Process for renewal of professional 2190
certificates.— 2191
(3) For the renewal of a professio nal certificate, the 2192
following requirements must be met: 2193
(g) An applicant for renewal of a professional certificate 2194
in educational leadership from a Level I program under s. 2195
1012.562(2) or Level II program under s. 1012.562(3), with a 2196
beginning validity date of July 1, 2025, or thereafter, must 2197
earn a minimum of 1 college credit or 20 inservice points in 2198
Florida's educational leadership standards, as established in 2199
rule by the State Board of Education. The requirement in this 2200
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paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the 2201
department for continuing education or inservice training. 2202
Section 32. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 2203
1012.586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 2204
1012.586 Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate 2205
certificates; reading endorsement pathways. — 2206
(1) A school district may process via a Department of 2207
Education website certificates for the following applications of 2208
public school employees: 2209
(a) Addition of a subject coverage or endorsement to a 2210
valid Florida certificate on the basis of the completion of the 2211
appropriate subject area testing requirements of s. 2212
1012.56(5)(a) or the completion of the requirements of an 2213
approved school district program or the inservice components for 2214
an endorsement. 2215
1. To reduce duplication, the department may recommend the 2216
consolidation of endorsement areas and requirements to the State 2217
Board of Education. 2218
2. At least once every 5 years, the department shall 2219
conduct a review of existing subject coverage or endorsement 2220
requirements in the elementary, reading, and exceptional student 2221
educational areas. The review must include reciprocity 2222
requirements for out -of-state certificates and requirements for 2223
demonstrating competency in the reading instruction professional 2224
learning development topics listed in s. 1012.98(5)(b)11 s. 2225
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1012.98(4)(b)11. The review must also consider the award of an 2226
endorsement to an individual who holds a certificate issued by 2227
an internationally recognized organization that establishes 2228
standards for providing evidence-based interventions to 2229
struggling readers or who completes a postsecondary program that 2230
is accredited by such organization. Any such certificate or 2231
program must require an individual who completes the certificate 2232
or program to demonstrate compete nce in reading intervention 2233
strategies through clinical experience. At the conclusion of 2234
each review, the department shall recommend to the state board 2235
changes to the subject coverage or endorsement requirements 2236
based upon any identified instruction or int ervention strategies 2237
proven to improve student reading performance. This subparagraph 2238
does not authorize the state board to establish any new 2239
certification subject coverage. 2240
2241
The employing school district shall charge the employee a fee 2242
not to exceed the amount charged by the Department of Education 2243
for such services. Each district school board shall retain a 2244
portion of the fee as defined in the rules of the State Board of 2245
Education. The portion sent to the department shall be used for 2246
maintenance of the te chnology system, the web application, and 2247
posting and mailing of the certificate. 2248
Section 33. Section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, is amended 2249
to read: 2250
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1012.98 School Community Professional Learning Development 2251
Act.— 2252
(1) The Department of Education, public postsecondary 2253
educational institutions, public school districts, public 2254
schools, state education foundations, consortia, and 2255
professional organizations in this state shall work 2256
collaboratively to establish a coordin ated system of 2257
professional learning. For the purposes of this section, the 2258
term "professional learning" means learning that is aligned to 2259
the state's standards for effective professional learning, 2260
educator practices, and leadership practices; incorporates 2261
active learning; is collaborative; provides models; and is 2262
sustained and continuous development. The purpose of the 2263
professional learning development system is to increase student 2264
achievement, enhance classroom instructional strategies that 2265
promote rigor and relevance throughout the curriculum, and 2266
prepare students for continuing education and the workforce. The 2267
system of professional learning development must align to the 2268
standards adopted by the state . Routine informational meetings 2269
may not be considered professional learning and are not eligible 2270
for inservice points and support the framework for standards 2271
adopted by the National Staff Development Council . 2272
(2) The school community includes students and parents, 2273
