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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to educator preparation; amending s. 2
1004.04, F.S.; providing for the future repeal of 3
provisions relating to the uniform core curricula for 4
certain teacher preparation programs; revising 5
requirements for certain teacher preparation program s; 6
revising the criteria for continued approval of such 7
programs; revising the term "field experience" to 8
"clinical experience"; revising the requirements for 9
such experience; revising the requirements certain 10
personnel must meet; creating s. 1004.0982, F. S.; 11
requiring the Department of Education to reduce the 12
number of required internship hours for specified 13
students under certain circumstances; requiring the 14
department to establish specified guidelines and 15
programs to provide specified flexibility to stud ents 16
enrolled in postsecondary school counseling programs; 17
providing requirements for such guidelines and 18
programs; requiring the State Board of Education to 19
adopt rules and the Board of Governors to adopt 20
regulations for such guidelines and programs; amen ding 21
s. 1004.85, F.S.; revising the purpose of 22
postsecondary educator preparation institutes; 23
revising requirements for such institutes; revising 24
requirements for the continued approval of such 25
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programs; amending s. 1012.39, F.S.; providing 26
requirements for the hiring of certain nondegreed 27
teachers of fine and performing arts; creating s. 28
1012.551, F.S.; providing for the uniform core 29
curricula for certain teacher preparation programs; 30
providing requirements for such curricula; providing 31
requirements for teacher candidates beginning in a 32
specified school year; providing reporting 33
requirements for certain teacher preparation programs; 34
requiring the State Board of Education to approve or 35
reject certain courses for such programs; prohibiting 36
such programs from requiring students to take a 37
specified additional course; creating s. 1012.552, 38
F.S.; establishing the Coaching for Educator Readiness 39
and Teaching Certification Program; providing the 40
intent for the program; providing program 41
requirements; providing requi rements for approval and 42
continued approval of such programs; requiring the 43
state board to adopt rules; amending s. 1012.555, 44
F.S.; revising the requirements for teachers serving 45
as mentors through a teacher apprenticeship program; 46
amending s. 1012.56, F.S .; providing for the future 47
repeal of professional learning certification programs 48
and professional education competency programs; 49
revising requirements relating to meeting the mastery 50
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of general knowledge and mastery of professional 51
preparation and educat ion competence for certification 52
as an educator; removing a requirement for a passing 53
score on a specified examination for certain 54
candidates for certification as an educator beginning 55
on a certain date; revising requirements for a 56
professional and tempora ry educator certificates; 57
amending s. 1012.585, F.S.; revising requirements for 58
the renewal of a professional certificate; amending s. 59
1012.98, F.S.; revising requirements for specified 60
professional learning systems; removing obsolete 61
language; creating s. 1012.981, F.S.; establishing the 62
Florida Institute for Teaching Excellence at Miami 63
Dade College, subject to an appropriation; providing 64
the purpose and duties of the institute; authorizing 65
the institute to submit a professional learning system 66
for approval and seek specified funding; providing for 67
the supervision, administration, and governance of the 68
institute; amending ss. 1012.55, 1012.57, and 1012.98, 69
F.S.; conforming cross -references to changes made by 70
the act; providing effective dates. 71
72
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 73
74
Section 1. Effective July 1, 2029, subsection (2), 75
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paragraph (a) of subsection (3), paragraph (a) of subsection 76
(4), and subsection (5) of section 1004.04, Florida Statutes, 77
are amended, to read: 78
1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for 79
teacher preparation programs. — 80
(2) UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT. — 81
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules 82
pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which establish uniform 83
core curricula for each state -approved teacher preparation 84
program. 85
(b) The rules to establish uniform core curricula for each 86
state-approved teacher preparation program must include, but are 87
not limited to, the following: 88
1. Candidate instruction and ass essment in the Florida 89
Educator Accomplished Practices across content areas. 90
2. The use of state -adopted content standards to guide 91
curricula and instruction. 92
3. Scientifically researched and evidence -based reading 93
instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading 94
which improve reading performance for all students, including 95
explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to teaching 96
phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text 97
comprehension and multisensory intervention strategi es. The 98
primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is 99
phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional 100
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strategies for foundational skills may not employ the three -101
cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for 102
teaching word reading. Instructional strategies may include 103
visual information and strategies that improve background and 104
experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language 105
and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to 106
teach word reading. 107
4. Content literacy and mathematics practices. 108
5. Strategies appropriate for the instruction of English 109
language learners. 110
6. Strategies appropriate for the instruction of students 111
with disabilities. 112
7. Strategies to differentiate instruc tion based on 113
student needs. 114
8. Strategies and practices to support evidence -based 115
content aligned to state standards and grading practices. 116
9. Strategies appropriate for the early identification of 117
a student in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge 118
and the referral of such student to a mental health professional 119
for support. 120
10. Strategies to support the use of technology in 121
education and distance learning. 122
11. Strategies and practices to support effective, 123
research-based assessment and grading practices aligned to the 124
state's academic standards. 125
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(a)(c) Each candidate must receive instruction and be 126
assessed on the uniform core curricula , approved pursuant to s. 127
1012.551, in the candidate's area or areas of program 128
concentration during course work and clinical field experiences. 129
Beginning with candidates entering a teacher preparation program 130
in the 2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 131
coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f) must 132
successfully complete all competencies for a reading 133
endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum 134
through the candidate's clinical field experience under 135
subsection (5), in order to graduate from the program. 136
(b)(d) Before program completion, each candidate must 137
demonstrate his or her ability to positively impact student 138
learning growth in the candidate's area or areas of program 139
concentration during a prekindergarten through grade 12 clinical 140
field experience and must pass each portion of the Florida 141
Teacher Certification Examination required for a professional 142
certificate in the area or areas of program concentration. 143
(c)(e) Teacher preparation program courses: 144
1. May not distort significant historical events or 145
include a curriculum or instruction that teaches identity 146
politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on theories that 147
systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent 148
in the institutions of the United States and were created to 149
maintain social, political, and economic inequities. 150
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2. Must afford candidates the opportunity to think 151
critically, achieve mastery of academic program content, learn 152
instructional strategies, and demonstrate mastery of the 153
cognitive science of learning and its application in high -impact 154
teaching strategies, and the crucial role of background 155
knowledge in developing high -level literacy competence. 156
(3) INITIAL STATE PROGRAM APPROVAL. — 157
(a) A program approval process based on standards adopted 158
pursuant to this subsection and subsection (2) must be 159
established for postsecondary teacher preparation programs. Each 160
program shall be approved by the department, consistent with the 161
intent set forth in subsection (1) and based upon evidence of 162
the institution's and the program's capacity to meet the 163
requirements for continued approval as provided in subsection 164
(4) and by the rules of the State Board of Education. 165
(4) CONTINUED PROGRAM APPROVAL. —Continued approval of a 166
teacher preparation program shall be based upon evidence that 167
the program continues to implement t he requirements for initial 168
approval and upon significant, objective, and quantifiable 169
measures of the program and the performance of the program 170
completers. 171
(a) The criteria for continued approval must include each 172
of the following: 173
1. Candidate readiness based on passage rates on educator 174
certification examinations under s. 1012.56, as applicable. 175
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2. Evidence of performance in each of the following areas: 176
a. Performance of students in prekindergarten through 177
grade 12 who are assigned to in -field program completers on 178
statewide assessments using the results of the student learning 179
growth formula adopted under s. 1012.34. 180
b. Results of program completers' annual evaluations in 181
accordance with the timeline as set forth in s. 1012.34. 182
c. Workforce contributions, including placement of program 183
completers in instructional positions in Florida public and 184
private schools, with additional weight given to production of 185
program completers in statewide critical teacher shortage areas 186
as identified in s. 101 2.07. 187
3. Beginning July 1, 2029, candidate readiness based on 188
scores on the Florida Teacher Excellence Examination developed 189
pursuant to s. 1012.56(10) and administered before program 190
completion. 191
3. Results of the program completers' survey measuring 192
their satisfaction with preparation for the realities of the 193
classroom. 194
4. Results of the employers' survey measuring satisfaction 195
with the program and the program's responsiveness to local 196
school districts. 197
(5) PRESERVICE CLINICAL FIELD EXPERIENCE.—All 198
postsecondary instructors, school district personnel and 199
instructional personnel, and school sites preparing 200
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instructional personnel through preservice clinical field 201
experience courses and internships shall meet special 202
requirements. District school boar ds may pay student teachers 203
during their internships. 204
