Florida Senate Bill S7000 Comm Sub / Bill

 Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 7000  By the Committees on Fiscal Policy; and Education Pre-K -12 594-01838-24 20247000c1 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 policies 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; requiring the State 103 Board of Education to adopt rules to provide for the 104 transition to or renewal of a 10-year professional 105 certificate in certain situations; revising 106 requirements for the renewal of professional 107 certificates; authorizing certain private school 108 teachers to extend the expiration date of a 109 professional certificate; repealing s. 1012.72, F.S., 110 relating to the Dale Hickam Excellent Teaching 111 Program; amending s. 1012.98, F.S.; conforming a 112 cross-reference; providing that provisions relating to 113 the development of a professional learning system 114 apply to the Florida Institute for Charter School 115 Innovation; making technical changes; amending ss. 116 1004.04, 1004.85, and 1012.586, F.S.; conforming 117 cross-references; providing an effective date. 118 119 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 120 121 Section 1.Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 122 1002.451, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 123 1002.451District innovation school of technology program. 124 (5)EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES. 125 (a)An innovation school of technology is exempt from 126 chapters 1000-1013. However, an innovation school of technology 127 shall comply with the following provisions of those chapters: 128 1.Laws pertaining to the following: 129 a.Schools of technology, including this section. 130 b.Student assessment program and school grading system. 131 c.Services to students who have disabilities. 132 d.Civil rights, including s. 1000.05, relating to 133 discrimination. 134 e.Student health, safety, and welfare. 135 2.Laws governing the election and compensation of district 136 school board members and election or appointment and 137 compensation of district school superintendents. 138 3.Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except 139 that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is 140 the average at the school level. 141 4.Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to 142 compensation and salary schedules. 143 5.Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions, 144 for annual contracts for instructional personnel. This 145 subparagraph does not apply to at-will employees. 146 6.Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with 147 instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011, for 148 annual or instructional multiyear contracts for instructional 149 personnel. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will 150 employees. 151 7.Section 1012.34, relating to requirements for 152 performance evaluations of instructional personnel and school 153 administrators. 154 Section 2.Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section 155 1002.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 156 1002.55School-year prekindergarten program delivered by 157 private prekindergarten providers. 158 (3)To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program, 159 a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the 160 following requirements: 161 (c)The private prekindergarten provider must have, for 162 each prekindergarten class of 11 children or fewer, at least one 163 prekindergarten instructor who meets each of the following 164 requirements: 165 1.The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum, 166 one of the following credentials: 167 a.A child development associate credential issued by the 168 National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional 169 Recognition; or 170 b.A credential approved by the Department of Children and 171 Families as being equivalent to or greater than the credential 172 described in sub-subparagraph a. 173 174 The Department of Children and Families may adopt rules under 175 ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and procedures 176 for approving equivalent credentials under sub-subparagraph b. 177 2.The prekindergarten instructor must successfully 178 complete three emergent literacy training courses that include 179 developmentally appropriate and experiential learning practices 180 for children and a student performance standards training course 181 approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum 182 standards adopted under s. 1002.59. A newly hired 183 prekindergarten instructor must complete the three emergent 184 literacy training courses within 60 calendar days after being 185 hired if the instructor has not previously completed the 186 courses. The prekindergarten instructor must complete an 187 emergent literacy training course at least once every 5 years 188 after initially completing the three emergent literacy training 189 courses. The courses in this subparagraph must be recognized as 190 part of the informal early learning and career pathway 191 identified by the department under s. 1002.995(1)(b). The 192 requirement for completion of the standards training course 193 shall take effect July 1, 2022. The courses must be made 194 available online or in person. 195 Section 3.Present subsections (3) and (4) of section 196 1004.88, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4) 197 and (5), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to that 198 section, to read: 199 1004.88Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation. 200 (3)The institute may develop a professional learning 201 system pursuant to s. 1012.98(7). 202 Section 4.Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 203 1011.6202, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 204 1011.6202Principal Autonomy Program Initiative.The 205 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative is created within the 206 Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to 207 provide a highly effective principal of a participating school 208 with increased autonomy and authority to operate his or her 209 school, as well as other schools, in a way that produces 210 significant improvements in student achievement and school 211 management while complying with constitutional requirements. The 212 State Board of Education may, upon approval of a principal 213 autonomy proposal, enter into a performance contract with the 214 district school board for participation in the program. 215 (3)EXEMPTION FROM LAWS. 216 (b)A participating school or a school operated by a 217 principal pursuant to subsection (5) shall comply with the 218 provisions of chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the state board 219 that implement those provisions, pertaining to the following: 220 1.Those laws relating to the election and compensation of 221 district school board members, the election or appointment and 222 compensation of district school superintendents, public meetings 223 and public records requirements, financial disclosure, and 224 conflicts of interest. 225 2.Those laws relating to the student assessment program 226 and school grading system, including chapter 1008. 227 3.Those laws relating to the provision of services to 228 students with disabilities. 229 4.Those laws relating to civil rights, including s. 230 1000.05, relating to discrimination. 231 5.Those laws relating to student health, safety, and 232 welfare. 233 6.Section 1001.42(4)(f), relating to the uniform opening 234 date for public schools. 235 7.Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except 236 that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is 237 the average at the school level for a participating school. 238 8.Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to 239 compensation and salary schedules. 240 9.Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions for 241 annual contracts for instructional personnel. This subparagraph 242 does not apply to at-will employees. 243 10.Section 1012.335, relating to annual or instructional 244 multiyear contracts for instructional personnel hired on or 245 after July 1, 2011. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will 246 employees. 247 11.Section 1012.34, relating to personnel evaluation 248 procedures and criteria. 249 12.Those laws pertaining to educational facilities, 250 including chapter 1013, except that s. 1013.20, relating to 251 covered walkways for relocatables, and s. 1013.21, relating to 252 the use of relocatable facilities exceeding 20 years of age, are 253 eligible for exemption. 254 13.Those laws pertaining to participating school 255 districts, including this section and ss. 1011.69(2) and 256 1012.28(8). 257 Section 5.Subsection (3) of section 1012.05, Florida 258 Statutes, is amended to read: 259 1012.05Teacher recruitment and retention. 260 (3)(a)Each school board shall adopt policies relating to 261 mentors and support for first-time teachers which may include 262 the based upon guidelines issued by the Department of Education. 263 (b)By September 15 and February 15 each school year, each 264 school district shall electronically submit accurate public 265 school e-mail addresses for all instructional and administrative 266 personnel, as identified in s. 1012.01(2) and (3), to the 267 Department of Education. 268 Section 6.Section 1012.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to 269 read: 270 1012.07Identification of critical teacher shortage areas. 271 The term critical teacher shortage area means high-need 272 content areas and high-priority location areas identified by the 273 State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall 274 adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 necessary to 275 annually identify critical teacher shortage areas. The state 276 board must consider current and emerging educational 277 requirements and workforce demands in determining critical 278 teacher shortage areas. School grade levels may also be 279 designated critical teacher shortage areas. Individual district 280 school boards may identify and submit other critical teacher 281 shortage areas. Such submissions must be aligned to current and 282 emerging educational requirements and workforce demands in order 283 to be approved by the State Board of Education. High-priority 284 location areas must shall be in high-density, low-economic urban 285 schools; low-density, low-economic rural schools; and schools 286 that earned a grade of F or three consecutive grades of D 287 pursuant to s. 1008.34. The State Board of Education shall 288 develop written strategies to address the critical teacher 289 shortages identified. 290 Section 7.