Florida Senate Bill S7000 Introduced / Bill

 Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000  By the Committee on Education Pre-K -12 581-01445-24 20247000__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to deregulation of public 3 schools/instructional, administrative, and support 4 personnel; amending s. 1002.451, F.S.; requiring 5 innovation schools of technology to comply with 6 specified provisions of law relating to instructional 7 multiyear contracts for instructional personnel in 8 addition to annual contracts; amending s. 1002.55, 9 F.S.; requiring newly hired prekindergarten 10 instructors to complete specified training within a 11 specified timeframe; deleting obsolete language; 12 amending s. 1004.88, F.S.; authorizing the Florida 13 Institute for Charter School Innovation to develop a 14 professional learning system; amending s. 1011.6202, 15 F.S.; requiring schools participating in the Principal 16 Autonomy Program Initiative to comply with specified 17 provisions of law relating to instructional multiyear 18 contracts for instructional personnel in addition to 19 annual contracts; amending s. 1012.05, F.S.; 20 authorizing, rather than requiring, district school 21 boards to base certain polices on guidelines from the 22 Department of Education; revising the frequency with 23 which school districts must submit certain information 24 to the department; amending s. 1012.07, F.S.; 25 requiring the State Board of Education to develop 26 written strategies to address critical teacher 27 shortages; making a technical change; amending s. 28 1012.22, F.S.; deleting a prohibition on district 29 school boards using advanced degrees to set salary 30 schedules for instructional personnel and school 31 administrators hired after a specified date; deleting 32 requirements relating to annual salary adjustments; 33 providing that collective bargaining may not preclude 34 a district school board from carrying out specified 35 duties; providing that if a superintendent appears 36 before the State Board of Education for a specified 37 purpose, the president of the school district 38 bargaining unit also must appear; making technical 39 changes; amending s. 1012.2315, F.S.; providing that 40 provisions of law relating to the assignment of 41 teachers apply to inexperienced teachers instead of 42 temporarily certified teachers; defining the term 43 inexperienced teacher; providing that a school 44 district may still provide specified incentives to 45 teachers despite collective bargaining provisions; 46 making technical changes; amending s. 1012.335, F.S.; 47 defining the term instructional multiyear contract; 48 providing requirements for the award of an 49 instructional multiyear contract; requiring that an 50 employee awarded an instructional multiyear contract 51 be returned to an annual contract under certain 52 conditions; making conforming and technical changes; 53 amending s. 1012.34, F.S.; requiring that procedures 54 and requirements established by the district school 55 superintendent for performance evaluations be approved 56 by the district school board; requiring the district 57 school superintendent to submit evaluation systems to 58 the department under certain circumstances; deleting a 59 requirement for the department to approve and monitor 60 each school districts evaluation systems; revising 61 the portion of a performance evaluation that is based 62 on student performance; deleting requirements for 63 performance evaluations; providing that student 64 performance may not be the sole determinant for 65 incentive pay for instructional personnel or school 66 administrators; amending s. 1012.39, F.S.; revising an 67 occupational experience qualification requirement for 68 nondegreed teachers of career programs; deleting a 69 training requirement for full-time nondegreed teachers 70 of career programs; amending s. 1012.42, F.S.; 71 providing that a teacher is considered in-field under 72 certain circumstances; defining the term self 73 contained classroom; amending s. 1012.45, F.S.; 74 revising requirements for school bus drivers; 75 authorizing district school boards to adopt additional 76 requirements for school bus drivers; requiring school 77 bus drivers and school bus attendants to complete 78 training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first 79 aid; requiring school districts to maintain 80 documentation of such training; requiring district 81 school boards to provide training to school bus 82 drivers and school bus attendants relating to students 83 with disabilities; deleting a requirement for the 84 State Board of Education to adopt rules relating to 85 school bus drivers; amending s. 1012.555, F.S.; 86 revising requirements for individuals to participate 87 in the Teacher Apprenticeship Program; amending s. 88 1012.56, F.S.; adding an additional method for an 89 individual seeking an educator certification to 90 demonstrate a mastery of general knowledge; 91 authorizing school districts and consortia of school 92 districts to issue temporary certificates under 93 certain conditions; conforming a cross-reference; 94 amending s. 1012.57, F.S.; deleting a provision 95 relating to adjunct teaching certificates; amending s. 96 1012.575, F.S.; providing that certain provisions 97 relating to alternative teacher preparation programs 98 also apply to the Florida Institute for Charter School 99 Innovation; amending s. 1012.585, F.S.; revising the 100 validity period for professional certificates; 101 providing eligibility requirements for 5-year and 10 102 year professional certificates; revising requirements 103 for the renewal of professional certificates; 104 authorizing certain private school teachers to extend 105 the expiration date of a professional certificate; 106 repealing s. 1012.72, F.S., relating to the Dale 107 Hickam Excellent Teaching Program; amending s. 108 1012.98, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; providing 109 that provisions relating to the development of a 110 professional learning system apply to the Florida 111 Institute for Charter School Innovation; making 112 technical changes; amending ss. 1004.04, 1004.85, and 113 1012.586, F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing 114 an effective date. 115 116 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 117 118 Section 1.Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 119 1002.451, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 120 1002.451District innovation school of technology program. 121 (5)EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES. 122 (a)An innovation school of technology is exempt from 123 chapters 1000-1013. However, an innovation school of technology 124 shall comply with the following provisions of those chapters: 125 1.Laws pertaining to the following: 126 a.Schools of technology, including this section. 127 b.Student assessment program and school grading system. 128 c.Services to students who have disabilities. 129 d.Civil rights, including s. 1000.05, relating to 130 discrimination. 131 e.Student health, safety, and welfare. 132 2.Laws governing the election and compensation of district 133 school board members and election or appointment and 134 compensation of district school superintendents. 135 3.Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except 136 that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is 137 the average at the school level. 138 4.Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to 139 compensation and salary schedules. 140 5.Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions, 141 for annual contracts for instructional personnel. This 142 subparagraph does not apply to at-will employees. 143 6.Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with 144 instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011, for 145 annual or instructional multiyear contracts for instructional 146 personnel. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will 147 employees. 148 7.Section 1012.34, relating to requirements for 149 performance evaluations of instructional personnel and school 150 administrators. 151 Section 2.Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section 152 1002.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 153 1002.55School-year prekindergarten program delivered by 154 private prekindergarten providers. 155 (3)To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program, 156 a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the 157 following requirements: 158 (c)The private prekindergarten provider must have, for 159 each prekindergarten class of 11 children or fewer, at least one 160 prekindergarten instructor who meets each of the following 161 requirements: 162 1.The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum, 163 one of the following credentials: 164 a.A child development associate credential issued by the 165 National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional 166 Recognition; or 167 b.A credential approved by the Department of Children and 168 Families as being equivalent to or greater than the credential 169 described in sub-subparagraph a. 170 171 The Department of Children and Families may adopt rules under 172 ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and procedures 173 for approving equivalent credentials under sub-subparagraph b. 174 2.The prekindergarten instructor must successfully 175 complete three emergent literacy training courses that include 176 developmentally appropriate and experiential learning practices 177 for children and a student performance standards training course 178 approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum 179 standards adopted under s. 1002.59. A newly hired 180 prekindergarten instructor must complete the three emergent 181 literacy training courses within 30 calendar days after being 182 hired if the instructor has not previously completed the 183 courses. The prekindergarten instructor must complete an 184 emergent literacy training course at least once every 5 years 185 after initially completing the three emergent literacy training 186 courses. The courses in this subparagraph must be recognized as 187 part of the informal early learning and career pathway 188 identified by the department under s. 1002.995(1)(b). The 189 requirement for completion of the standards training course 190 shall take effect July 1, 2022. The courses must be made 191 available online or in person. 192 Section 3.Present subsections (3) and (4) of section 193 1004.88, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4) 194 and (5), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to that 195 section, to read: 196 1004.88Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation. 197 (3)The institute may develop a professional learning 198 system pursuant to s. 1012.98(7). 199 Section 4.Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 200 1011.6202, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 201 1011.6202Principal Autonomy Program Initiative.The 202 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative is created within the 203 Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to 204 provide a highly effective principal of a participating school 205 with increased autonomy and authority to operate his or her 206 school, as well as other schools, in a way that produces 207 significant improvements in student achievement and school 208 management while complying with constitutional requirements. The 209 State Board of Education may, upon approval of a principal 210 autonomy proposal, enter into a performance contract with the 211 district school board for participation in the program. 