(a) All individuals in postsecondary teacher preparation 205
programs who instruct or supervise preservice clinical field 206
experience courses or internships in which a candidate 207
demonstrates his or her impact on student learning growth shall 208
meet the requirements of a clinical educator established under 209
s. 1012.56(7) have the following: specialized training in 210
clinical supervision; at least 3 years of successful, relevant 211
prekindergarten through grade 12 teaching, student services, or 212
school administration experience; and an annual demonstration of 213
experience in a relevant prekindergarten through grade 12 school 214
setting as defined by State Board of Education rule . 215
(b)1. All school district personnel and instructional 216
personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 217
during clinical field experience courses or internships taking 218
place in this state in which candid ates demonstrate an impact on 219
student learning growth must meet the requirements of a clinical 220
educator established under s. 1012.56(7). have: 221
a. Evidence of "clinical educator" training; 222
b. A valid professional certificate issued pursuant to s. 223
1012.56; 224
c. At least 3 years of teaching experience in 225
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prekindergarten through grade 12; 226
d. Earned an effective or highly effective rating on the 227
prior year's performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 or be a 228
peer evaluator under the district's evaluation syst em approved 229
under s. 1012.34; and 230
e. Beginning with the 2022 -2023 school year, for all such 231
personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 232
during internships in kindergarten through grade 3 or who are 233
enrolled in a teacher preparation pro gram for a certificate area 234
identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f), a certificate or 235
endorsement in reading. 236
237
The State Board of Education shall approve the training 238
requirements. 239
2. All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 240
teacher preparation students during clinical field experience 241
courses or internships in another state, in which a candidate 242
demonstrates his or her impact on student learning growth, 243
through a Florida online or distance program must have received 244
"clinical educator" training pursuant to s. 1012.98 or its 245
equivalent in that state, hold a valid professional certificate 246
issued by the state in which the clinical field experience takes 247
place, and have at le ast 3 years of teaching experience in 248
prekindergarten through grade 12. 249
3. All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 250
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teacher preparation students during clinical field experience 251
courses or internships, in which a candidate demonstrates his or 252
her impact on student learning growth, on a United States 253
military base in another country through a Florida online or 254
distance program must have received "clinical educator" training 255
pursuant to s. 1012.98 or its equivalent, hold a valid 256
professional certificate issued by the United States Department 257
of Defense or a state or territory of the United States, and 258
have at least 3 years teaching experience in prekindergarten 259
through grade 12. 260
(c) Preservice clinical field experience must fully 261
prepare a candidate to manage a classroom by requiring the 262
candidate to practice and demonstrate the uniform core curricula 263
specific to the candidate's area or areas of program 264
concentration with a diverse population of students in a variety 265
of challenging environments, including, but not limited to, 266
high-poverty schools, urban schools, and rural schools. 267
Beginning with candidates entering a program in the 2023 -2024 268
school year, a minimum of 60 hours of preservice clinical field 269
experience must be completed before the cul minating clinical 270
field experience, which must include a minimum of 12 weeks of 271
student teaching. 272
(d) Postsecondary teacher preparation programs in 273
cooperation with district school boards and approved private 274
school associations shall select the school s ites for preservice 275
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clinical field experience activities based upon the 276
qualifications of the supervising personnel as described in this 277
subsection and the needs of the candidates. These sites must 278
represent the full spectrum of school communities, includi ng, 279
but not limited to, schools serving low -achieving students. In 280
order to be selected, school sites must demonstrate commitment 281
to the education of public school students and to the 282
preparation of future teachers. 283
Section 2. Section 1004.0982, Florid a Statutes, is created 284
to read: 285
1004.0982 Flexible education pathway for school 286
counselors.—To better enable students enrolled in postsecondary 287
school counseling programs to enter the workforce as certified 288
school counselors, the Department of Education shall: 289
(1) Reduce the 600-hour internship requirement to a 300 -290
hour internship requirement if a candidate: 291
(a) Is a current full -time teacher who has been employed 292
as a teacher for at least 5 years; and 293
(b) Has earned an effective or highly effective rating on 294
his or her performance evaluation for the past 3 years under s. 295
1012.34. 296
(2) Establish, and the State Board of Education shall 297
adopt in rules and the Board of Governors shall adopt in 298
regulations, guidelines and programs to provide flexibility in 299
meeting the internship requirements for students enrolled in a 300
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postsecondary school counseling program. 301
(a) The guidelines may include any of the following: 302