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 291 1012.22, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (3) is 292 added to that section, to read: 293 1012.22Public school personnel; powers and duties of the 294 district school board.The district school board shall: 295 (1)Designate positions to be filled, prescribe 296 qualifications for those positions, and provide for the 297 appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal 298 of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this 299 chapter: 300 (c)Compensation and salary schedules. 301 1.Definitions.As used in this paragraph: 302 a.Adjustment means an addition to the base salary 303 schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employees 304 permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under 305 s. 121.021(22). 306 b.Grandfathered salary schedule means the salary 307 schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before 308 July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 3 4. 309 c.Instructional personnel means instructional personnel 310 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute 311 teachers. 312 d.Performance salary schedule means the salary schedule 313 or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to 314 subparagraph 4 5. 315 e.Salary schedule means the schedule or schedules used 316 to provide the base salary for district school board personnel. 317 f.School administrator means a school administrator as 318 defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c). 319 g.Supplement means an annual addition to the base salary 320 for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the 321 employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the 322 supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employees 323 continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation 324 under s. 121.021(22). 325 2.Cost-of-living adjustment.A district school board may 326 provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment: 327 a.Does not discriminate among comparable classes of 328 employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are 329 compensated. 330 b.Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment 331 provided to instructional personnel rated as effective. 332 3.Advanced degrees.A district school board may not use 333 advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional 334 personnel or school administrators hired on or after July 1, 335 2011, unless the advanced degree is held in the individuals 336 area of certification and is only a salary supplement. 337 4.Grandfathered salary schedule. 338 a.The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule 339 or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all 340 school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional 341 personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed 342 on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 4 343 5. Instructional personnel on continuing contract or 344 professional service contract may opt into the performance 345 salary schedule if the employee relinquishes such contract and 346 agrees to be employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. 347 Such an employee shall be placed on the performance salary 348 schedule and may not return to continuing contract or 349 professional service contract status. Any employee who opts into 350 the performance salary schedule may not return to the 351 grandfathered salary schedule. 352 b.In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for 353 instructional personnel, a district school board must base a 354 portion of each employees compensation upon performance 355 demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated 356 pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators 357 based upon district-determined factors, including, but not 358 limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics, 359 critical shortage areas, and level of job performance 360 difficulties. 361 4.5.Performance salary schedule.By July 1, 2014, the 362 district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule 363 that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional 364 personnel and school administrators based upon performance 365 determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1, 366 2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered 367 salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be 368 compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once 369 they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for 370 this purpose. 371 a.Base salary.The base salary shall be established as 372 follows: 373 (I)The base salary for instructional personnel or school 374 administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule 375 shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including 376 adjustments only. 377 (II)Instructional personnel or school administrators new 378 to the district, returning to the district after a break in 379 service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for 380 the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of 381 instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed 382 on the performance salary schedule. 383 b.Salary adjustments.Salary adjustments for highly 384 effective or effective performance shall be established as 385 follows: 386 (I)The annual salary adjustment under the performance 387 salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must 388 be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary 389 adjustment available to an employee of the same classification 390 through any other salary schedule adopted by the district. 391 (II)The annual salary adjustment under the performance 392 salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal 393 to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual 394 adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same 395 classification. 396 (II)(III)A salary schedule may shall not provide an annual 397 salary adjustment for an employee who receives a rating other 398 than highly effective or effective for the year. 399 c.Salary supplements.In addition to the salary 400 adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary 401 supplements for activities that must include, but are not 402 limited to: 403 (I)Assignment to a Title I eligible school. 404 (II)Assignment to a school that earned a grade of F or 405 three consecutive grades of D pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that 406 the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following 407 improved performance in that school. 408 (III)Certification and teaching in critical teacher 409 shortage areas. Statewide critical teacher shortage areas shall 410 be identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07. 411 However, the district school board may identify other areas of 412 critical shortage within the school district for purposes of 413 this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the 414 state board which do not apply within the school district. 415 (IV)Assignment of additional academic responsibilities. 416 417 If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school 418 boards ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the 419 performance salary schedule may shall not be reduced on the 420 basis of total cost or the value of individual awards in a 421 manner that is proportionally greater than reductions to any 422 other salary schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation 423 for longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who 424 are on any other salary schedule must be included in calculating 425 the salary adjustments required by sub-subparagraph b. 426 (3)(a)Collective bargaining.Notwithstanding provisions of 427 chapter 447 related to district school board collective 428 bargaining, collective bargaining may not preclude a district 429 school board from carrying out its constitutional and statutory 430 duties related to the following: 431 1.Providing incentives to effective and highly effective 432 teachers. 433 2.Implementing school improvement plans under s. 1008.33 434 to address the causes of low student performance and improve 435 student academic performance and attendance. 436 3.Implementing student discipline provisions required by 437 law, including a review of a students abilities, past 438 performance, behavior, and needs. 439 4.Implementing school safety plans and requirements. 440 5.Implementing staff and student recognition programs. 441 6.Distributing correspondence to parents, teachers, and 442 community members related to the daily operation of schools and 443 the district. 444 7.Providing any required notice or copies of information 445 related to the district school board or district operations 446 which is readily available on the school districts website. 447 8.The school districts calendar. 448 9.The award of instructional multiyear contracts under s. 449 1012.335. 450 (b)Appearances before the board.If a district school 451 superintendent appears before the state board to provide an 452 update under s. 1011.62(14)(e), the state board must require 453 that the president of the school district bargaining unit also 454 must appear. 455 Section 8.Subsections (1) and (2) and paragraph (a) of 456 subsection (4) of section 1012.2315, Florida Statutes, are 457 amended to read: 458 1012.2315Assignment of teachers. 459 (1)LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.The Legislature finds 460 disparities between teachers assigned to teach in a majority of 461 schools that do not need improvement and schools that do need 462 improvement pursuant to s. 1008.33. The disparities may be found 463 in the assignment of inexperienced temporarily certified 464 teachers, teachers in need of improvement, and out-of-field 465 teachers and in the performance of the students. It is the 466 intent of the Legislature that district school boards have 467 flexibility through the collective bargaining process to assign 468 teachers more equitably across the schools in the district. 469 (2)ASSIGNMENT TO SCHOOLS GRADED D OR F. 470 (a)A school district may not assign a higher percentage 471 than the school district average of inexperienced temporarily 472 certified teachers, teachers in need of improvement, or out-of 473 field teachers to schools graded D or F pursuant to s. 474 1008.34. As used in this section, the term inexperienced 475 teacher means a teacher who has been teaching for 2 years or 476 less. 477 (b)1.A school district may assign an individual newly 478 hired as instructional personnel to a school that has earned a 479 grade of F in the previous year or any combination of three 480 consecutive grades of D or F in the previous 3 years 481 pursuant to s. 1008.34 if the individual: 482 a.Has received an effective rating or highly effective 483 rating in the immediate prior years performance evaluation 484 pursuant to s. 1012.34; 485 b.Has successfully completed or is enrolled in a teacher 486 preparation program pursuant to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 487 1012.56, or a teacher preparation program specified in State 488 Board of Education rule, is provided with high quality mentoring 489 during the first 2 years of employment, holds a certificate 490 issued pursuant to s. 1012.56, and holds a probationary contract 491 pursuant to s. 1012.335(2)(a); or 492 c.Holds a probationary contract pursuant to s. 493 1012.335(2)(a), holds a certificate issued pursuant to s. 494 1012.56, and has successful teaching experience, and if, in the 495 judgment of the school principal, students would benefit from 496 the placement of that individual. 