administrative personnel, managers, instr uctional personnel, 2274
support personnel, members of district school boards, members of 2275
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school advisory councils, business partners, and personnel that 2276
provide health and social services to students. 2277
(3) Professional learning activities linked to student 2278
learning and professional growth for instructional and 2279
administrative staff meet the following criteria: 2280
(a) For instructional personnel, utilize materials aligned 2281
to the state's academic standards. 2282
(b) For school administrators, utilize materials aligne d 2283
to the state's educational leadership standards. 2284
(c) Have clear, defined, and measurable outcomes for both 2285
individual inservice activities and multiple day sessions. 2286
(d) Employ multiple measurement tools for data on teacher 2287
growth, participants' use of new knowledge and skills, student 2288
learning outcomes, instructional growth outcomes, and leadership 2289
growth outcomes, as applicable. 2290
(e) Utilize active learning and engage participants 2291
directly in designing and trying out strategies, providing 2292
participants with the opportunity to engage in authentic 2293
teaching and leadership experiences. 2294
(f) Utilize artifacts, interactive activities, and other 2295
strategies to provide deeply embedded and highly contextualized 2296
professional learning. 2297
(g) Create opportunities for collaboration. 2298
(h) Utilize coaching and expert support to involve the 2299
sharing of expertise about content and evidence -based practices, 2300
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focused directly on instructional personnel and school 2301
administrator needs. 2302
(i) Provide opportunities for instructional personnel and 2303
school administrators to think about, receive input on, and make 2304
changes to practice by facilitating reflection and providing 2305
feedback. 2306
(j) Provide sustained duration with followup for 2307
instructional personnel and school ad ministrators to have 2308
adequate time to learn, practice, implement, and reflect upon 2309
new strategies that facilitate changes in practice. 2310
(4)(3) The activities designed to implement this section 2311
must: 2312
(a) Support and increase the success of educators thro ugh 2313
collaboratively developed school improvement plans that focus 2314
on: 2315
1. Enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies to 2316
engage students in a rigorous and relevant curriculum based on 2317
state and local educational standards, goals, and initiatives; 2318
2. Increased opportunities to provide meaningful 2319
relationships between teachers and all students; and 2320
3. Increased opportunities for professional collaboration 2321
among and between teachers, certified school counselors, 2322
instructional leaders, postseconda ry educators engaged in 2323
preservice training for new teachers, and the workforce 2324
community. 2325
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(b) Assist the school community in providing stimulating, 2326
scientific research-based educational activities that encourage 2327
and motivate students to achieve at the h ighest levels and to 2328
participate as active learners and that prepare students for 2329
success at subsequent educational levels and the workforce. 2330
(c) Provide continuous support for all education 2331
professionals as well as temporary intervention for education 2332
professionals who need improvement in knowledge, skills, and 2333
performance. 2334
(d) Provide middle grades instructional personnel and 2335
school administrators with the knowledge, skills, and best 2336
practices necessary to support excellence in classroom 2337
instruction and educational leadership. 2338
(e) Provide training to teacher mentors as part of the 2339
professional learning development certification program under s. 2340
1012.56(8) and the professional education competency program 2341
under s. 1012.56(9) s. 1012.56(8)(a). The training must include 2342
components on teacher development, peer coaching, time 2343
management, and other related topics as determined by the 2344
Department of Education. 2345
(5)(4) The Department of Education, school districts, 2346
schools, Florida College System institutions , and state 2347
universities share the responsibilities described in this 2348
section. These responsibilities include the following: 2349
(a)1. The department shall create a high -quality 2350
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professional learning marketplace list that acts as guide and 2351
tool for teachers, schools, school administrators, and districts 2352
across the state to identify high -quality professional learning 2353
provider programs and resources that meet the criteria described 2354
in subsection (3) and have demonstrated success in meeting 2355
identified student ne eds. 2356
2.(a)1. The department shall disseminate to the school 2357
community, through a centralized professional learning webpage, 2358
the marketplace list under subparagraph 1 research-based 2359
professional development methods and programs that have 2360