1. Establishing acceptable internship settings and 303
supervision requirements. 304
2. Establishing criteria for adjustments to internship 305
requirements based on the student's personal circumstances. 306
3. Establishing credit equivalencies that count toward 307
internship hours for such students. 308
4. Flexibility in meeting the internship hours for such 309
students. 310
(b) The programs may include, subject to legislative 311
funding, any of the following: 312
1. Scholarship programs. 313
2. Tuition reimbursement programs. 314
3. Other incentive programs. 315
Section 3. Effective July 1, 2029, subsections (5) through 316
(8) of section 1004.85, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as 317
subsections (4) through (7), respectively, and paragraph (a) of 318
subsection (2), paragraph (a) of subsection (3), subsection (4), 319
and present subsections (5) and (6) are amended, to read: 320
1004.85 Postsecondary educator preparation institutes. — 321
(2)(a) Postsecondary institutions that are accredited or 322
approved as described in State Board of Education rule may seek 323
approval from the Department of Education to create educator 324
preparation institutes for the purpose of providing any or all 325
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of the following: 326
1. Professional learning instruction to assist teachers in 327
improving classroom instruction and in meeting certification or 328
recertification requirements. 329
2. Instruction to assist potential and exist ing substitute 330
teachers in performing their duties. 331
3. Instruction to assist paraprofessionals in meeting 332
education and training requirements. 333
4. Instruction for baccalaureate degree holders to become 334
certified teachers as provided in this section in o rder to 335
increase routes to the classroom for professionals who hold a 336
baccalaureate degree and college graduates who were not 337
education majors. 338
5. Instruction and professional learning for part -time and 339
full-time nondegreed teachers of career programs un der s. 340
1012.39(1)(c). 341
6. Instruction that does not distort significant 342
historical events or include a curriculum or instruction that 343
teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on 344
theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege 345
are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were 346
created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities. 347
Courses and instruction within the educator preparation 348
institute must afford candidates the opportunity to think 349
critically, achieve mastery of academic program content, learn 350
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instructional strategies, and demonstrate competence. 351
(3) Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to 352
this section may offer competency -based certification programs 353
specifically designed for noneducation major bac calaureate 354
degree holders to enable program participants to meet the 355
educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator 356
preparation institute choosing to offer a competency -based 357
certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section 358
must implement a program developed by the institute and approved 359
by the department for this purpose. Approved programs shall be 360
available for use by other approved educator preparation 361
institutes. 362
(a) Within 90 days after receipt of a request for 363
approval, the Department of Education shall approve a 364
preparation program pursuant to the requirements of this 365
subsection or issue a statement of the deficiencies in the 366
request for approval. The department shall approve a 367
certification program if the institute p rovides evidence of the 368
institute's capacity to implement a competency -based program 369
that: 370
1. Instructs and assesses each candidate in the uniform 371
core curricula approved under s. 1012.551 and following: 372
1.a. the Florida Educator Accomplished Practice s approved 373
by the state board. 374
b. The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41, 375
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including scientifically based reading instruction, content 376
literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject 377
identified on the statement of status of eligibil ity or the 378
temporary certificate. 379
c. Scientifically researched and evidence -based reading 380
instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading 381
which improve reading performance for all students, including 382
explicit, systematic, and sequential appro aches to teaching 383
phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text 384
comprehension and multisensory intervention strategies. The 385
primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is 386
phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructiona l 387
strategies for foundational skills may not employ the three -388
cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for 389
teaching word reading. Instructional strategies may include 390
visual information and strategies which improve background and 391
experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language 392
and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to 393
teach word reading. 394
2. An educational plan for each participant to meet 395
certification requirements and demonstrate his or her ability to 396
teach the subject area for which the participant is seeking 397
certification, which is based on an assessment of his or her 398
competency in the areas listed in subparagraph 1. 399
2.3. Provides clinical Field experiences appropriate to 400
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the certification subjec t area specified in the educational plan 401