497 2.As used in this paragraph, the term mentoring includes 498 the use of student achievement data combined with at least 499 monthly observations to improve the educators effectiveness in 500 improving student outcomes. Mentoring may be provided by a 501 school district, a teacher preparation program approved pursuant 502 to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 1012.56, or a teacher 503 preparation program specified in State Board of Education rule. 504 505 Each school district shall annually certify to the Commissioner 506 of Education that the requirements in this subsection have been 507 met. If the commissioner determines that a school district is 508 not in compliance with this subsection, the State Board of 509 Education must shall be notified and must shall take action 510 pursuant to s. 1008.32 in the next regularly scheduled meeting 511 to require compliance. 512 (4)COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. 513 (a)Notwithstanding provisions of chapter 447 relating to 514 district school board collective bargaining, collective 515 bargaining provisions may not preclude a school district from 516 providing incentives to high-quality teachers and assigning such 517 teachers to low-performing schools, including incentives in s. 518 1011.69(4). 519 Section 9.Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) 520 of section 1012.335, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 521 paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is 522 added to that subsection, paragraphs (d) and (e) are added to 523 subsection (2) of that section, and subsections (3) and (4) of 524 that section are amended, to read: 525 1012.335Contracts with instructional personnel hired on or 526 after July 1, 2011. 527 (1)DEFINITIONS.As used in this section, the term: 528 (b)Instructional multiyear contract, beginning July 1, 529 2025, means an employment contract for a period not to exceed 3 530 years which the district school board may choose to award upon 531 completion of a probationary contract and at least one annual 532 contract. 533 (2)EMPLOYMENT. 534 (d)An instructional multiyear contract may be awarded, 535 beginning July 1, 2025, only if the employee: 536 1.Holds an active professional certificate or temporary 537 certificate issued pursuant to s. 1012.56 and rules of the State 538 Board of Education; 539 2.Has been recommended by the district school 540 superintendent for the instructional multiyear contract based 541 upon the individuals evaluation under s. 1012.34 and approved 542 by the district school board; and 543 3.Has not received an annual performance evaluation rating 544 of unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34. 545 (e)An employee awarded an instructional multiyear contract 546 who receives an annual performance evaluation rating of 547 unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34 must be 548 returned to an annual contract in the following school year. 549 Such evaluation rating must be included with the evaluation 550 ratings under subsequent annual contracts for determinations of 551 just cause under s. 1012.33. 552 (3)VIOLATION OF ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR 553 CONTRACT.Instructional personnel who accept a written offer 554 from the district school board and who leave their positions 555 without prior release from the district school board are subject 556 to the jurisdiction of the Education Practices Commission. 557 (4)SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL ON 558 ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR CONTRACT.Any instructional 559 personnel with an annual or instructional multiyear contract may 560 be suspended or dismissed at any time during the term of the 561 contract for just cause as provided in subsection (5). The 562 district school board shall notify the employee in writing 563 whenever charges are made and may suspend such person without 564 pay. However, if the charges are not sustained, the employee 565 must shall be immediately reinstated and his or her back pay 566 must shall be paid. If the employee wishes to contest the 567 charges, he or she must, within 15 days after receipt of the 568 written notice, submit a written request for a hearing to the 569 district school board. A direct hearing must shall be conducted 570 by the district school board or a subcommittee thereof within 60 571 days after receipt of the written appeal. The hearing must shall 572 be conducted in accordance with ss. 120.569 and 120.57. A 573 majority vote of the membership of the district school board 574 shall be required to sustain the district school 575 superintendents recommendation. The district school boards 576 determination is final as to the sufficiency or insufficiency of 577 the grounds for suspension without pay or dismissal. Any such 578 decision adverse to the employee may be appealed by the employee 579 pursuant to s. 120.68. 580 Section 10.Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) and 581 paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 1012.34, Florida 582 Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (c) is added to subsection 583 (7) of that section, to read: 584 1012.34Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria. 585 (1)EVALUATION SYSTEM APPROVAL AND REPORTING. 586 (a)For the purpose of increasing student academic 587 performance by improving the quality of instructional, 588 administrative, and supervisory services in the public schools 589 of this the state, the district school superintendent shall 590 establish procedures for evaluating the performance of duties 591 and responsibilities of all instructional, administrative, and 592 supervisory personnel employed by the school district. The 593 procedures and requirements in subsection (3) must be 594 established by the district school superintendent and approved 595 by the district school board, must set the standards of service 596 to be offered to the public within the meaning of s. 447.209, 597 and are not subject to collective bargaining. The district 598 school superintendent shall provide instructional personnel the 599 opportunity to review their class rosters for accuracy and to 600 correct any mistakes. The district school superintendent shall 601 report accurate class rosters for the purpose of calculating 602 district and statewide student performance and annually report 603 the evaluation results of instructional personnel and school 604 administrators to the Department of Education in addition to the 605 information required under subsection (5). 606 (b)The district school superintendent must submit the 607 district instructional personnel and school administrator 608 evaluation systems to the department whenever the evaluation 609 systems in subsection (2) are amended department must approve 610 each school districts instructional personnel and school 611 administrator evaluation systems. The department shall monitor 612 each districts implementation of its instructional personnel 613 and school administrator evaluation systems for compliance with 614 the requirements of this section. 615 (3)EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.Instructional 616 personnel and school administrator performance evaluations must 617 be based upon the performance of students assigned to their 618 classrooms or schools, as provided in this section. Pursuant to 619 this section, a school districts performance evaluation system 620 is not limited to basing unsatisfactory performance of 621 instructional personnel and school administrators solely upon 622 student performance, but may include other criteria to evaluate 623 instructional personnel and school administrators performance, 624 or any combination of student performance and other criteria. 625 Evaluation procedures and criteria must comply with, but are not 626 limited to, the following: 627 (a)A performance evaluation must be conducted for each 628 employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher, 629 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding substitute teachers, 630 who is newly hired by the district school board must be observed 631 and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching in 632 the school district. The performance evaluation must be based 633 upon sound educational principles and contemporary research in 634 effective educational practices. The evaluation criteria must 635 include: 636 1.Performance of students.At least one-half one-third of 637 a performance evaluation must be based upon data and indicators 638 of student performance, as determined by each school district. 639 This portion of the evaluation must include growth or 640 achievement data of the teachers students or, for a school 641 administrator, the students attending the school over the course 642 of at least 3 years. If less than 3 years of data are available, 643 the years for which data are available must be used. The 644 proportion of growth or achievement data may be determined by 645 instructional assignment. 646 2.Instructional practice.For instructional personnel, at 647 least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based upon 648 instructional practice. Evaluation criteria used when annually 649 observing classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), 650 excluding substitute teachers, must include indicators based 651 upon each of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices adopted 652 by the State Board of Education. For instructional personnel who 653 are not classroom teachers, evaluation criteria must be based 654 upon indicators of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices 655 and may include specific job expectations related to student 656 support. This section does not preclude a school administrator 657 from visiting and observing classroom teachers throughout the 658 school year for purposes of providing mentorship, training, 659 instructional feedback, or professional learning. 660 3.Instructional leadership.For school administrators, at 661 least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based on 662 instructional leadership. Evaluation criteria for instructional 663 leadership must include indicators based upon each of the 664 leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education 665 under s. 1012.986, including performance measures related to the 666 effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the 667 administrators appropriate use of evaluation criteria and 668 procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly 669 effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentage of 670 instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or 671 effective level, and other leadership practices that result in 672 student learning growth. The system may include a means to give 673 parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide 674 input into the administrators performance evaluation. 