demonstrated success in meeting identified student needs . The 2361
Commissioner of Education shall use data on student achievement 2362
to identify student needs. The methods of dissemination must 2363
include a web-based statewide performance support system, 2364
including a database of exem plary professional development 2365
activities, a listing of available professional development 2366
resources, training programs, and available assistance. 2367
2. The web-based statewide performance support system 2368
established pursuant to subparagraph 1. must include for middle 2369
grades, subject to appropriation, materials related to classroom 2370
instruction, including integrated digital instruction and 2371
competency-based instruction; CAPE Digital Tool certificates and 2372
CAPE industry certifications; classroom management; stude nt 2373
behavior and interaction; extended learning opportunities for 2374
students; and instructional leadership. 2375
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(b) Each school district shall develop a professional 2376
learning development system as specified in subsection (4) (3). 2377
The system shall be developed i n consultation with teachers, 2378
teacher-educators of Florida College System institutions and 2379
state universities, business and community representatives, and 2380
local education foundations, consortia, and professional 2381
organizations. The professional learning development system 2382
must: 2383
1. Be reviewed and approved by the department for 2384
compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March 2385
1, 2024, the department shall establish a calendar for the 2386
review and approval of all professional learning systems. A 2387
professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every 2388
5 years. Any All substantial revisions to the system shall be 2389
submitted to the department for review and for continued 2390
approval. The department shall establish a format for the review 2391
and approval of a professional learning system. 2392
2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and 2393
instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous, 2394
relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools 2395
and districts, in developing and r efining the professional 2396
learning development system, shall also review and monitor 2397
school discipline data; school environment surveys; assessments 2398
of parental satisfaction; performance appraisal data of 2399
teachers, managers, and administrative personnel; an d other 2400
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performance indicators to identify school and student needs that 2401
can be met by improved professional performance. 2402
3. Provide inservice activities coupled with followup 2403
support appropriate to accomplish district -level and school-2404
level improvement goals and standards. The inservice activities 2405
for instructional and school administrative personnel shall 2406
focus on analysis of student achievement data, ongoing formal 2407
and informal assessments of student achievement, identification 2408
and use of enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies 2409
that emphasize rigor, relevance, and reading in the content 2410
areas, enhancement of subject content expertise, integrated use 2411
of classroom technology that enhances teaching and learning, 2412
classroom management, parent involvement, and school safety. 2413
4. Provide inservice activities and support targeted to 2414
the individual needs of new teachers participating in the 2415
professional learning development certification and education 2416
competency program under s. 10 12.56(8)(a). 2417
5. Include a professional learning catalog master plan for 2418
inservice activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of 2419
Education, for all district employees from all fund sources. The 2420
catalog master plan shall be updated annually by September 1, 2421
must be based on input from teachers and district and school 2422
instructional leaders, and must use the latest available student 2423
achievement data and research to enhance rigor and relevance in 2424
the classroom. Each dis trict inservice catalog plan must be 2425
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aligned to and support the school -based inservice catalog plans 2426
and school improvement plans pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). Each 2427
district inservice catalog plan must provide a description of 2428
the training that middle grades instructional personnel and 2429
school administrators receive on the district's code of student 2430
conduct adopted pursuant to s. 1006.07; integrated digital 2431
instruction and competency -based instruction and CAPE Digital 2432
Tool certificates and CAPE industry certif ications; classroom 2433
management; student behavior and interaction; extended learning 2434
opportunities for students; and instructional leadership. 2435
District plans must be approved by the district school board 2436
annually in order to ensure compliance with subsectio n (1) and 2437
to allow for dissemination of research -based best practices to 2438