212 (3)EXEMPTION FROM LAWS. 213 (b)A participating school or a school operated by a 214 principal pursuant to subsection (5) shall comply with the 215 provisions of chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the state board 216 that implement those provisions, pertaining to the following: 217 1.Those laws relating to the election and compensation of 218 district school board members, the election or appointment and 219 compensation of district school superintendents, public meetings 220 and public records requirements, financial disclosure, and 221 conflicts of interest. 222 2.Those laws relating to the student assessment program 223 and school grading system, including chapter 1008. 224 3.Those laws relating to the provision of services to 225 students with disabilities. 226 4.Those laws relating to civil rights, including s. 227 1000.05, relating to discrimination. 228 5.Those laws relating to student health, safety, and 229 welfare. 230 6.Section 1001.42(4)(f), relating to the uniform opening 231 date for public schools. 232 7.Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except 233 that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is 234 the average at the school level for a participating school. 235 8.Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to 236 compensation and salary schedules. 237 9.Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions for 238 annual contracts for instructional personnel. This subparagraph 239 does not apply to at-will employees. 240 10.Section 1012.335, relating to annual or instructional 241 multiyear contracts for instructional personnel hired on or 242 after July 1, 2011. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will 243 employees. 244 11.Section 1012.34, relating to personnel evaluation 245 procedures and criteria. 246 12.Those laws pertaining to educational facilities, 247 including chapter 1013, except that s. 1013.20, relating to 248 covered walkways for relocatables, and s. 1013.21, relating to 249 the use of relocatable facilities exceeding 20 years of age, are 250 eligible for exemption. 251 13.Those laws pertaining to participating school 252 districts, including this section and ss. 1011.69(2) and 253 1012.28(8). 254 Section 5.Subsection (3) of section 1012.05, Florida 255 Statutes, is amended to read: 256 1012.05Teacher recruitment and retention. 257 (3)(a)Each school board shall adopt policies relating to 258 mentors and support for first-time teachers which may include 259 the based upon guidelines issued by the Department of Education. 260 (b)By September 15 and February 15 each school year, each 261 school district shall electronically submit accurate public 262 school e-mail addresses for all instructional and administrative 263 personnel, as identified in s. 1012.01(2) and (3), to the 264 Department of Education. 265 Section 6.Section 1012.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to 266 read: 267 1012.07Identification of critical teacher shortage areas. 268 The term critical teacher shortage area means high-need 269 content areas and high-priority location areas identified by the 270 State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall 271 adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 necessary to 272 annually identify critical teacher shortage areas. The state 273 board must consider current and emerging educational 274 requirements and workforce demands in determining critical 275 teacher shortage areas. School grade levels may also be 276 designated critical teacher shortage areas. Individual district 277 school boards may identify and submit other critical teacher 278 shortage areas. Such submissions must be aligned to current and 279 emerging educational requirements and workforce demands in order 280 to be approved by the State Board of Education. High-priority 281 location areas must shall be in high-density, low-economic urban 282 schools; low-density, low-economic rural schools; and schools 283 that earned a grade of F or three consecutive grades of D 284 pursuant to s. 1008.34. The State Board of Education shall 285 develop written strategies to address the critical teacher 286 shortages identified. 287 Section 7.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 288 1012.22, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (3) is 289 added to that section, to read: 290 1012.22Public school personnel; powers and duties of the 291 district school board.The district school board shall: 292 (1)Designate positions to be filled, prescribe 293 qualifications for those positions, and provide for the 294 appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal 295 of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this 296 chapter: 297 (c)Compensation and salary schedules. 298 1.Definitions.As used in this paragraph: 299 a.Adjustment means an addition to the base salary 300 schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employees 301 permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under 302 s. 121.021(22). 303 b.Grandfathered salary schedule means the salary 304 schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before 305 July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 3 4. 306 c.Instructional personnel means instructional personnel 307 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute 308 teachers. 309 d.Performance salary schedule means the salary schedule 310 or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to 311 subparagraph 4 5. 312 e.Salary schedule means the schedule or schedules used 313 to provide the base salary for district school board personnel. 314 f.School administrator means a school administrator as 315 defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c). 316 g.Supplement means an annual addition to the base salary 317 for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the 318 employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the 319 supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employees 320 continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation 321 under s. 121.021(22). 322 2.Cost-of-living adjustment.A district school board may 323 provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment: 324 a.Does not discriminate among comparable classes of 325 employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are 326 compensated. 327 b.Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment 328 provided to instructional personnel rated as effective. 329 3.Advanced degrees.A district school board may not use 330 advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional 331 personnel or school administrators hired on or after July 1, 332 2011, unless the advanced degree is held in the individuals 333 area of certification and is only a salary supplement. 334 4.Grandfathered salary schedule. 335 a.The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule 336 or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all 337 school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional 338 personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed 339 on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 4 340 5. Instructional personnel on continuing contract or 341 professional service contract may opt into the performance 342 salary schedule if the employee relinquishes such contract and 343 agrees to be employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. 344 Such an employee shall be placed on the performance salary 345 schedule and may not return to continuing contract or 346 professional service contract status. Any employee who opts into 347 the performance salary schedule may not return to the 348 grandfathered salary schedule. 349 b.In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for 350 instructional personnel, a district school board must base a 351 portion of each employees compensation upon performance 352 demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated 353 pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators 354 based upon district-determined factors, including, but not 355 limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics, 356 critical shortage areas, and level of job performance 357 difficulties. 358 4.5.Performance salary schedule.By July 1, 2014, the 359 district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule 360 that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional 361 personnel and school administrators based upon performance 362 determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1, 363 2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered 364 salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be 365 compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once 366 they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for 367 this purpose. 368 a.Base salary.The base salary shall be established as 369 follows: 370 (I)The base salary for instructional personnel or school 371 administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule 372 shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including 373 adjustments only. 374 (II)Instructional personnel or school administrators new 375 to the district, returning to the district after a break in 376 service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for 377 the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of 378 instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed 379 on the performance salary schedule. 380 b.Salary adjustments.Salary adjustments for highly 381 effective or effective performance shall be established as 382 follows: 383 (I)The annual salary adjustment under the performance 384 salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must 385 be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary 386 adjustment available to an employee of the same classification 387 through any other salary schedule adopted by the district. 388 (II)The annual salary adjustment under the performance 389 salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal 390 to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual 391 adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same 392 classification. 393 (II)(III)A salary schedule may shall not provide an annual 394 salary adjustment for an employee who receives a rating other 395 than highly effective or effective for the year. 396 c.Salary supplements.In addition to the salary 397 adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary 398 supplements for activities that must include, but are not 399 limited to: 400 (I)Assignment to a Title I eligible school. 401 (II)Assignment to a school that earned a grade of F or 402 three consecutive grades of D pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that 403 the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following 404 improved performance in that school. 405 (III)Certification and teaching in critical teacher 406 shortage areas. Statewide critical teacher shortage areas shall 407 be identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07. 