675 4.Other indicators of performance.For instructional 676 personnel and school administrators, the remainder of a 677 performance evaluation may include, but is not limited to, 678 professional and job responsibilities as recommended by the 679 State Board of Education or identified by the district school 680 board and, for instructional personnel, peer reviews, 681 objectively reliable survey information from students and 682 parents based on teaching practices that are consistently 683 associated with higher student achievement, and other valid and 684 reliable measures of instructional practice. 685 (7)MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. 686 (c)The measurement of student learning growth under 687 paragraph (a) may not be the sole determinant for any incentive 688 pay for instructional personnel or school administrators. 689 Section 11.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 690 1012.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 691 1012.39Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of 692 adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and 693 career specialists; students performing clinical field 694 experience. 695 (1)Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and 696 1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary, 697 each district school board shall establish the minimal 698 qualifications for: 699 (c)Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career 700 programs. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed 701 teachers of career and technical education courses for program 702 clusters that are recognized in the state and are based 703 primarily on successful occupational experience rather than 704 academic training. The qualifications for such teachers must 705 require: 706 1.The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same 707 manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to 708 conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this 709 requirement. 710 2.Documentation of education and successful occupational 711 experience including documentation of: 712 a.A high school diploma or the equivalent. 713 b.Completion of a minimum level, established by the 714 district school board, 3 years of full-time successful 715 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time 716 experience in the teaching specialization area. The district 717 school board may establish alternative qualifications for 718 teachers with an industry certification in the career area in 719 which they teach. 720 c.For full-time teachers, completion of professional 721 education training in teaching methods, course construction, 722 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs 723 students. This training may be completed through coursework from 724 an accredited or approved institution or an approved district 725 teacher education program, or the local school district 726 inservice master plan. 727 d.Documentation of industry certification when state or 728 national industry certifications are available and applicable. 729 Section 12.Subsection (1) of section 1012.42, Florida 730 Statutes, is amended to read: 731 1012.42Teacher teaching out-of-field. 732 (1)ASSISTANCE. 733 (a)Each district school board shall adopt and implement a 734 plan to assist any teacher teaching out-of-field, and priority 735 consideration in professional development activities shall be 736 given to a teacher who is teaching out-of-field. The district 737 school board shall require that the teacher participate in a 738 certification or staff development program designed to provide 739 the teacher with the competencies required for the assigned 740 duties. The board-approved assistance plan must include duties 741 of administrative personnel and other instructional personnel to 742 provide students with instructional services. 743 (b)A teacher who holds an educator certificate in 744 exceptional student education is considered in-field if he or 745 she is teaching in a self-contained classroom. For the purpose 746 of this paragraph, the term self-contained classroom means a 747 classroom of exceptional students as defined in s. 1003.01 748 taught by an educator who holds a certificate in exceptional 749 student education and who is responsible for instruction of all 750 academic subjects. 751 Section 13.Subsections (1) and (3) of section 1012.45, 752 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 753 1012.45School bus drivers; requirements and duties. 754 (1)Each school bus driver must be of good moral character, 755 of good vision and hearing, able-bodied, free from communicable 756 disease, mentally alert, and sufficiently strong physically to 757 handle the bus with ease, and must meet he or she must possess 758 other qualifications prescribed by the Commissioner of 759 Education, including those qualifications described in 49 C.F.R. 760 s. 391, relating to physical qualifications and examinations, 761 and 49 C.F.R. part 40 and part 382, relating to controlled 762 substance and alcohol use and testing, and he or she must hold a 763 valid commercial driver license with a passenger endorsement. 764 (3)Each district school board shall require that school 765 bus drivers and school bus attendants complete a certified 766 cardiopulmonary resuscitation course and first aid training 767 before being employed as a school bus driver or a school bus 768 attendant. The school district shall maintain documentation of 769 the completion of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation course and 770 first aid training. Each district school board must also provide 771 training to school bus drivers and school bus attendants for 772 students with disabilities under s. 1003.57. Each district 773 school board may adopt additional The State Board of Education 774 shall adopt rules outlining requirements that school bus drivers 775 must meet to be before they are employed by district school 776 boards. 777 Section 14.Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection 778 (3) of section 1012.555, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 779 1012.555Teacher Apprenticeship Program. 780 (2)(a)An individual must meet the following minimum 781 eligibility requirements to participate in the apprenticeship 782 program: 783 1.Be enrolled in or have completed Have received an 784 associate degree program at from an accredited postsecondary 785 institution. 786 2.Have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 3.0 787 in that degree program. 788 3.Have successfully passed a background screening as 789 provided in s. 1012.32. 790 4.Have received a temporary apprenticeship certificate as 791 provided in s. 1012.56(7)(d). 792 (b)As a condition of participating in the program, an 793 apprentice teacher must commit to spending at least the first 2 794 years in the classroom of a mentor teacher using team teaching 795 strategies identified in s. 1003.03(5)(b) and fulfilling the on 796 the-job training component of the registered apprenticeship and 797 its associated standards. 798 (c)An apprentice teacher must do both of the following: 799 1.Complete at least 2 years in an apprenticeship before 800 being eligible to apply for a professional certificate 801 established in s. 1012.56(7)(a). Completion of the Teacher 802 Apprenticeship Program does not exempt an apprentice teacher 803 from the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(c). 804 2.Receive related instruction as provided in s. 446.051. 805 (d)An apprentice teacher must be appointed by the district 806 school board as an education paraprofessional and must be paid 807 in accordance with s. 446.032 and rules adopted by the State 808 Board of Education. 809 (e)An apprentice teacher may change schools or districts 810 after the first year of his or her apprenticeship if the hiring 811 school or district has agreed to fund the remaining year of the 812 apprenticeship. 813 (3)A teacher who serves as a mentor in the apprenticeship 814 program shall mentor his or her apprentice teacher using team 815 teaching strategies and must, at a minimum, meet all of the 816 following requirements: 817 (a)Have at least 5 7 years of teaching experience in this 818 state. 819 Section 15.Subsections (3) and (7) and paragraph (a) of 820 subsection (8) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended 821 to read: 822 1012.56Educator certification requirements. 823 (3)MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.Acceptable means of 824 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are: 825 (a)Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge 826 examination required by state board rule; 827 (b)Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching 828 certificate issued by another state; 829 (c)Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 830 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national 831 educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of 832 Education; 833 (d)Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time 834 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution, 835 state university, or private college or university that awards 836 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution 837 or an institution of higher education identified by the 838 Department of Education as having a quality program; 839 (e)Achievement of passing scores, identified in state 840 board rule, on national or international examinations that test 841 comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical 842 writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not 843 limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative 844 reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination. Passing 845 scores identified in state board rule must be at approximately 846 the same level of rigor as is required to pass the general 847 knowledge examinations; or 848 (f)Documentation of receipt of a masters or higher degree 849 from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that 850 the Department of Education has identified as having a quality 851 program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher; or 852 (g)Documentation of a rating of effective or highly 853 effective under s. 1012.34 in each year of the validity period 854 of the temporary certificate. 