other districts. District school boards must submit verification 2439
of their approval to the Commissioner of Education no later than 2440
October 1, annually. Each school principal may establ ish and 2441
maintain an individual professional learning development plan 2442
for each instructional employee assigned to the school as a 2443
seamless component to the school improvement plans developed 2444
pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional learning 2445
development plan must be related to specific performance data 2446
for the students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the 2447
inservice objectives and specific measurable improvements 2448
expected in student performance as a result of the inservice 2449
activity, and include an evaluation component that determines 2450
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the effectiveness of the professional learning development plan. 2451
6. Include inservice activities for school administrative 2452
personnel, aligned to the state's educational leadership 2453
standards, that address updated skills necessary for 2454
instructional leadership and effective school management 2455
pursuant to s. 1012.986. 2456
7. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and 2457
state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and 2458
evaluation of local profes sional learning development programs. 2459
8. Provide for delivery of professional learning 2460
development by distance learning and other technology -based 2461
delivery systems to reach more educators at lower costs. 2462
9. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality 2463
and effectiveness of professional learning development programs 2464
in order to eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to 2465
expand effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of 2466
such activities on the performance of participating educ ators 2467
and their students' achievement and behavior. 2468
10. For all middle grades, emphasize: 2469
a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and 2470
instruction. 2471
b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to 2472
the state academic standards adopted pu rsuant to s. 1003.41. 2473
c. Use of small learning communities; problem -solving, 2474
inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students; 2475
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strategies and tools based on student needs; competency -based 2476
instruction; integrated digital instruction; and pr oject-based 2477
instruction. 2478
2479
Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 must include 2480
in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a 2481
description of the specific strategies used by the school to 2482
implement each item listed in this subpa ragraph. 2483
11. Provide training to reading coaches, classroom 2484
teachers, and school administrators in effective methods of 2485
identifying characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia and 2486
other causes of diminished phonological processing skills; 2487
incorporating instructional techniques into the general 2488
education setting which are proven to improve reading 2489
performance for all students; and using predictive and other 2490
data to make instructional decisions based on individual student 2491
needs. The training must help te achers integrate phonemic 2492
awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency; 2493
vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text 2494
comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and 2495
sequential approach to reading instruction, including 2496
multisensory intervention strategies. Each district must provide 2497
all elementary grades instructional personnel access to training 2498
sufficient to meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(f). 2499
(6)(5) Each district school board shall provide funding 2500
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for the professional learning development system as required by 2501
s. 1011.62 and the General Appropriations Act, and shall direct 2502
expenditures from other funding sources to continuously 2503
strengthen the system in order to increase student achievement 2504
and support instructi onal staff in enhancing rigor and relevance 2505
in the classroom. The department shall identify professional 2506
learning development opportunities that require the teacher to 2507
demonstrate proficiency in specific classroom practices, with 2508
priority given to implemen ting training to complete a reading 2509
endorsement pathway adopted pursuant to s. 1012.586(2)(a). A 2510
school district may coordinate its professional learning 2511
development program with that of another district, with an 2512
educational consortium, or with a Florida C ollege System 2513
institution or university, especially in preparing and educating 2514
personnel. Each district school board shall make available 2515
inservice activities to instructional personnel of nonpublic 2516
schools in the district and the state certified teachers who are 2517
not employed by the district school board on a fee basis not to 2518
exceed the cost of the activity per all participants. 2519