408 However, the district school board may identify other areas of 409 critical shortage within the school district for purposes of 410 this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the 411 state board which do not apply within the school district. 412 (IV)Assignment of additional academic responsibilities. 413 414 If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school 415 boards ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the 416 performance salary schedule may shall not be reduced on the 417 basis of total cost or the value of individual awards in a 418 manner that is proportionally greater than reductions to any 419 other salary schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation 420 for longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who 421 are on any other salary schedule must be included in calculating 422 the salary adjustments required by sub-subparagraph b. 423 (3)(a)Collective bargaining.Notwithstanding provisions of 424 chapter 447 related to district school board collective 425 bargaining, collective bargaining may not preclude a district 426 school board from carrying out its constitutional and statutory 427 duties related to the following: 428 1.Providing incentives to highly effective teachers. 429 2.Implementing school improvement plans under s. 1008.33 430 to address the causes of low student performance and improve 431 student academic performance and attendance. 432 3.Implementing student discipline provisions required by 433 law, including a review of a students abilities, past 434 performance, behavior, and needs. 435 4.Implementing school safety plans and requirements. 436 5.Implementing staff and student recognition programs. 437 6.Distributing correspondence to parents, teachers, and 438 community members related to the daily operation of schools and 439 the district. 440 7.Providing any required notice or copies of information 441 related to the district school board or district operations 442 which is readily available on the school districts website. 443 8.The school districts calendar. 444 9.The award of instructional multiyear contracts under s. 445 1012.335. 446 (b)Appearances before the board.If a district school 447 superintendent appears before the state board to provide an 448 update under s. 1011.62(14)(e), the state board must require 449 that the president of the school district bargaining unit also 450 must appear. 451 Section 8.Subsections (1) and (2) and paragraph (a) of 452 subsection (4) of section 1012.2315, Florida Statutes, are 453 amended to read: 454 1012.2315Assignment of teachers. 455 (1)LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.The Legislature finds 456 disparities between teachers assigned to teach in a majority of 457 schools that do not need improvement and schools that do need 458 improvement pursuant to s. 1008.33. The disparities may be found 459 in the assignment of inexperienced temporarily certified 460 teachers, teachers in need of improvement, and out-of-field 461 teachers and in the performance of the students. It is the 462 intent of the Legislature that district school boards have 463 flexibility through the collective bargaining process to assign 464 teachers more equitably across the schools in the district. 465 (2)ASSIGNMENT TO SCHOOLS GRADED D OR F. 466 (a)A school district may not assign a higher percentage 467 than the school district average of inexperienced temporarily 468 certified teachers, teachers in need of improvement, or out-of 469 field teachers to schools graded D or F pursuant to s. 470 1008.34. As used in this section, the term inexperienced 471 teacher means a teacher who has been teaching for 2 years or 472 less. 473 (b)1.A school district may assign an individual newly 474 hired as instructional personnel to a school that has earned a 475 grade of F in the previous year or any combination of three 476 consecutive grades of D or F in the previous 3 years 477 pursuant to s. 1008.34 if the individual: 478 a.Has received an effective rating or highly effective 479 rating in the immediate prior years performance evaluation 480 pursuant to s. 1012.34; 481 b.Has successfully completed or is enrolled in a teacher 482 preparation program pursuant to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 483 1012.56, or a teacher preparation program specified in State 484 Board of Education rule, is provided with high quality mentoring 485 during the first 2 years of employment, holds a certificate 486 issued pursuant to s. 1012.56, and holds a probationary contract 487 pursuant to s. 1012.335(2)(a); or 488 c.Holds a probationary contract pursuant to s. 489 1012.335(2)(a), holds a certificate issued pursuant to s. 490 1012.56, and has successful teaching experience, and if, in the 491 judgment of the school principal, students would benefit from 492 the placement of that individual. 493 2.As used in this paragraph, the term mentoring includes 494 the use of student achievement data combined with at least 495 monthly observations to improve the educators effectiveness in 496 improving student outcomes. Mentoring may be provided by a 497 school district, a teacher preparation program approved pursuant 498 to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 1012.56, or a teacher 499 preparation program specified in State Board of Education rule. 500 501 Each school district shall annually certify to the Commissioner 502 of Education that the requirements in this subsection have been 503 met. If the commissioner determines that a school district is 504 not in compliance with this subsection, the State Board of 505 Education must shall be notified and must shall take action 506 pursuant to s. 1008.32 in the next regularly scheduled meeting 507 to require compliance. 508 (4)COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. 509 (a)Notwithstanding provisions of chapter 447 relating to 510 district school board collective bargaining, collective 511 bargaining provisions may not preclude a school district from 512 providing incentives to high-quality teachers and assigning such 513 teachers to low-performing schools, including incentives in s. 514 1011.69(4). 515 Section 9.Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) 516 of section 1012.335, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 517 paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is 518 added to that subsection, paragraphs (d) and (e) are added to 519 subsection (2) of that section, and subsections (3) and (4) of 520 that section are amended, to read: 521 1012.335Contracts with instructional personnel hired on or 522 after July 1, 2011. 523 (1)DEFINITIONS.As used in this section, the term: 524 (b)Instructional multiyear contract, beginning July 1, 525 2025, means an employment contract for a period not to exceed 3 526 years which the district school board may choose to award upon 527 completion of a probationary contract and at least one annual 528 contract. 529 (2)EMPLOYMENT. 530 (d)An instructional multiyear contract may be awarded, 531 beginning July 1, 2025, only if the employee: 532 1.Holds an active professional certificate or temporary 533 certificate issued pursuant to s. 1012.56 and rules of the State 534 Board of Education; 535 2.Has been recommended by the district school 536 superintendent for the instructional multiyear contract based 537 upon the individuals evaluation under s. 1012.34 and approved 538 by the district school board; and 539 3.Has not received an annual performance evaluation rating 540 of unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34. 541 (e)An employee awarded an instructional multiyear contract 542 who receives an annual performance evaluation rating of 543 unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34 must be 544 returned to an annual contract in the following school year. 545 Such evaluation rating must be included with the evaluation 546 ratings under subsequent annual contracts for determinations of 547 just cause under s. 1012.33. 548 (3)VIOLATION OF ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR 549 CONTRACT.Instructional personnel who accept a written offer 550 from the district school board and who leave their positions 551 without prior release from the district school board are subject 552 to the jurisdiction of the Education Practices Commission. 553 (4)SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL ON 554 ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR CONTRACT.Any instructional 555 personnel with an annual or instructional multiyear contract may 556 be suspended or dismissed at any time during the term of the 557 contract for just cause as provided in subsection (5). The 558 district school board shall notify the employee in writing 559 whenever charges are made and may suspend such person without 560 pay. However, if the charges are not sustained, the employee 561 must shall be immediately reinstated and his or her back pay 562 must shall be paid. If the employee wishes to contest the 563 charges, he or she must, within 15 days after receipt of the 564 written notice, submit a written request for a hearing to the 565 district school board. A direct hearing must shall be conducted 566 by the district school board or a subcommittee thereof within 60 567 days after receipt of the written appeal. The hearing must shall 568 be conducted in accordance with ss. 120.569 and 120.57. A 569 majority vote of the membership of the district school board 570 shall be required to sustain the district school 571 superintendents recommendation. The district school boards 572 determination is final as to the sufficiency or insufficiency of 573 the grounds for suspension without pay or dismissal. Any such 574 decision adverse to the employee may be appealed by the employee 575 pursuant to s. 120.68. 576 Section 10.Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) and 577 paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 1012.34, Florida 578 Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (c) is added to subsection 579 (7) of that section, to read: 580 1012.34Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria. 581 (1)EVALUATION SYSTEM APPROVAL AND REPORTING. 582 (a)For the purpose of increasing student academic 583 performance by improving the quality of instructional, 584 administrative, and supervisory services in the public schools 585 of this the state, the district school superintendent shall 586 establish procedures for evaluating the performance of duties 587 and responsibilities of all instructional, administrative, and 588 supervisory personnel employed by the school district. The 589 procedures and requirements in subsection (3) must be 590 established by the district school superintendent and approved 591 by the district school board, must set the standards of service 592 to be offered to the public within the meaning of s. 447.209, 593 and are not subject to collective bargaining. The district 594 school superintendent shall provide instructional personnel the 595 opportunity to review their class rosters for accuracy and to 596 correct any mistakes. The district school superintendent shall 597 report accurate class rosters for the purpose of calculating 598 district and statewide student performance and annually report 599 the evaluation results of instructional personnel and school 600 administrators to the Department of Education in addition to the 601 information required under subsection (5). 