855 856 A school district that employs an individual who does not 857 achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge 858 examination must provide information regarding the availability 859 of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to 860 assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information 861 must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test 862 information guides, school district test preparation resources, 863 and preparation courses offered by state universities and 864 Florida College System institutions. The requirement of mastery 865 of general knowledge shall be waived for an individual who has 866 been provided 3 years of supports and instruction and who has 867 been rated effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 for 868 each of the last 3 years. 869 (7)TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION. 870 (a)The Department of Education shall issue a professional 871 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant 872 who fulfills one of the following: 873 1.Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in 874 subsection (2). 875 2.For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through 876 12: 877 a.Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) 878 (h). 879 b.Holds a masters or higher degree in the area of 880 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 881 c.Teaches a high school course in the subject of the 882 advanced degree. 883 d.Is rated highly effective as determined by the teachers 884 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on 885 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized 886 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International 887 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate 888 examination. 889 e.Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional 890 education competency examination required by state board rule. 891 3.Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) 892 (h) and completes a professional learning certification program 893 approved by the department pursuant to paragraph (8)(b) or an 894 educator preparation institute approved by the department 895 pursuant to s. 1004.85. An applicant who completes one of these 896 programs and is rated highly effective as determined by his or 897 her performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not required to 898 take or achieve a passing score on the professional education 899 competency examination in order to be awarded a professional 900 certificate. 901 (b)The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 902 any applicant who: 903 1.Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs 904 (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content requirements 905 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 906 area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an 907 accredited degree or a degree approved by the Department of 908 Education at the level required for the subject area 909 specialization in state board rule; 910 2.For a subject area specialization for which the state 911 board otherwise requires a bachelors degree, documents 48 912 months of active-duty military service with an honorable 913 discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements 914 outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d)-(f); completes the 915 subject area content requirements specified in state board rule 916 or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to 917 subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits 918 with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 919 scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of 920 higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher 921 learning identified by the Department of Education as having a 922 quality program resulting in a bachelors degree or higher; or 923 3.Is enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation 924 program under s. 1004.04; is actively completing the required 925 program field experience or internship at a public school; 926 completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), 927 and (d)-(f); completes the subject area content requirements 928 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 929 area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5); and documents 930 completion of 60 college credits with a minimum cumulative grade 931 point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as provided by one or more 932 accredited institutions of higher learning or a nonaccredited 933 institution of higher learning identified by the Department of 934 Education as having a quality program resulting in a bachelors 935 degree or higher. 936 (c)The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year 937 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional 938 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelors 939 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for 940 completion of a masters degree program in speech-language 941 impairment. 942 (d)The department shall issue a temporary apprenticeship 943 certificate to any applicant who: 944 1.Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and 945 (d)-(f). 946 2.Completes the subject area content requirements 947 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 948 area knowledge as provided in subsection (5). 949 (e)A person who is issued a temporary certificate under 950 paragraph (b) must be assigned a teacher mentor for a minimum of 951 2 school years after commencing employment. Each teacher mentor 952 selected by the school district, charter school, or charter 953 management organization must: 954 1.Hold a valid professional certificate issued pursuant to 955 this section; 956 2.Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in 957 prekindergarten through grade 12; and 958 3.Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on 959 the prior years performance evaluation under s. 1012.34. 960 (f)1.A temporary certificate is valid for 5 school fiscal 961 years, is limited to a one-time issuance, and is nonrenewable. 962 2.A temporary apprenticeship certificate issued under 963 paragraph (d) is valid for 5 school years, may be issued only 964 once, and is nonrenewable. 965 (g)A school district or a consortium of school districts 966 may issue temporary certificates based on the requirements in 967 paragraph (b). School districts or a consortium of school 968 districts must report the number of such certificates issued, 969 and any additional information to the department, based on 970 reporting requirements adopted by the State Board of Education. 971 972 At least 1 year before an individuals department-issued 973 temporary certificate is set to expire, the department shall 974 electronically notify the individual of the date on which his or 975 her certificate will expire and provide a list of each method by 976 which the qualifications for a professional certificate can be 977 completed. 978 (8)PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. 979 (a)The Department of Education shall develop and each 980 school district, charter school, and charter management 981 organization may provide a cohesive competency-based 982 professional learning certification program by which 983 instructional staff may satisfy the mastery of professional 984 preparation and education competence requirements specified in 985 subsection (6) and rules of the State Board of Education. 986 Participants must hold a state-issued temporary certificate. A 987 school district, charter school, or charter management 988 organization that implements the program shall provide a 989 competency-based certification program developed by the 990 Department of Education or developed by the district, charter 991 school, or charter management organization and approved by the 992 Department of Education. These entities may collaborate with 993 other supporting agencies or educational entities for 994 implementation. The program shall include the following: 995 1.A teacher mentorship and induction component. 996 a.Each individual selected by the district, charter 997 school, or charter management organization as a mentor: 998 (I)Must hold a valid professional certificate issued 999 pursuant to this section; 1000 (II)Must have earned at least 3 years of teaching 1001 experience in prekindergarten through grade 12; 1002 (III)Must have completed training in clinical supervision 1003 and participate in ongoing mentor training provided through the 1004 coordinated system of professional learning under s. 1012.98(4); 1005 (IV)Must have earned an effective or highly effective 1006 rating on the prior years performance evaluation; and 1007 (V)May be a peer evaluator under the districts evaluation 1008 system approved under s. 1012.34. 1009 b.The teacher mentorship and induction component must, at 1010 a minimum, provide routine opportunities for mentoring and 1011 induction activities, including ongoing professional learning as 1012 described in s. 1012.98 targeted to a teachers needs, 1013 opportunities for a teacher to observe other teachers, co 1014 teaching experiences, and reflection and follow-up followup 1015 discussions. Professional learning must meet the criteria 1016 established in s. 1012.98(3). Mentorship and induction 1017 activities must be provided for an applicants first year in the 1018 program and may be provided until the applicant attains his or 1019 her professional certificate in accordance with this section. 1020 2.An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the 1021 districts, charter schools, or charter management 1022 organizations system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34 1023 which provides for: 1024 a.An initial evaluation of each educators competencies to 1025 determine an appropriate individualized professional learning 1026 plan. 1027 b.A summative evaluation to assure successful completion 1028 of the program. 1029 3.Professional education preparation content knowledge, 1030 which must be included in the mentoring and induction activities 1031 under subparagraph 1., that includes, but is not limited to, the 1032 following: 1033 a.The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41, 1034 including scientifically researched and evidence-based reading 1035 instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading, 1036 content literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject 1037 identified on the temporary certificate. Reading instructional 1038 strategies for foundational skills shall include phonics 1039 instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary 1040 instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional 1041 strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of 1042 reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. 1043 Instructional strategies may include visual information and 1044 strategies which improve background and experiential knowledge, 1045 add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to 1046 support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word 1047 reading. 1048 b.The educator-accomplished practices approved by the 1049 state board. 