(7)(6) An organization of private schools or consortium of 2520
charter schools which has no fewer than 10 member schools in 2521
this state, which publishes and files with the Department of 2522
Education copies of its standards, and the member schools of 2523
which comply with the provisions of part II of chapter 1003, 2524
relating to compulsory school attendance, or a public or private 2525
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college or university with a teacher preparation program 2526
approved pursuant to s. 1004.04, may also develop a professional 2527
learning development system that includes a professional 2528
learning catalog master plan for inservice activities. The 2529
system and inservice catalog plan must be submitted to the 2530
commissioner for approval pursuant to state board rules. 2531
(8)(a)(7)(a) The Department of Education shall 2532
disseminate, using web -based technology, research -based best 2533
practice methods by which the state and district school boards 2534
may evaluate and improve the professional learning development 2535
system. The best practices must include data that indicate the 2536
progress of all students. The department shall report annually 2537
to the State Board of Education and the Legislature any school 2538
district that, in the determination of the department, has 2539
failed to provide an adequate professional learning development 2540
system. This report must include the results of the department's 2541
investigation and of any intervention provided. 2542
(b) The department shal l also disseminate, using web -based 2543
technology, professional learning development in the use of 2544
integrated digital instruction at schools that include middle 2545
grades. The professional learning development must provide 2546
training and materials that districts can use to provide 2547
instructional personnel with the necessary knowledge, skills, 2548
and strategies to effectively blend digital instruction into 2549
subject-matter curricula. The professional learning development 2550
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must emphasize online learning and research techniques, reading 2551
instruction, the use of digital devices to supplement the 2552
delivery of curricular content to students, and digital device 2553
management and security. Districts are encouraged to incorporate 2554
the professional learning development as part of their 2555
professional learning development system. 2556
(9)(8) The State Board of Education may adopt rules 2557
pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this 2558
section. 2559
(10)(9) This section does not limit or discourage a 2560
district school board from contracting with independent entities 2561
for professional learning development services and inservice 2562
education if the district school board can demonstrate to the 2563
Commissioner of Education that, through such a contract, a 2564
better product can be acquired or its goals for education 2565
improvement can be better met. Such entities shall have 3 or 2566
more years of experience providing professional learning with 2567
demonstrative success in instructional or school administrator 2568
growth. The school distr ict must verify that such entities and 2569
contracted professional learning activities from such entities 2570
meet the criteria established in subsection (3) for training 2571
linked to student learning or professional growth. 2572
(11)(10) For instructional personnel and administrative 2573
personnel who have been evaluated as less than effective, a 2574
district school board shall require participation in specific 2575
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professional learning development programs as provided in 2576
subparagraph (5)(b)5. (4)(b)5. as part of the improvement 2577
prescription. 2578
(12)(11) The department shall disseminate to the school 2579
community proven model professional learning development 2580
programs that have demonstrated success in increasing rigorous 2581
and relevant content, increasing student achievement and 2582
engagement, meeting identified student needs, and providing 2583
effective mentorship activities to new teachers and training to 2584
teacher mentors. The methods of dissemination must include a 2585
web-based statewide performance -support system including a 2586
database of exemplary professional learning development 2587
activities, a listing of available professional learning 2588
development resources, training programs, and available 2589
technical assistance. Professional learning development 2590
resources must include sample course -at-a-glance and unit 2591
overview templates that school districts may use when developing 2592
curriculum. The templates must provide an organized structure 2593
for addressing the Florida Standards, grade -level expectations, 2594
evidence outcomes, and 21st century skills that build to 2595
students' mastery of the standards at each grade level. Each 2596
template must support teaching to greater intellectual depth and 2597
emphasize transfer and application of concepts, content, and 2598
skills. At a minimum, each template must: 2599