602 (b)The district school superintendent must submit the 603 district instructional personnel and school administrator 604 evaluation systems to the department whenever the evaluation 605 systems in subsection (2) are amended department must approve 606 each school districts instructional personnel and school 607 administrator evaluation systems. The department shall monitor 608 each districts implementation of its instructional personnel 609 and school administrator evaluation systems for compliance with 610 the requirements of this section. 611 (3)EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.Instructional 612 personnel and school administrator performance evaluations must 613 be based upon the performance of students assigned to their 614 classrooms or schools, as provided in this section. Pursuant to 615 this section, a school districts performance evaluation system 616 is not limited to basing unsatisfactory performance of 617 instructional personnel and school administrators solely upon 618 student performance, but may include other criteria to evaluate 619 instructional personnel and school administrators performance, 620 or any combination of student performance and other criteria. 621 Evaluation procedures and criteria must comply with, but are not 622 limited to, the following: 623 (a)A performance evaluation must be conducted for each 624 employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher, 625 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding substitute teachers, 626 who is newly hired by the district school board must be observed 627 and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching in 628 the school district. The performance evaluation must be based 629 upon sound educational principles and contemporary research in 630 effective educational practices. The evaluation criteria must 631 include: 632 1.Performance of students.At least one-half one-third of 633 a performance evaluation must be based upon data and indicators 634 of student performance, as determined by each school district. 635 This portion of the evaluation must include growth or 636 achievement data of the teachers students or, for a school 637 administrator, the students attending the school over the course 638 of at least 3 years. If less than 3 years of data are available, 639 the years for which data are available must be used. The 640 proportion of growth or achievement data may be determined by 641 instructional assignment. 642 2.Instructional practice.For instructional personnel, at 643 least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based upon 644 instructional practice. Evaluation criteria used when annually 645 observing classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), 646 excluding substitute teachers, must include indicators based 647 upon each of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices adopted 648 by the State Board of Education. For instructional personnel who 649 are not classroom teachers, evaluation criteria must be based 650 upon indicators of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices 651 and may include specific job expectations related to student 652 support. This section does not preclude a school administrator 653 from visiting and observing classroom teachers throughout the 654 school year for purposes of providing mentorship, training, 655 instructional feedback, or professional learning. 656 3.Instructional leadership.For school administrators, at 657 least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based on 658 instructional leadership. Evaluation criteria for instructional 659 leadership must include indicators based upon each of the 660 leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education 661 under s. 1012.986, including performance measures related to the 662 effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the 663 administrators appropriate use of evaluation criteria and 664 procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly 665 effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentage of 666 instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or 667 effective level, and other leadership practices that result in 668 student learning growth. The system may include a means to give 669 parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide 670 input into the administrators performance evaluation. 671 4.Other indicators of performance.For instructional 672 personnel and school administrators, the remainder of a 673 performance evaluation may include, but is not limited to, 674 professional and job responsibilities as recommended by the 675 State Board of Education or identified by the district school 676 board and, for instructional personnel, peer reviews, 677 objectively reliable survey information from students and 678 parents based on teaching practices that are consistently 679 associated with higher student achievement, and other valid and 680 reliable measures of instructional practice. 681 (7)MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. 682 (c)The measurement of student learning growth under 683 paragraph (a) may not be the sole determinant for any incentive 684 pay for instructional personnel or school administrators. 685 Section 11.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 686 1012.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 687 1012.39Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of 688 adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and 689 career specialists; students performing clinical field 690 experience. 691 (1)Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and 692 1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary, 693 each district school board shall establish the minimal 694 qualifications for: 695 (c)Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career 696 programs. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed 697 teachers of career and technical education courses for program 698 clusters that are recognized in the state and are based 699 primarily on successful occupational experience rather than 700 academic training. The qualifications for such teachers must 701 require: 702 1.The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same 703 manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to 704 conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this 705 requirement. 706 2.Documentation of education and successful occupational 707 experience including documentation of: 708 a.A high school diploma or the equivalent. 709 b.Completion of a minimum level, established by the 710 district school board, 3 years of full-time successful 711 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time 712 experience in the teaching specialization area. The district 713 school board may establish alternative qualifications for 714 teachers with an industry certification in the career area in 715 which they teach. 716 c.For full-time teachers, completion of professional 717 education training in teaching methods, course construction, 718 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs 719 students. This training may be completed through coursework from 720 an accredited or approved institution or an approved district 721 teacher education program, or the local school district 722 inservice master plan. 723 d.Documentation of industry certification when state or 724 national industry certifications are available and applicable. 725 Section 12.Subsection (1) of section 1012.42, Florida 726 Statutes, is amended to read: 727 1012.42Teacher teaching out-of-field. 728 (1)ASSISTANCE. 729 (a)Each district school board shall adopt and implement a 730 plan to assist any teacher teaching out-of-field, and priority 731 consideration in professional development activities shall be 732 given to a teacher who is teaching out-of-field. The district 733 school board shall require that the teacher participate in a 734 certification or staff development program designed to provide 735 the teacher with the competencies required for the assigned 736 duties. The board-approved assistance plan must include duties 737 of administrative personnel and other instructional personnel to 738 provide students with instructional services. 739 (b)A teacher who holds an educator certificate in 740 exceptional student education is considered in-field if he or 741 she is teaching in a self-contained classroom. For the purpose 742 of this paragraph, the term self-contained classroom means a 743 classroom of exceptional students as defined in s. 1003.01 744 taught by an educator who holds a certificate in exceptional 745 student education and who is responsible for instruction of all 746 academic subjects. 747 Section 13.Subsections (1) and (3) of section 1012.45, 748 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 749 1012.45School bus drivers; requirements and duties. 750 (1)Each school bus driver must be of good moral character, 751 of good vision and hearing, able-bodied, free from communicable 752 disease, mentally alert, and sufficiently strong physically to 753 handle the bus with ease, and must meet he or she must possess 754 other qualifications prescribed by the Commissioner of 755 Education, including those qualifications described in 49 C.F.R. 756 s. 391, relating to physical qualifications and examinations, 757 and 49 C.F.R. part 40 and part 382, relating to controlled 758 substance and alcohol use and testing, and he or she must hold a 759 valid commercial driver license with a passenger endorsement. 760 (3)Each district school board shall require that school 761 bus drivers and school bus attendants complete a certified 762 cardiopulmonary resuscitation course and first aid training 763 before being employed as a school bus driver or a school bus 764 attendant. The school district shall maintain documentation of 765 the completion of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation course and 766 first aid training. Each district school board must also provide 767 training to school bus drivers and school bus attendants for 768 students with disabilities under s. 1003.57. Each district 769 school board may adopt additional The State Board of Education 770 shall adopt rules outlining requirements that school bus drivers 771 must meet to be before they are employed by district school 772 boards. 773 Section 14.Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection 774 (3) of section 1012.555, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 775 1012.555Teacher Apprenticeship Program. 776 (2)(a)An individual must meet the following minimum 777 eligibility requirements to participate in the apprenticeship 778 program: 779 1.Be enrolled in or have completed Have received an 780 associate degree program at from an accredited postsecondary 781 institution. 782 2.Have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 3.0 783 in that degree program. 784 3.Have successfully passed a background screening as 785 provided in s. 1012.32. 786 4.Have received a temporary apprenticeship certificate as 787 provided in s. 1012.56(7)(d). 788 (b)As a condition of participating in the program, an 789 apprentice teacher must commit to spending at least the first 2 790 years in the classroom of a mentor teacher using team teaching 791 strategies identified in s. 1003.03(5)(b) and fulfilling the on 792 the-job training component of the registered apprenticeship and 793 its associated standards. 