under the supervision of clinical educators who meet the 402
requirements of s. 1012.56(7) qualified educators. The state 403
board shall determine in rule the amount of field experience 404
necessary to serve as the teacher of record, beginning with 405
candidates entering a program in the 2023 -2024 school year. 406
3.4. Provides a certification ombudsman to facilitate the 407
process and procedures required for participants who complete 408
the program to meet any requirements related to th e background 409
screening pursuant to s. 1012.32 and educator professional or 410
temporary certification pursuant to s. 1012.56. 411
(4) The state board shall adopt rules for the continued 412
approval of each program approved pursuant to this section. 413
(4)(a)(5) Each institute approved pursuant to this section 414
shall submit to the Department of Education annual performance 415
evaluations that measure the effectiveness of the programs. 416
(b) Beginning July 1, 2029, continued approval criteria 417
for educator preparation prog rams must include candidate 418
readiness based on scores on the Florida Teacher Excellence 419
Examination developed pursuant to s. 1012.56(10) and 420
administered before program completion. 421
(5)(6) Instructors and supervisors of clinical field 422
experiences in which participants demonstrate an impact on 423
student learning growth for a certification program approved 424
pursuant to this section must meet the same qualifications as 425
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those required in s. 1004.04(5). 426
Section 4. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (1) of 427
section 1012.39, Florida Statutes, to read: 428
1012.39 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of 429
adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and 430
career specialists, and nondegreed teachers of fine and 431
performing arts; students performing cl inical field experience. — 432
(1) Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and 433
1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary, 434
each district school board shall establish the minimal 435
qualifications for: 436
(d) Part-time, nondegreed teache rs of fine and performing 437
arts. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed teachers 438
of fine and performing arts courses in the course code 439
directory. The qualifications for such teachers must require: 440
1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprint s in the 441
same manner as required by s. 1012.32. 442
2. Documentation of education and successful experience, 443
including documentation of: 444
a. A high school diploma or the equivalent. 445
b. Completion of 3 years of full -time successful 446
experience or the equiv alent of part-time experience in the 447
teaching specialization area. 448
Section 5. Section 1012.551, Florida Statutes, is created 449
to read: 450
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1012.551 Teacher preparation core principles, standards, 451
and content.– 452
(1) Each teacher preparation program approv ed pursuant to 453
ss. 1004.04, 1004.85, and 1012.552 must provide uniform core 454
curricula courses aligned with the Florida Educator Accomplished 455
Practices that are grounded in the principles of cognitive 456
science and establish the foundational standards and 457
expectations for quality instruction and professional 458
responsibility. The State Board of Education shall establish in 459
rule the uniform core curricula. 460
(a) The uniform core curricula for each state -approved 461
teacher preparation program must meet, at a minimu m, the 462
following standards: 463
1. May not distort significant historical events or 464
include curriculum or instruction that teaches identity 465
politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on theories that 466
systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are in herent 467
in the institutions of the United States and were created to 468
maintain social, political, and economic inequities. 469
2. Must afford candidates the opportunity to think 470
critically, achieve mastery of academic program content, learn 471
instructional strategies, and demonstrate competence. 472
3. Must use state-approved academic standards to guide 473
instruction. 474
4. Must provide training on the use of high -quality 475
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instructional materials included on the state -adopted 476
instructional materials list pursuant to s. 1006.28, materials 477
evaluated and identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(4), materials 478
developed pursuant to s. 1006.39, and materials posted online by 479
the department, including when and how to use intervention 480
materials. 481
5. Must include scientifically resea rched and evidence-482
based reading instructional strategies grounded in the science 483
of reading which improve reading performance for all students, 484
including explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to 485
teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and 486
text comprehension and multisensory intervention strategies. The 487
primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is 488
phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional 489
strategies for foundational skills may not employ the thr ee-490
cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for 491
teaching word reading. Instructional strategies may include 492
visual information and strategies that improve background and 493
experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language 494
and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to 495
teach word reading. 496
6. Must include content literacy and mathematics 497
practices. 498
7. Must include strategies for differentiated instruction 499