(a) Provide course or year -long sequencing of concept -2600
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based unit overviews based on the Florida Standards. 2601
(b) Describe the knowledge and vocabulary necessary for 2602
comprehension. 2603
(c) Promote the instructional shifts required within the 2604
Florida Standards. 2605
(d) Illustrate the inte rdependence of grade -level 2606
expectations within and across content areas within a grade. 2607
(13)(12) The department shall require teachers in grades 2608
K-12 to participate in continuing education training provided by 2609
the Department of Children and Families on i dentifying and 2610
reporting child abuse and neglect. 2611
Section 34. Subsection (1) of section 1012.986, Florida 2612
Statutes, is amended to read: 2613
1012.986 William Cecil Golden Professional Learning 2614
Development Program for School Leaders. — 2615
(1) There is established the William Cecil Golden 2616
Professional Learning Development Program for School Leaders to 2617
provide high-quality standards and sustained support for 2618
educational leaders. For purposes of this section, the term 2619
"educational leader" mea ns teacher leaders, assistant 2620
principals, principals, or school district leaders. The program 2621
shall consist of a collaborative network of school districts, 2622
state-approved educational leadership programs, regional 2623
consortia, charter management organizations , and state and 2624
national professional leadership organizations to respond to 2625
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educational leadership needs throughout the state. The network 2626
shall support the human -resource learning development needs of 2627
educational leaders using the framework of leadership standards 2628
adopted by the State Board of Education. The goal of the network 2629
leadership program is to: 2630
(a) Provide resources to support and enhance the roles of 2631
educational leaders. 2632
(b) Maintain a clearinghouse and disseminate data -2633
supported information related to the continued enhancement of 2634
student achievement and learning, civic education, coaching and 2635
mentoring, mental health awareness, technology in education, 2636
distance learning, and school safety based on educational 2637
research and best practices. 2638
(c) Increase the quality and capacity of educational 2639
leadership learning development programs. 2640
(d) Support evidence -based leadership practices through 2641
dissemination and modeling at the preservice and inservice 2642
levels for educational leaders. 2643
(e) Support the professional growth of instructional 2644
personnel who provide reading instruction and interventions by 2645
training school administrators on classroom observation , 2646
instructional coaching, and teacher evaluation practices aligned 2647
to evidence-based reading instruction and intervention 2648
strategies. 2649
Section 35. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 2650
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1013.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 2651
1013.62 Charter schools capital outlay funding. — 2652
(1) For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, charter school capital 2653
outlay funding shall consist of state funds appropriated in the 2654
2022-2023 General Appropriations Act. Beginning in fiscal year 2655
2023-2024, charter school capital outlay funding shall consist 2656
of state funds when such funds are app ropriated in the General 2657
Appropriations Act and revenue resulting from the discretionary 2658
millage authorized in s. 1011.71(2) if the amount of state funds 2659
appropriated for charter school capital outlay in any fiscal 2660
year is less than the average charter sch ool capital outlay 2661
funds per unweighted full -time equivalent student for the 2018 -2662
2019 fiscal year, multiplied by the estimated number of charter 2663
school students for the applicable fiscal year, and adjusted by 2664
changes in the Consumer Price Index issued by the United States 2665
Department of Labor from the previous fiscal year. Nothing in 2666
this subsection prohibits a school district from distributing to 2667
charter schools funds resulting from the discretionary millage 2668
authorized in s. 1011.71(2). 2669
(a) To be eligible to receive capital outlay funds, a 2670
charter school must: 2671
1.a. Have been in operation for 2 or more years; 2672
b. Be governed by a governing board established in the 2673
state for 2 or more years which operates both charter schools 2674
and conversion charter schoo ls within the state; 2675
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c. Be an expanded feeder chain of a charter school within 2676
the same school district that is currently receiving charter 2677
school capital outlay funds; 2678
d. Have been accredited by a regional accrediting 2679
association as defined by State B oard of Education rule; 2680
e. Serve students in facilities that are provided by a 2681
business partner for a charter school -in-the-workplace pursuant 2682
to s. 1002.33(15)(b); or 2683
f. Be operated by a hope operator pursuant to s. 1002.333. 2684
2. Have an annual audit that does not reveal any of the 2685