794 (c)An apprentice teacher must do both of the following: 795 1.Complete at least 2 years in an apprenticeship before 796 being eligible to apply for a professional certificate 797 established in s. 1012.56(7)(a). Completion of the Teacher 798 Apprenticeship Program does not exempt an apprentice teacher 799 from the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(c). 800 2.Receive related instruction as provided in s. 446.051. 801 (d)An apprentice teacher must be appointed by the district 802 school board as an education paraprofessional and must be paid 803 in accordance with s. 446.032 and rules adopted by the State 804 Board of Education. 805 (e)An apprentice teacher may change schools or districts 806 after the first year of his or her apprenticeship if the hiring 807 school or district has agreed to fund the remaining year of the 808 apprenticeship. 809 (3)A teacher who serves as a mentor in the apprenticeship 810 program shall mentor his or her apprentice teacher using team 811 teaching strategies and must, at a minimum, meet all of the 812 following requirements: 813 (a)Have at least 5 7 years of teaching experience in this 814 state. 815 Section 15.Subsections (3) and (7) and paragraph (a) of 816 subsection (8) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended 817 to read: 818 1012.56Educator certification requirements. 819 (3)MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.Acceptable means of 820 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are: 821 (a)Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge 822 examination required by state board rule; 823 (b)Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching 824 certificate issued by another state; 825 (c)Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 826 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national 827 educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of 828 Education; 829 (d)Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time 830 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution, 831 state university, or private college or university that awards 832 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution 833 or an institution of higher education identified by the 834 Department of Education as having a quality program; 835 (e)Achievement of passing scores, identified in state 836 board rule, on national or international examinations that test 837 comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical 838 writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not 839 limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative 840 reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination. Passing 841 scores identified in state board rule must be at approximately 842 the same level of rigor as is required to pass the general 843 knowledge examinations; or 844 (f)Documentation of receipt of a masters or higher degree 845 from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that 846 the Department of Education has identified as having a quality 847 program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher; or 848 (g)Documentation of a rating of effective or highly 849 effective under s. 1012.34 in each year of the validity period 850 of the temporary certificate. 851 852 A school district that employs an individual who does not 853 achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge 854 examination must provide information regarding the availability 855 of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to 856 assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information 857 must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test 858 information guides, school district test preparation resources, 859 and preparation courses offered by state universities and 860 Florida College System institutions. The requirement of mastery 861 of general knowledge shall be waived for an individual who has 862 been provided 3 years of supports and instruction and who has 863 been rated effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 for 864 each of the last 3 years. 865 (7)TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION. 866 (a)The Department of Education shall issue a professional 867 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant 868 who fulfills one of the following: 869 1.Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in 870 subsection (2). 871 2.For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through 872 12: 873 a.Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) 874 (h). 875 b.Holds a masters or higher degree in the area of 876 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 877 c.Teaches a high school course in the subject of the 878 advanced degree. 879 d.Is rated highly effective as determined by the teachers 880 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on 881 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized 882 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International 883 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate 884 examination. 885 e.Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional 886 education competency examination required by state board rule. 887 3.Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) 888 (h) and completes a professional learning certification program 889 approved by the department pursuant to paragraph (8)(b) or an 890 educator preparation institute approved by the department 891 pursuant to s. 1004.85. An applicant who completes one of these 892 programs and is rated highly effective as determined by his or 893 her performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not required to 894 take or achieve a passing score on the professional education 895 competency examination in order to be awarded a professional 896 certificate. 897 (b)The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 898 any applicant who: 899 1.Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs 900 (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content requirements 901 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 902 area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an 903 accredited degree or a degree approved by the Department of 904 Education at the level required for the subject area 905 specialization in state board rule; 906 2.For a subject area specialization for which the state 907 board otherwise requires a bachelors degree, documents 48 908 months of active-duty military service with an honorable 909 discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements 910 outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d)-(f); completes the 911 subject area content requirements specified in state board rule 912 or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to 913 subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits 914 with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 915 scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of 916 higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher 917 learning identified by the Department of Education as having a 918 quality program resulting in a bachelors degree or higher; or 919 3.Is enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation 920 program under s. 1004.04; is actively completing the required 921 program field experience or internship at a public school; 922 completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), 923 and (d)-(f); completes the subject area content requirements 924 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 925 area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5); and documents 926 completion of 60 college credits with a minimum cumulative grade 927 point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as provided by one or more 928 accredited institutions of higher learning or a nonaccredited 929 institution of higher learning identified by the Department of 930 Education as having a quality program resulting in a bachelors 931 degree or higher. 932 (c)The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year 933 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional 934 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelors 935 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for 936 completion of a masters degree program in speech-language 937 impairment. 938 (d)The department shall issue a temporary apprenticeship 939 certificate to any applicant who: 940 1.Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and 941 (d)-(f). 942 2.Completes the subject area content requirements 943 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 944 area knowledge as provided in subsection (5). 945 (e)A person who is issued a temporary certificate under 946 paragraph (b) must be assigned a teacher mentor for a minimum of 947 2 school years after commencing employment. Each teacher mentor 948 selected by the school district, charter school, or charter 949 management organization must: 950 1.Hold a valid professional certificate issued pursuant to 951 this section; 952 2.Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in 953 prekindergarten through grade 12; and 954 3.Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on 955 the prior years performance evaluation under s. 1012.34. 956 (f)1.A temporary certificate is valid for 5 school fiscal 957 years, is limited to a one-time issuance, and is nonrenewable. 958 2.A temporary apprenticeship certificate issued under 959 paragraph (d) is valid for 5 school years, may be issued only 960 once, and is nonrenewable. 961 (g)A school district or a consortium of school districts 962 may issue temporary certificates based on the requirements in 963 paragraph (b). School districts or a consortium of school 964 districts must report the number of such certificates issued, 965 and any additional information to the department, based on 966 reporting requirements adopted by the State Board of Education. 967 968 At least 1 year before an individuals department-issued 969 temporary certificate is set to expire, the department shall 970 electronically notify the individual of the date on which his or 971 her certificate will expire and provide a list of each method by 972 which the qualifications for a professional certificate can be 973 completed. 974 (8)PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. 975 (a)The Department of Education shall develop and each 976 school district, charter school, and charter management 977 organization may provide a cohesive competency-based 978 professional learning certification program by which 979 instructional staff may satisfy the mastery of professional 980 preparation and education competence requirements specified in 981 subsection (6) and rules of the State Board of Education. 982 Participants must hold a state-issued temporary certificate. A 983 school district, charter school, or charter management 984 organization that implements the program shall provide a 985 competency-based certification program developed by the 986 Department of Education or developed by the district, charter 987 school, or charter management organization and approved by the 988 Department of Education. These entities may collaborate with 989 other supporting agencies or educational entities for 990 implementation. The program shall include the following: 991 1.A teacher mentorship and induction component. 