1050 4.Required achievement of passing scores on the subject 1051 area and professional education competency examination required 1052 by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge 1053 must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3). 1054 5.Beginning with candidates entering a program in the 1055 2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 1056 coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1057 1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all competencies for a 1058 reading endorsement, including completion of the endorsement 1059 practicum. 1060 Section 16.Subsection (4) of section 1012.57, Florida 1061 Statutes, is amended to read: 1062 1012.57Certification of adjunct educators. 1063 (4)Each adjunct teaching certificate is valid through the 1064 term of the annual contract between the educator and the school 1065 district or charter school. An additional annual certification 1066 and an additional annual contract may be awarded by the district 1067 or charter school at the districts or charter schools 1068 discretion but only if the applicant is rated effective or 1069 highly effective under s. 1012.34 during each year of teaching 1070 under adjunct teaching certification. A school district and 1071 charter school may issue an adjunct teaching certificate for a 1072 part-time or full-time teaching position; however, an adjunct 1073 teaching certificate issued for a full-time teaching position is 1074 valid for no more than 5 years and is nonrenewable. 1075 Section 17.Section 1012.575, Florida Statutes, is amended 1076 to read: 1077 1012.575Alternative preparation programs for certified 1078 teachers to add additional coverage.A district school board, or 1079 an organization of private schools, or a consortium of charter 1080 schools with an approved professional learning system as 1081 described in s. 1012.98(7), or the Florida Institute for Charter 1082 School Innovation may design alternative teacher preparation 1083 programs to enable persons already certificated to add an 1084 additional coverage to their certificates. Each alternative 1085 teacher preparation program shall be reviewed and approved by 1086 the Department of Education to ensure assure that persons who 1087 complete the program are competent in the necessary areas of 1088 subject matter specialization. Two or more school districts may 1089 jointly participate in an alternative preparation program for 1090 teachers. 1091 Section 18.Subsections (2), (3), and (4) and paragraph (b) 1092 of subsection (5) of section 1012.585, Florida Statutes, are 1093 amended to read: 1094 1012.585Process for renewal of professional certificates. 1095 (2)(a)All professional certificates, except a nonrenewable 1096 professional certificate, are shall be renewable for successive 1097 periods not to exceed 10 5 years after the date of submission of 1098 documentation of completion of the requirements for renewal 1099 provided in subsection (3). Only one renewal may be granted 1100 during each 5-year or 10-year validity period of a professional 1101 certificate. 1102 1.An applicant who is rated highly effective, pursuant to 1103 s. 1012.34, in at least 4 years of the 5-year validity period of 1104 his or her professional certificate is eligible for a 1105 professional certificate valid for 10 years. An applicant must 1106 be issued at least one 5-year professional certificate to be 1107 eligible for a 10-year professional certificate. An applicant 1108 who does not meet the requirement of this subparagraph is 1109 eligible only to renew his or her 5-year professional 1110 certificate. 1111 2.An applicant who is rated effective or highly effective, 1112 pursuant to s. 1012.34, for the entirety of the 10-year validity 1113 period of his or her professional certificate is eligible to 1114 renew a professional certificate valid for 10 years. An 1115 applicant issued a 10-year professional certificate who does not 1116 meet the requirement of this subparagraph is eligible only for 1117 renewal of a professional certificate valid for 5 years. 1118 (b)A teacher with national certification from the National 1119 Board for Professional Teaching Standards is deemed to meet 1120 state renewal requirements for the life of the teachers 1121 national certificate in the subject shown on the national 1122 certificate. A complete renewal application and fee shall be 1123 submitted. The Commissioner of Education shall notify teachers 1124 of the renewal application and fee requirements. 1125 (c)If the renewal application form is not received by the 1126 department or by the employing school district before the 1127 expiration of the professional certificate, the application 1128 form, application fee, and a late fee must be submitted before 1129 July 1 of the year following expiration of the certificate in 1130 order to renew the professional certificate. 1131 (d)The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow 1132 a 1-year extension of the validity period of a professional 1133 certificate in the event of serious illness, injury, or other 1134 extraordinary extenuating circumstances of the applicant. The 1135 department shall grant such 1-year extension upon written 1136 request by the applicant or by the district school 1137 superintendent or the governing authority of a university lab 1138 school, state-supported school, or private school that employs 1139 the applicant. 1140 (e)The State Board of Education must adopt rules that 1141 provide a process for transition from a 5-year to a 10-year 1142 professional certificate or for renewal of a 10-year 1143 professional certificate if student performance results are not 1144 available to complete a performance evaluation in time to apply 1145 for or renew the 10-year professional certificate. Such rules 1146 must authorize a school district or the department, as 1147 applicable, to provide an extension to the validity period of 1148 the professional certificate or to convert a 5-year to a 10-year 1149 professional certificate once an evaluation is completed. 1150 (3)For the renewal of a professional certificate, the 1151 following requirements must be met: 1152 (a)The applicant must: 1153 1.Earn a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice 1154 points or a combination thereof for a certificate valid for 5 1155 years. The district school board may reduce the requirements by 1156 1 college credit or 20 inservice points for an applicant rated 1157 highly effective, pursuant to s. 1012.34, in at least 3 of the 5 1158 years of the 5-year validity period of his or her initial 1159 professional certificate. 1160 2.Earn a minimum of 9 college credits or 180 inservice 1161 points or a combination thereof for a professional certificate 1162 valid for 10 years. A minimum of 6 college credits or 90 1163 inservice points or a combination thereof must be earned within 1164 the first 5 years of a professional certificate valid for 10 1165 years. 1166 (b)For each area of specialization to be retained on a 1167 certificate, the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required 1168 credit hours or equivalent inservice points in the 1169 specialization area. Education in clinical educator training 1170 pursuant to s. 1004.04(5)(b); participation in mentorship and 1171 induction activities, including as a mentor, pursuant to s. 1172 1012.56(8)(a); and credits or points that provide training in 1173 the area of scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading 1174 literacy grounded in the science of reading, including explicit, 1175 systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, 1176 developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory 1177 intervention strategies, and computational skills acquisition, 1178 exceptional student education, normal child development, and the 1179 disorders of development may be applied toward any 1180 specialization area. Credits or points that provide training in 1181 the areas of drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, strategies in 1182 teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or 1183 dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the 1184 educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to 1185 ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 may be applied toward any 1186 specialization area, except specialization areas identified by 1187 State Board of Education rule that include reading instruction 1188 or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 1189 6. Each district school board shall include in its inservice 1190 master plan the ability for teachers to receive inservice points 1191 for supporting students in extracurricular career and technical 1192 education activities, such as career and technical student 1193 organization activities outside of regular school hours and 1194 training related to supervising students participating in a 1195 career and technical student organization. Credits or points 1196 earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward 1197 the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points may also 1198 be earned by participation in professional growth components 1199 approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant 1200 to s. 1012.98 in the districts approved master plan for 1201 inservice educational training; however, such points may not be 1202 used to satisfy the specialization requirements of this 1203 paragraph. 1204 (c)(b)In lieu of college course credit or inservice 1205 points, the applicant may renew a subject area specialization by 1206 passage of a state board approved Florida-developed subject area 1207 examination or, if a Florida subject area examination has not 1208 been developed, a standardized examination specified in state 1209 board rule. 1210 (d)(c)If an applicant wishes to retain more than two 1211 specialization areas on the certificate, the applicant must 1212 shall be permitted two successive validity periods for renewal 1213 of all specialization areas, but must earn no fewer than 6 1214 college course credit hours or the equivalent inservice points 1215 in any one validity period. If an applicant with an initial 1216 professional certificate qualifies for reduced requirements 1217 under paragraph (a), he or she must earn no fewer than 5 college 1218 course credit hours or 100 inservice points in any one validity 1219 period. 1220 (e)(d)The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for 1221 the expanded use of training for renewal of the professional 1222 certificate for educators who are required to complete training 1223 in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1224 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading as 1225 follows: 1226 1.A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use 1227 college credits or inservice points earned through training in 1228 teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1229 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading in 1230 excess of 6 semester hours during one certificate-validity 1231 period toward renewal of the professional certificate during the 1232 subsequent validity periods. 