financial emergency conditions provided in s. 218.503(1) for the 2686
most recent fiscal year for which such audit results are 2687
available. 2688
3. Have not earned two consecutive grades of "F", three 2689
consecutive grades below a "C", or two consecutive school 2690
improvement ratings of "Unsatisfactory" satisfactory student 2691
achievement based on state accountability standards applicable 2692
to the charter school . 2693
4. Have received final approval from its sponsor pursuant 2694
to s. 1002.33 for opera tion during that fiscal year. 2695
5. Serve students in facilities that are not provided by 2696
the charter school's sponsor. 2697
Section 36. Paragraphs (d) and (f) of subsection (1) of 2698
section 1014.05, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 2699
1014.05 School dist rict notifications on parental rights. — 2700
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(1) Each district school board shall, in consultation with 2701
parents, teachers, and administrators, develop and adopt a 2702
policy to promote parental involvement in the public school 2703
system. Such policy must include: 2704
(d) Procedures, pursuant to s. 1002.20(3)(d), for a parent 2705
to withdraw his or her minor child from any portion of the 2706
school district's comprehensive health education required under 2707
s. 1003.42(2)(o) s. 1003.42(2)(n) that relates to sex education 2708
or instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome education 2709
or any instruction regarding sexuality if the parent provides a 2710
written objection to his or her minor child's participation. 2711
Such procedures must provide for a parent to be notified in 2712
advance of such course content so that he or she may withdraw 2713
his or her minor child from those portions of the course. 2714
(f) Procedures for a parent to learn about parental rights 2715
and responsibilities under general law, including all of the 2716
following: 2717
1. Pursuant to s. 1002.20(3)(d), the right to opt his or 2718
her minor child out of any portion of the school district's 2719
comprehensive health education required under s. 1003.42(2)(o) 2720
s. 1003.42(2)(n) that relates to sex education instruction in 2721
acquired immune deficiency syndr ome education or any instruction 2722
regarding sexuality. 2723
2. A plan to disseminate information, pursuant to s. 2724
1002.20(6), about school choice options, including open 2725
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enrollment. 2726
3. In accordance with s. 1002.20(3)(b), the right of a 2727
parent to exempt his o r her minor child from immunizations. 2728
4. In accordance with s. 1008.22, the right of a parent to 2729
review statewide, standardized assessment results. 2730
5. In accordance with s. 1003.57, the right of a parent to 2731
enroll his or her minor child in gifted or special education 2732
programs. 2733
6. In accordance with s. 1006.28(2)(a)1., the right of a 2734
parent to inspect school district instructional materials. 2735
7. In accordance with s. 1008.25, the right of a parent to 2736
access information relating to the school district's policies 2737
for promotion or retention, including high school graduation 2738
requirements. 2739
8. In accordance with s. 1002.20(14), the right of a 2740
parent to receive a school report card and be informed of his or 2741
her minor child's attendance requirements. 2742
9. In accordance with s. 1002.23, the right of a parent to 2743
access information relating to the state public education 2744
system, state standards, report card requirements, attendance 2745
requirements, and instructional mater ials requirements. 2746
10. In accordance with s. 1002.23(4), the right of a 2747
parent to participate in parent -teacher associations and 2748
organizations that are sanctioned by a district school board or 2749
the Department of Education. 2750
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11. In accordance with s. 1002 .222(1)(a), the right of a 2751
parent to opt out of any district -level data collection relating 2752
to his or her minor child not required by law. 2753
Section 37. Effective upon this act becoming law: 2754
(1) Notwithstanding rule 6A -1.09422, Florida 2755
Administrative Code, students who are in the 2022 -2023 2756
graduating class who have not yet earned their required passing 2757
score may: 2758
(a) Satisfy the Grade 10 statewide, standardized English 2759
Language Arts (ELA) Assessment requirement to qualify for a high 2760
school diploma by earning a concordant passing score on the 2761
respective section of the SAT or ACT. For eligible students, the 2762
concordant passing scale score shall be a score equal to or 2763
greater than 430 on the 200 to 800 scale for the SAT Evidence -2764
Based Reading and Writing ( EBRW) section, equal to or greater 2765
than 24 on the 10 to 40 scale of the SAT Reading Subtest 2766
section, equal to or greater than 19 on the 1 to 36 scale on the 2767
ACT Reading section, or equal to or greater than 18 on the 1 to 2768
36 scale for the average of the Eng lish and Reading subject test 2769
scores on the ACT. For the ACT, if the average of the two 2770