992 a.Each individual selected by the district, charter 993 school, or charter management organization as a mentor: 994 (I)Must hold a valid professional certificate issued 995 pursuant to this section; 996 (II)Must have earned at least 3 years of teaching 997 experience in prekindergarten through grade 12; 998 (III)Must have completed training in clinical supervision 999 and participate in ongoing mentor training provided through the 1000 coordinated system of professional learning under s. 1012.98(4); 1001 (IV)Must have earned an effective or highly effective 1002 rating on the prior years performance evaluation; and 1003 (V)May be a peer evaluator under the districts evaluation 1004 system approved under s. 1012.34. 1005 b.The teacher mentorship and induction component must, at 1006 a minimum, provide routine opportunities for mentoring and 1007 induction activities, including ongoing professional learning as 1008 described in s. 1012.98 targeted to a teachers needs, 1009 opportunities for a teacher to observe other teachers, co 1010 teaching experiences, and reflection and follow-up followup 1011 discussions. Professional learning must meet the criteria 1012 established in s. 1012.98(3). Mentorship and induction 1013 activities must be provided for an applicants first year in the 1014 program and may be provided until the applicant attains his or 1015 her professional certificate in accordance with this section. 1016 2.An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the 1017 districts, charter schools, or charter management 1018 organizations system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34 1019 which provides for: 1020 a.An initial evaluation of each educators competencies to 1021 determine an appropriate individualized professional learning 1022 plan. 1023 b.A summative evaluation to assure successful completion 1024 of the program. 1025 3.Professional education preparation content knowledge, 1026 which must be included in the mentoring and induction activities 1027 under subparagraph 1., that includes, but is not limited to, the 1028 following: 1029 a.The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41, 1030 including scientifically researched and evidence-based reading 1031 instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading, 1032 content literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject 1033 identified on the temporary certificate. Reading instructional 1034 strategies for foundational skills shall include phonics 1035 instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary 1036 instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional 1037 strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of 1038 reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. 1039 Instructional strategies may include visual information and 1040 strategies which improve background and experiential knowledge, 1041 add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to 1042 support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word 1043 reading. 1044 b.The educator-accomplished practices approved by the 1045 state board. 1046 4.Required achievement of passing scores on the subject 1047 area and professional education competency examination required 1048 by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge 1049 must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3). 1050 5.Beginning with candidates entering a program in the 1051 2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 1052 coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1053 1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all competencies for a 1054 reading endorsement, including completion of the endorsement 1055 practicum. 1056 Section 16.Subsection (4) of section 1012.57, Florida 1057 Statutes, is amended to read: 1058 1012.57Certification of adjunct educators. 1059 (4)Each adjunct teaching certificate is valid through the 1060 term of the annual contract between the educator and the school 1061 district or charter school. An additional annual certification 1062 and an additional annual contract may be awarded by the district 1063 or charter school at the districts or charter schools 1064 discretion but only if the applicant is rated effective or 1065 highly effective under s. 1012.34 during each year of teaching 1066 under adjunct teaching certification. A school district and 1067 charter school may issue an adjunct teaching certificate for a 1068 part-time or full-time teaching position; however, an adjunct 1069 teaching certificate issued for a full-time teaching position is 1070 valid for no more than 5 years and is nonrenewable. 1071 Section 17.Section 1012.575, Florida Statutes, is amended 1072 to read: 1073 1012.575Alternative preparation programs for certified 1074 teachers to add additional coverage.A district school board, or 1075 an organization of private schools, or a consortium of charter 1076 schools with an approved professional learning system as 1077 described in s. 1012.98(7), or the Florida Institute for Charter 1078 School Innovation may design alternative teacher preparation 1079 programs to enable persons already certificated to add an 1080 additional coverage to their certificates. Each alternative 1081 teacher preparation program shall be reviewed and approved by 1082 the Department of Education to ensure assure that persons who 1083 complete the program are competent in the necessary areas of 1084 subject matter specialization. Two or more school districts may 1085 jointly participate in an alternative preparation program for 1086 teachers. 1087 Section 18.Paragraph (a) of subsection (2), subsections 1088 (3) and (4), and paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section 1089 1012.585, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1090 1012.585Process for renewal of professional certificates. 1091 (2)(a)All professional certificates, except a nonrenewable 1092 professional certificate, are shall be renewable for successive 1093 periods not to exceed 10 5 years after the date of submission of 1094 documentation of completion of the requirements for renewal 1095 provided in subsection (3). Only one renewal may be granted 1096 during each 5-year or 10-year validity period of a professional 1097 certificate. 1098 1.A teacher who is rated highly effective, pursuant to s. 1099 1012.34, in at least 4 years of the 5-year validity period of 1100 his or her professional certificate is eligible for a 1101 professional certificate valid for 10 years. A teacher must be 1102 issued at least one 5-year professional certificate to be 1103 eligible for a 10-year professional certificate. A teacher who 1104 does not meet the requirement of this subparagraph is eligible 1105 to renew his or her 5-year professional certificate. 1106 2.A teacher who is rated effective or highly effective, 1107 pursuant to s. 1012.34, for the entirety of the 10-year validity 1108 period of his or her professional certificate is eligible to 1109 renew a professional certificate valid for 10 years. A teacher 1110 issued a 10-year professional certificate who does not meet the 1111 requirement of this subparagraph is eligible for a professional 1112 certificate valid for 5 years. 1113 (3)For the renewal of a professional certificate, the 1114 following requirements must be met: 1115 (a)The applicant must: 1116 1.Earn a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice 1117 points or a combination thereof for a certificate valid for 5 1118 years. The district school board may reduce the requirements by 1119 1 college credit or 20 inservice points for an applicant rated 1120 highly effective, pursuant to s. 1012.34, in at least 3 of the 5 1121 years of the 5-year validity period of his or her initial 1122 professional certificate. 1123 2.Earn a minimum of 9 college credits or 180 inservice 1124 points or a combination thereof for a professional certificate 1125 valid for 10 years. 1126 (b)For each area of specialization to be retained on a 1127 certificate, the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required 1128 credit hours or equivalent inservice points in the 1129 specialization area. Education in clinical educator training 1130 pursuant to s. 1004.04(5)(b); participation in mentorship and 1131 induction activities, including as a mentor, pursuant to s. 1132 1012.56(8)(a); and credits or points that provide training in 1133 the area of scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading 1134 literacy grounded in the science of reading, including explicit, 1135 systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, 1136 developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory 1137 intervention strategies, and computational skills acquisition, 1138 exceptional student education, normal child development, and the 1139 disorders of development may be applied toward any 1140 specialization area. Credits or points that provide training in 1141 the areas of drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, strategies in 1142 teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or 1143 dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the 1144 educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to 1145 ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 may be applied toward any 1146 specialization area, except specialization areas identified by 1147 State Board of Education rule that include reading instruction 1148 or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 1149 6. Each district school board shall include in its inservice 1150 master plan the ability for teachers to receive inservice points 1151 for supporting students in extracurricular career and technical 1152 education activities, such as career and technical student 1153 organization activities outside of regular school hours and 1154 training related to supervising students participating in a 1155 career and technical student organization. Credits or points 1156 earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward 1157 the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points may also 1158 be earned by participation in professional growth components 1159 approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant 1160 to s. 1012.98 in the districts approved master plan for 1161 inservice educational training; however, such points may not be 1162 used to satisfy the specialization requirements of this 1163 paragraph. 1164 (c)(b)In lieu of college course credit or inservice 1165 points, the applicant may renew a subject area specialization by 1166 passage of a state board approved Florida-developed subject area 1167 examination or, if a Florida subject area examination has not 1168 been developed, a standardized examination specified in state 1169 board rule. 1170 (d)(c)If an applicant wishes to retain more than two 1171 specialization areas on the certificate, the applicant must 1172 shall be permitted two successive validity periods for renewal 1173 of all specialization areas, but must earn no fewer than 6 1174 college course credit hours or the equivalent inservice points 1175 in any one validity period. If an applicant with an initial 1176 professional certificate qualifies for reduced requirements 1177 under paragraph (a), he or she must earn no fewer than 5 college 1178 course credit hours or 100 inservice points in any one validity 1179 period. 