1233 2.A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use 1234 college credits or inservice points earned through training in 1235 teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1236 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading toward 1237 renewal of the teachers first professional certificate. Such 1238 training must not have been included within the degree program, 1239 and the teachers temporary and professional certificates must 1240 be issued for consecutive school years. 1241 (f)(e)Beginning July 1, 2014, an applicant for renewal of 1242 a professional certificate must earn a minimum of one college 1243 credit or the equivalent inservice points in the area of 1244 instruction for teaching students with disabilities. The 1245 requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours 1246 required by the department for continuing education or inservice 1247 training. 1248 (g)(f)An applicant for renewal of a professional 1249 certificate in any area of certification identified by State 1250 Board of Education rule that includes reading instruction or 1251 intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 6, 1252 with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, 1253 must earn a minimum of 2 college credits or the equivalent 1254 inservice points in evidence-based instruction and interventions 1255 grounded in the science of reading specifically designed for 1256 students with characteristics of dyslexia, including the use of 1257 explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading 1258 instruction, developing phonological and phonemic awareness, 1259 decoding, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies. 1260 Such training must be provided by teacher preparation programs 1261 under s. 1004.04 or s. 1004.85 or approved school district 1262 professional development systems under s. 1012.98. The 1263 requirements in this paragraph may not add to the total hours 1264 required by the department for continuing education or inservice 1265 training. 1266 (h)(g)An applicant for renewal of a professional 1267 certificate in educational leadership from a Level I program 1268 under s. 1012.562(2) or Level II program under s. 1012.562(3), 1269 with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2025, or thereafter, 1270 must earn a minimum of 1 college credit or 20 inservice points 1271 in Floridas educational leadership standards, as established in 1272 rule by the State Board of Education. The requirement in this 1273 paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the 1274 department for continuing education or inservice training. 1275 (i)(h)A teacher may earn inservice points only once during 1276 each 5-year validity period for any mandatory training topic 1277 that is not linked to student learning or professional growth. 1278 (4)(a)When any person who holds a valid temporary 1279 certificate or professional certificate is called into or 1280 volunteers for actual wartime service or required peacetime 1281 military service training, the certificate shall be renewed for 1282 a period of time equal to the time spent in military service if 1283 the person makes proper application and presents substantiating 1284 evidence to the department or the employing school district 1285 regarding such military service. 1286 (b)A teacher who has taught in a private school during the 1287 5-year validity period of his or her professional certificate 1288 and is subsequently reemployed to teach in a school district may 1289 extend the expiration date of the certificate for a duration 1290 equivalent to the number of years taught at a private school, up 1291 to a maximum of 3 years. This extension is granted in order for 1292 the teacher to submit documentation for his or her completion of 1293 the requirements outlined in subsection (3). The teacher must 1294 submit documentation of employment in a school district or in a 1295 private school in a format determined by the department. 1296 (5)The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow 1297 the reinstatement of expired professional certificates. The 1298 department may reinstate an expired professional certificate if 1299 the certificateholder: 1300 (b)Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5 1301 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired 1302 certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a 1303 combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(b) 1304 (3)(a) to include the credit required under paragraph (3)(f) 1305 (3)(e). 1306 1307 The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by 1308 subject area examinations or college credits completed for 1309 issuance of the certificate that has expired. 1310 Section 19.Section 1012.72, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 1311 Section 20.Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) and subsection 1312 (7) of section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1313 1012.98School Community Professional Learning Act. 1314 (5)The Department of Education, school districts, schools, 1315 Florida College System institutions, and state universities 1316 share the responsibilities described in this section. These 1317 responsibilities include the following: 1318 (b)Each school district shall develop a professional 1319 learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall 1320 be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher-educators of 1321 Florida College System institutions and state universities, 1322 business and community representatives, and local education 1323 foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The 1324 professional learning system must: 1325 1.Be reviewed and approved by the department for 1326 compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March 1327 1, 2024, the department shall establish a calendar for the 1328 review and approval of all professional learning systems. A 1329 professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every 1330 5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must shall be 1331 submitted to the department for review and approval. The 1332 department shall establish a format for the review and approval 1333 of a professional learning system. 1334 2.Be based on analyses of student achievement data and 1335 instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous, 1336 relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools 1337 and districts, in developing and refining the professional 1338 learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline 1339 data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental 1340 satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers, managers, 1341 and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators 1342 to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved 1343 professional performance. 1344 3.Provide inservice activities coupled with follow-up 1345 followup support appropriate to accomplish district-level and 1346 school-level improvement goals and standards. The inservice 1347 activities for instructional and school administrative personnel 1348 shall focus on analysis of student achievement data, ongoing 1349 formal and informal assessments of student achievement, 1350 identification and use of enhanced and differentiated 1351 instructional strategies that emphasize rigor, relevance, and 1352 reading in the content areas, enhancement of subject content 1353 expertise, integrated use of classroom technology that enhances 1354 teaching and learning, classroom management, parent involvement, 1355 and school safety. 1356 4.Provide inservice activities and support targeted to the 1357 individual needs of new teachers participating in the 1358 professional learning certification and education competency 1359 program under s. 1012.56(8)(a). 1360 5.Include a professional learning catalog for inservice 1361 activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, 1362 for all district employees from all fund sources. The catalog 1363 must shall be updated annually by September 1, must be based on 1364 input from teachers and district and school instructional 1365 leaders, and must use the latest available student achievement 1366 data and research to enhance rigor and relevance in the 1367 classroom. Each district inservice catalog must be aligned to 1368 and support the school-based inservice catalog and school 1369 improvement plans pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). Each district 1370 inservice catalog must provide a description of the training 1371 that middle grades instructional personnel and school 1372 administrators receive on the districts code of student conduct 1373 adopted pursuant to s. 1006.07; integrated digital instruction 1374 and competency-based instruction and CAPE Digital Tool 1375 certificates and CAPE industry certifications; classroom 1376 management; student behavior and interaction; extended learning 1377 opportunities for students; and instructional leadership. 1378 District plans must be approved by the district school board 1379 annually in order to ensure compliance with subsection (1) and 1380 to allow for dissemination of research-based best practices to 1381 other districts. District school boards shall must submit 1382 verification of their approval to the Commissioner of Education 1383 no later than October 1, annually. Each school principal may 1384 establish and maintain an individual professional learning plan 1385 for each instructional employee assigned to the school as a 1386 seamless component to the school improvement plans developed 1387 pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional learning 1388 plan must be related to specific performance data for the 1389 students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the inservice 1390 objectives and specific measurable improvements expected in 1391 student performance as a result of the inservice activity, and 1392 include an evaluation component that determines the 1393 effectiveness of the professional learning plan. 1394 6.Include inservice activities for school administrative 1395 personnel, aligned to the states educational leadership 1396 standards, which that address updated skills necessary for 1397 instructional leadership and effective school management 1398 pursuant to s. 1012.986. 1399 7.Provide for systematic consultation with regional and 1400 state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and 1401 evaluation of local professional learning programs. 1402 8.Provide for delivery of professional learning by 1403 distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to 1404 reach more educators at lower costs. 1405 9.Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and 1406 effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to 1407 eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand 1408 effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such 1409 activities on the performance of participating educators and 1410 their students achievement and behavior. 1411 10.For all grades, emphasize: 1412 a.Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and 1413 instruction. 1414 b.Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to 1415 the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41. 1416 c.Use of small learning communities; problem-solving, 1417 inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students; 1418 strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based 1419 instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based 1420 instruction. 1421 1422 Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall must 1423 include in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1424 1001.42(18), a description of the specific strategies used by 1425 the school to implement each item listed in this subparagraph. 1426 11.Provide training to reading coaches, classroom 1427 teachers, and school administrators in effective methods of 1428 identifying characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia and 1429 other causes of diminished phonological processing skills; 1430 incorporating instructional techniques into the general 1431 education setting which are proven to improve reading 1432 performance for all students; and using predictive and other 1433 data to make instructional decisions based on individual student 1434 needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic 1435 awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency; 1436 vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text 1437 comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and 1438 sequential approach to reading instruction, including 1439 multisensory intervention strategies. Such training for teaching 1440 foundational skills must shall be based on the science of 1441 reading and include phonics instruction for decoding and 1442 encoding as the primary instructional strategy for word reading. 1443 Instructional strategies included in the training may not employ 1444 the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a 1445 basis for teaching word reading. Such instructional strategies 1446 may include visual information and strategies which improve 1447 background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase 1448 oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may 1449 not be used to teach word reading. Each district must provide 1450 all elementary grades instructional personnel access to training 1451 sufficient to meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1452 1012.585(3)(f). 1453 (7)An organization of private schools or consortium of 1454 charter schools which has no fewer than 10 member schools in 1455 this state, which publishes and files with the Department of 1456 Education copies of its standards, and the member schools of 1457 which comply with the provisions of part II of chapter 1003, 1458 relating to compulsory school attendance;, or a public or 1459 private college or university with a teacher preparation program 1460 approved pursuant to s. 1004.04; or the Florida Institute for 1461 Charter School Innovation, may also develop a professional 1462 learning system that includes a professional learning catalog 1463 for inservice activities. The system and inservice catalog must 1464 be submitted to the commissioner for approval pursuant to state 1465 board rules. 1466 Section 21.Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) and paragraph 1467 (b) of subsection (5) of section 1004.04, Florida Statutes, are 1468 amended to read: 1469 1004.04Public accountability and state approval for 1470 teacher preparation programs. 1471 (2)UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT. 1472 (c)Each candidate must receive instruction and be assessed 1473 on the uniform core curricula in the candidates area or areas 1474 of program concentration during course work and field 1475 experiences. Beginning with candidates entering a teacher 1476 preparation program in the 2022-2023 school year, a candidate 1477 for certification in a coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1478 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all 1479 competencies for a reading endorsement, including completion of 1480 the endorsement practicum through the candidates field 1481 experience under subsection (5), in order to graduate from the 1482 program. 1483 (5)PRESERVICE FIELD EXPERIENCE.All postsecondary 1484 instructors, school district personnel and instructional 1485 personnel, and school sites preparing instructional personnel 1486 through preservice field experience courses and internships 1487 shall meet special requirements. District school boards may pay 1488 student teachers during their internships. 1489 (b)1.All school district personnel and instructional 1490 personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 1491 during field experience courses or internships taking place in 1492 this state in which candidates demonstrate an impact on student 1493 learning growth must have: 1494 a.Evidence of clinical educator training; 1495 b.A valid professional certificate issued pursuant to s. 1496 1012.56; 1497 c.At least 3 years of teaching experience in 1498 prekindergarten through grade 12; 1499 d.Earned an effective or highly effective rating on the 1500 prior years performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 or be a 1501 peer evaluator under the districts evaluation system approved 1502 under s. 1012.34; and 1503 e.Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, for all such 1504 personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 1505 during internships in kindergarten through grade 3 or who are 1506 enrolled in a teacher preparation program for a certificate area 1507 identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f), a 1508 certificate or endorsement in reading. 1509 1510 The State Board of Education shall approve the training 1511 requirements. 1512 2.All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 1513 teacher preparation students during field experience courses or 1514 internships in another state, in which a candidate demonstrates 1515 his or her impact on student learning growth, through a Florida 1516 online or distance program must have received clinical 1517 educator training or its equivalent in that state, hold a valid 1518 professional certificate issued by the state in which the field 1519 experience takes place, and have at least 3 years of teaching 1520 experience in prekindergarten through grade 12. 1521 3.All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 1522 teacher preparation students during field experience courses or 1523 internships, in which a candidate demonstrates his or her impact 1524 on student learning growth, on a United States military base in 1525 another country through a Florida online or distance program 1526 must have received clinical educator training or its 1527 equivalent, hold a valid professional certificate issued by the 1528 United States Department of Defense or a state or territory of 1529 the United States, and have at least 3 years teaching experience 1530 in prekindergarten through grade 12. 1531 Section 22.Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 1532 1004.85, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1533 1004.85Postsecondary educator preparation institutes. 1534 (3)Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to 1535 this section may offer competency-based certification programs 1536 specifically designed for noneducation major baccalaureate 1537 degree holders to enable program participants to meet the 1538 educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator 1539 preparation institute choosing to offer a competency-based 1540 certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section 1541 must implement a program developed by the institute and approved 1542 by the department for this purpose. Approved programs shall be 1543 available for use by other approved educator preparation 1544 institutes. 1545 (b)Each program participant must: 1546 1.Meet certification requirements pursuant to s. 1547 1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in 1548 the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet 1549 the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f). 1550 2.Demonstrate competency and participate in field 1551 experiences that are appropriate to his or her educational plan 1552 prepared under paragraph (a). Beginning with candidates entering 1553 an educator preparation institute in the 2022-2023 school year, 1554 a candidate for certification in a coverage area identified 1555 pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f) must 1556 successfully complete all competencies for a reading 1557 endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum 1558 through the candidates field experience, in order to graduate 1559 from the program. 1560 3.Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his 1561 or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is 1562 seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on 1563 student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12 1564 setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving 1565 a passing score on the professional education competency 1566 examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area 1567 examination for the subject area certification which is required 1568 by state board rule. 1569 Section 23.Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 1570 1012.586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1571 1012.586Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate 1572 certificates; reading endorsement pathways. 1573 (2) 1574 (b)As part of adopting a pathway pursuant to paragraph 1575 (a), the department shall review the competencies for the 1576 reading endorsement and subject area examinations for educator 1577 certificates identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1578 1012.585(3)(f) for alignment with evidence-based instructional 1579 and intervention strategies rooted in the science of reading and 1580 identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7) and recommend changes to 1581 the State Board of Education. Recommended changes must address 1582 identification of the characteristics of conditions such as 1583 dyslexia, implementation of evidence-based classroom instruction 1584 and interventions, including evidence-based reading instruction 1585 and interventions specifically for students with characteristics 1586 of dyslexia, and effective progress monitoring. By July 1, 2023, 1587 each school district reading endorsement add-on program must be 1588 resubmitted for approval by the department consistent with this 1589 paragraph. 1590 Section 24.This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.