subject test scores results in a decimal of 0.5, the score must 2771
be rounded up to the next whole number. The scores for the 2772
English and Reading subject tests on the ACT are not required to 2773
come from the same test administration. 2774
(b) Satisfy the Algebra 1 end -of-course (EOC) assessment 2775
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requirement to qualify for a high school diploma by earning a 2776
comparative passing score on the mathematics section of the 2777
Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT), the Preliminary 2778
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), the 2779
SAT, or the ACT or the Geometry EOC assessment. For eligible 2780
students, the comparative passing scale score shall be a score 2781
equal to or greater than 114 on the 50 to 150 scale for the PERT 2782
mathematics section, equal to or greater than 430 on the 160 to 2783
760 scale for the PSAT/NMSQT mathematics section, equal to or 2784
greater than 420 on the 200 to 800 scale for the SAT mathematics 2785
section, equal to or greater than 16 on the 1 to 36 scale for 2786
the ACT mathematics section, or equal to or greater than an 2787
achievement level 3 on the range from achievement level 1 to 2788
achievement level 5 for the Geometry EOC assessment. 2789
(2) Beginning with students who enter ed grade 9 in the 2790
2020-2021 school year, students and adults who have not yet 2791
earned their required passing score on the Grade 10 statewide, 2792
standardized ELA Assessment may meet this testing requirement to 2793
qualify for a high school diploma by earning a con cordant 2794
passing score on the EBRW section of the SAT or the average of 2795
the English and Reading subject test scores for the ACT. For 2796
eligible students, the concordant passing scale score for the 2797
SAT EBRW shall be a score equal to or greater than 480 on the 2798
200 to 800 scale, and the concordant passing scale score for the 2799
average of the English and Reading subject test scores on the 2800
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ACT shall be a score equal to or greater than 18 on the 1 to 36 2801
scale. The State Board of Education shall establish, in rule, a 2802
concordant passing score for the sum of the Grammar/Writing and 2803
Verbal Reasoning subject test scores on the Classic Learning 2804
Test (CLT). For the ACT, if the average of the two subject test 2805
scores results in a decimal of 0.5, the score shall be rounded 2806
up to the next whole number. The scores for the English and 2807
Reading subject tests on the ACT or the Grammar/Writing and 2808
Verbal Reasoning subject tests on the CLT are not required to 2809
come from the same test administration. 2810
(3) Beginning with students who ente red grade 9 in the 2811
2020-2021 school year, students and adults who have not yet 2812
earned their required passing score on the Algebra 1 EOC 2813
assessment may meet this testing requirement to qualify for a 2814
high school diploma by earning a comparative passing score on 2815
the mathematics section of the PSAT/NMSQT, the SAT, or the ACT 2816
or on the Geometry EOC assessment. For eligible students, the 2817
comparative passing scale score shall be a score equal to or 2818
greater than 430 on the 160 to 760 scale for the PSAT/NMSQT 2819
mathematics section, equal to or greater than 420 on the 200 to 2820
800 scale for the SAT mathematics section, equal to or greater 2821
than 16 on the 1 to 36 scale for the ACT mathematics section, or 2822
equal to or greater than an achievement level 3 on the range 2823
from achievement level 1 to achievement level 5 for the Geometry 2824
EOC assessment. The State Board of Education shall establish, in 2825
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rule, a concordant passing score for the Quantitative Reasoning 2826
subject test on the CLT. 2827
(4) This section expires on July 1, 2025. 2828
Section 38. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the sum of $1 2829
million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General 2830
Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to be used for the 2831
procurement of bleeding control kits for placement in public 2832
schools across the state. 2833
Section 39. The Division of Law Revision shall prepare a 2834
reviser's bill for the 2024 Regular Session of the Legislature 2835
to replace references to the term "professional development" 2836
where it occurs within chapters 1000 through 1013 of th e Florida 2837
Statutes with the term "professional learning." 2838
Section 40. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the sum of $5.8 2839
million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General 2840
Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to be used for the 2841
competitive procurement of a statewide transparency tool to 2842
support the implementation of instructional and library 2843
materials requirements imposed in chapters 2022 -21, 2022-22, and 2844
2022-72, Laws of Florida. 2845
Section 41. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this 2846
act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon 2847
this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 2848
2023. 2849
2850