1180 (e)(d)The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for 1181 the expanded use of training for renewal of the professional 1182 certificate for educators who are required to complete training 1183 in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1184 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading as 1185 follows: 1186 1.A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use 1187 college credits or inservice points earned through training in 1188 teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1189 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading in 1190 excess of 6 semester hours during one certificate-validity 1191 period toward renewal of the professional certificate during the 1192 subsequent validity periods. 1193 2.A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use 1194 college credits or inservice points earned through training in 1195 teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1196 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading toward 1197 renewal of the teachers first professional certificate. Such 1198 training must not have been included within the degree program, 1199 and the teachers temporary and professional certificates must 1200 be issued for consecutive school years. 1201 (f)(e)Beginning July 1, 2014, an applicant for renewal of 1202 a professional certificate must earn a minimum of one college 1203 credit or the equivalent inservice points in the area of 1204 instruction for teaching students with disabilities. The 1205 requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours 1206 required by the department for continuing education or inservice 1207 training. 1208 (g)(f)An applicant for renewal of a professional 1209 certificate in any area of certification identified by State 1210 Board of Education rule that includes reading instruction or 1211 intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 6, 1212 with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, 1213 must earn a minimum of 2 college credits or the equivalent 1214 inservice points in evidence-based instruction and interventions 1215 grounded in the science of reading specifically designed for 1216 students with characteristics of dyslexia, including the use of 1217 explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading 1218 instruction, developing phonological and phonemic awareness, 1219 decoding, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies. 1220 Such training must be provided by teacher preparation programs 1221 under s. 1004.04 or s. 1004.85 or approved school district 1222 professional development systems under s. 1012.98. The 1223 requirements in this paragraph may not add to the total hours 1224 required by the department for continuing education or inservice 1225 training. 1226 (h)(g)An applicant for renewal of a professional 1227 certificate in educational leadership from a Level I program 1228 under s. 1012.562(2) or Level II program under s. 1012.562(3), 1229 with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2025, or thereafter, 1230 must earn a minimum of 1 college credit or 20 inservice points 1231 in Floridas educational leadership standards, as established in 1232 rule by the State Board of Education. The requirement in this 1233 paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the 1234 department for continuing education or inservice training. 1235 (i)(h)A teacher may earn inservice points only once during 1236 each 5-year validity period for any mandatory training topic 1237 that is not linked to student learning or professional growth. 1238 (4)(a)When any person who holds a valid temporary 1239 certificate or professional certificate is called into or 1240 volunteers for actual wartime service or required peacetime 1241 military service training, the certificate shall be renewed for 1242 a period of time equal to the time spent in military service if 1243 the person makes proper application and presents substantiating 1244 evidence to the department or the employing school district 1245 regarding such military service. 1246 (b)A teacher who has taught in a private school during the 1247 5-year validity period of his or her professional certificate 1248 and is subsequently reemployed to teach in a school district may 1249 extend the expiration date of the certificate for a duration 1250 equivalent to the number of years taught at a private school, up 1251 to a maximum of 3 years. This extension is granted in order for 1252 the teacher to submit documentation for his or her completion of 1253 the requirements outlined in subsection (3). The teacher must 1254 submit documentation of employment in a school district or in a 1255 private school in a format determined by the department. 1256 (5)The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow 1257 the reinstatement of expired professional certificates. The 1258 department may reinstate an expired professional certificate if 1259 the certificateholder: 1260 (b)Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5 1261 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired 1262 certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a 1263 combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(b) 1264 (3)(a) to include the credit required under paragraph (3)(f) 1265 (3)(e). 1266 1267 The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by 1268 subject area examinations or college credits completed for 1269 issuance of the certificate that has expired. 1270 Section 19.Section 1012.72, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 1271 Section 20.Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) and subsection 1272 (7) of section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1273 1012.98School Community Professional Learning Act. 1274 (5)The Department of Education, school districts, schools, 1275 Florida College System institutions, and state universities 1276 share the responsibilities described in this section. These 1277 responsibilities include the following: 1278 (b)Each school district shall develop a professional 1279 learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall 1280 be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher-educators of 1281 Florida College System institutions and state universities, 1282 business and community representatives, and local education 1283 foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The 1284 professional learning system must: 1285 1.Be reviewed and approved by the department for 1286 compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March 1287 1, 2024, the department shall establish a calendar for the 1288 review and approval of all professional learning systems. A 1289 professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every 1290 5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must shall be 1291 submitted to the department for review and approval. The 1292 department shall establish a format for the review and approval 1293 of a professional learning system. 1294 2.Be based on analyses of student achievement data and 1295 instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous, 1296 relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools 1297 and districts, in developing and refining the professional 1298 learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline 1299 data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental 1300 satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers, managers, 1301 and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators 1302 to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved 1303 professional performance. 1304 3.Provide inservice activities coupled with follow-up 1305 followup support appropriate to accomplish district-level and 1306 school-level improvement goals and standards. The inservice 1307 activities for instructional and school administrative personnel 1308 shall focus on analysis of student achievement data, ongoing 1309 formal and informal assessments of student achievement, 1310 identification and use of enhanced and differentiated 1311 instructional strategies that emphasize rigor, relevance, and 1312 reading in the content areas, enhancement of subject content 1313 expertise, integrated use of classroom technology that enhances 1314 teaching and learning, classroom management, parent involvement, 1315 and school safety. 1316 4.Provide inservice activities and support targeted to the 1317 individual needs of new teachers participating in the 1318 professional learning certification and education competency 1319 program under s. 1012.56(8)(a). 1320 5.Include a professional learning catalog for inservice 1321 activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, 1322 for all district employees from all fund sources. The catalog 1323 must shall be updated annually by September 1, must be based on 1324 input from teachers and district and school instructional 1325 leaders, and must use the latest available student achievement 1326 data and research to enhance rigor and relevance in the 1327 classroom. Each district inservice catalog must be aligned to 1328 and support the school-based inservice catalog and school 1329 improvement plans pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). Each district 1330 inservice catalog must provide a description of the training 1331 that middle grades instructional personnel and school 1332 administrators receive on the districts code of student conduct 1333 adopted pursuant to s. 1006.07; integrated digital instruction 1334 and competency-based instruction and CAPE Digital Tool 1335 certificates and CAPE industry certifications; classroom 1336 management; student behavior and interaction; extended learning 1337 opportunities for students; and instructional leadership. 1338 District plans must be approved by the district school board 1339 annually in order to ensure compliance with subsection (1) and 1340 to allow for dissemination of research-based best practices to 1341 other districts. District school boards shall must submit 1342 verification of their approval to the Commissioner of Education 1343 no later than October 1, annually. Each school principal may 1344 establish and maintain an individual professional learning plan 1345 for each instructional employee assigned to the school as a 1346 seamless component to the school improvement plans developed 1347 pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional learning 1348 plan must be related to specific performance data for the 1349 students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the inservice 1350 objectives and specific measurable improvements expected in 1351 student performance as a result of the inservice activity, and 1352 include an evaluation component that determines the 1353 effectiveness of the professional learning plan. 1354 6.Include inservice activities for school administrative 1355 personnel, aligned to the states educational leadership 1356 standards, which that address updated skills necessary for 1357 instructional leadership and effective school management 1358 pursuant to s. 1012.986. 1359 7.Provide for systematic consultation with regional and 1360 state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and 1361 evaluation of local professional learning programs. 1362 8.Provide for delivery of professional learning by 1363 distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to 1364 reach more educators at lower costs. 1365 9.Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and 1366 effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to 1367 eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand 1368 effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such 1369 activities on the performance of participating educators and 1370 their students achievement and behavior. 1371 10.For all grades, emphasize: 1372 a.Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and 1373 instruction. 1374 b.Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to 1375 the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41. 1376 c.Use of small learning communities; problem-solving, 1377 inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students; 1378 strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based 1379 instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based 1380 instruction. 1381 1382 Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall must 1383 include in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1384 1001.42(18), a description of the specific strategies used by 1385 the school to implement each item listed in this subparagraph. 1386 11.Provide training to reading coaches, classroom 1387 teachers, and school administrators in effective methods of 1388 identifying characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia and 1389 other causes of diminished phonological processing skills; 1390 incorporating instructional techniques into the general 1391 education setting which are proven to improve reading 1392 performance for all students; and using predictive and other 1393 data to make instructional decisions based on individual student 1394 needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic 1395 awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency; 1396 vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text 1397 comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and 1398 sequential approach to reading instruction, including 1399 multisensory intervention strategies. Such training for teaching 1400 foundational skills must shall be based on the science of 1401 reading and include phonics instruction for decoding and 1402 encoding as the primary instructional strategy for word reading. 1403 Instructional strategies included in the training may not employ 1404 the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a 1405 basis for teaching word reading. Such instructional strategies 1406 may include visual information and strategies which improve 1407 background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase 1408 oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may 1409 not be used to teach word reading. Each district must provide 1410 all elementary grades instructional personnel access to training 1411 sufficient to meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1412 1012.585(3)(f). 1413 (7)An organization of private schools or consortium of 1414 charter schools which has no fewer than 10 member schools in 1415 this state, which publishes and files with the Department of 1416 Education copies of its standards, and the member schools of 1417 which comply with the provisions of part II of chapter 1003, 1418 relating to compulsory school attendance;, or a public or 1419 private college or university with a teacher preparation program 1420 approved pursuant to s. 1004.04; or the Florida Institute for 1421 Charter School Innovation, may also develop a professional 1422 learning system that includes a professional learning catalog 1423 for inservice activities. The system and inservice catalog must 1424 be submitted to the commissioner for approval pursuant to state 1425 board rules. 1426 Section 21.Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) and paragraph 1427 (b) of subsection (5) of section 1004.04, Florida Statutes, are 1428 amended to read: 1429 1004.04Public accountability and state approval for 1430 teacher preparation programs. 1431 (2)UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT. 1432 (c)Each candidate must receive instruction and be assessed 1433 on the uniform core curricula in the candidates area or areas 1434 of program concentration during course work and field 1435 experiences. Beginning with candidates entering a teacher 1436 preparation program in the 2022-2023 school year, a candidate 1437 for certification in a coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1438 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all 1439 competencies for a reading endorsement, including completion of 1440 the endorsement practicum through the candidates field 1441 experience under subsection (5), in order to graduate from the 1442 program. 1443 (5)PRESERVICE FIELD EXPERIENCE.All postsecondary 1444 instructors, school district personnel and instructional 1445 personnel, and school sites preparing instructional personnel 1446 through preservice field experience courses and internships 1447 shall meet special requirements. District school boards may pay 1448 student teachers during their internships. 1449 (b)1.All school district personnel and instructional 1450 personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 1451 during field experience courses or internships taking place in 1452 this state in which candidates demonstrate an impact on student 1453 learning growth must have: 1454 a.Evidence of clinical educator training; 1455 b.A valid professional certificate issued pursuant to s. 1456 1012.56; 1457 c.At least 3 years of teaching experience in 1458 prekindergarten through grade 12; 1459 d.Earned an effective or highly effective rating on the 1460 prior years performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 or be a 1461 peer evaluator under the districts evaluation system approved 1462 under s. 1012.34; and 1463 e.Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, for all such 1464 personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 1465 during internships in kindergarten through grade 3 or who are 1466 enrolled in a teacher preparation program for a certificate area 1467 identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f), a 1468 certificate or endorsement in reading. 1469 1470 The State Board of Education shall approve the training 1471 requirements. 1472 2.All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 1473 teacher preparation students during field experience courses or 1474 internships in another state, in which a candidate demonstrates 1475 his or her impact on student learning growth, through a Florida 1476 online or distance program must have received clinical 1477 educator training or its equivalent in that state, hold a valid 1478 professional certificate issued by the state in which the field 1479 experience takes place, and have at least 3 years of teaching 1480 experience in prekindergarten through grade 12. 1481 3.All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 1482 teacher preparation students during field experience courses or 1483 internships, in which a candidate demonstrates his or her impact 1484 on student learning growth, on a United States military base in 1485 another country through a Florida online or distance program 1486 must have received clinical educator training or its 1487 equivalent, hold a valid professional certificate issued by the 1488 United States Department of Defense or a state or territory of 1489 the United States, and have at least 3 years teaching experience 1490 in prekindergarten through grade 12. 1491 Section 22.Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 1492 1004.85, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1493 1004.85Postsecondary educator preparation institutes. 1494 (3)Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to 1495 this section may offer competency-based certification programs 1496 specifically designed for noneducation major baccalaureate 1497 degree holders to enable program participants to meet the 1498 educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator 1499 preparation institute choosing to offer a competency-based 1500 certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section 1501 must implement a program developed by the institute and approved 1502 by the department for this purpose. Approved programs shall be 1503 available for use by other approved educator preparation 1504 institutes. 1505 (b)Each program participant must: 1506 1.Meet certification requirements pursuant to s. 1507 1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in 1508 the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet 1509 the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f). 1510 2.Demonstrate competency and participate in field 1511 experiences that are appropriate to his or her educational plan 1512 prepared under paragraph (a). Beginning with candidates entering 1513 an educator preparation institute in the 2022-2023 school year, 1514 a candidate for certification in a coverage area identified 1515 pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f) must 1516 successfully complete all competencies for a reading 1517 endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum 1518 through the candidates field experience, in order to graduate 1519 from the program. 1520 3.Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his 1521 or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is 1522 seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on 1523 student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12 1524 setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving 1525 a passing score on the professional education competency 1526 examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area 1527 examination for the subject area certification which is required 1528 by state board rule. 1529 Section 23.Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 1530 1012.586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1531 1012.586Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate 1532 certificates; reading endorsement pathways. 1533 (2) 1534 (b)As part of adopting a pathway pursuant to paragraph 1535 (a), the department shall review the competencies for the 1536 reading endorsement and subject area examinations for educator 1537 certificates identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1538 1012.585(3)(f) for alignment with evidence-based instructional 1539 and intervention strategies rooted in the science of reading and 1540 identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7) and recommend changes to 1541 the State Board of Education. Recommended changes must address 1542 identification of the characteristics of conditions such as 1543 dyslexia, implementation of evidence-based classroom instruction 1544 and interventions, including evidence-based reading instruction 1545 and interventions specifically for students with characteristics 1546 of dyslexia, and effective progress monitoring. By July 1, 2023, 1547 each school district reading endorsement add-on program must be 1548 resubmitted for approval by the department consistent with this 1549 paragraph. 1550 Section 24.This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.