to meet student needs, including English language lear ners and 500
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students with disabilities, while maintaining grade -level 501
expectations. 502
8. Must include strategies and practices to support 503
effective, evidence-based assessment and grading practices 504
aligned to the state's academic standards. 505
9. Must require the completion of a mastery -based clinical 506
experience in classroom settings to provide direct application 507
of program content and instruction and mastery of the components 508
of teaching as outlined in the Florida Educator Accomplished 509
Practices. These clinical experiences must allow candidates to 510
demonstrate mastery of curriculum and pedagogy through 511
observable performance evaluations aligned with instructional 512
personnel evaluation systems approved pursuant to s. 1012.34. 513
Mastery must be assessed through in -classroom performance, with 514
candidate feedback provided for growth and refinement, rather 515
than solely through written assignments or project -based 516
assessments. Clinical experience may only be provided by 517
individuals who meet the requirements of s. 1012.56(7). 518
(b) Beginning with teacher candidates initially entering a 519
state-approved teacher preparation program in the 2029 -2030 520
school year and thereafter, each teacher candidate must 521
complete: 522
1. One introduction to education course that allows 523
teacher candidates to demonstrate competency in the cognitive 524
science of learning principles, including cognitive load theory, 525
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working memory, and long -term memory; retrieval practice; 526
attention and selective attention; social science of motivation 527
and persistence; back ground knowledge; and production effect. 528
2. One classroom management and high -impact teaching 529
strategies course that allows teacher candidates to demonstrate 530
competency of instructional strategies based on Florida Educator 531
Accomplished Practices. 532
(2) Each state-approved teacher preparation program must 533
annually report all teacher preparation core courses to the 534
department by each course's statewide course number. 535
(3) By December 1, 2028, and each December 1 thereafter, 536
the State Board of Education mus t approve or reject the list of 537
courses for each state -approved teacher preparation program. 538
(4) A teacher preparation program may not require a 539
student to take an additional course to meet a program 540
requirement that was completed by the student with a c ourse that 541
has since been removed as a teacher preparation program core 542
course. 543
Section 6. Section 1012.552, Florida Statutes, is created 544
to read: 545
1012.552 The Coaching for Educator Readiness and Teaching 546
Certification (CERT) Program. — 547
(1) INTENT.—The Coaching for Educator Readiness and 548
Teaching (CERT) Certification Program is established to create 549
an alternative pathway for teachers to enter the teaching 550
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profession. School districts, charter schools, and charter 551
management organizations may impleme nt the CERT program to 552
provide a cohesive, competency -based training and certification 553
pathway for teachers who have a state -issued temporary 554
certificate to earn their professional certificate through an 555
on-the-job mentorship and learning program. 556
(2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. —A CERT program must include all 557
of the following: 558
(a) A teacher mentorship and induction component. Mentors 559
must meet the requirements of s. 1012.56(7). 560
(b) An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the 561
district, charter sch ool, or charter management organization 562
system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34 which provides 563
for: 564
1. An initial evaluation of each educator's competencies 565
to determine an appropriate individualized professional learning 566
plan. 567
2. A summative evaluation to assure successful completion 568
of the program. 569
(c) Professional learning, in accordance with s. 1012.98, 570
tailored to each educator's growth and learning needs according 571
to observational data and feedback. 572
(d) Required achievement of passin g scores on the subject 573
area examination required by State Board of Education rule. 574
(e) Required successful completion of all competencies for 575
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a reading endorsement, including completion of the endorsement 576
practicum, for a candidate certification in a c overage area 577
identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f). 578
(f) Provide guidance and on -the-job training in the 579
classroom on mastering Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. 580
(3) APPROVAL AND CONTINUED APPROVAL. —CERT programs are 581
approved for a period of 5 years in a format to be established 582
by the department. A teacher may not satisfy requirements for a 583
professional certificate through a CERT program unless the 584
program has been approved by the department pursuant to this 585
section. Continued approval of CERT programs must include a 586
criteria for candidate readiness based on scores on the Florida 587
Teacher Excellence Examination developed pursuant to s. 588
1012.56(10) and administered before program completion. 589
(4) RULEMAKING.—The State Board of Education shall ad opt 590
rules to administer this section. 591
Section 7. Effective July 1, 2029, subsection (3) of 592
section 1012.555, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 593
1012.555 Teacher Apprenticeship Program. — 594
(3) A teacher who serves as a mentor in the apprenticeship 595
program shall mentor his or her apprentice teacher using team 596
teaching strategies and must, at a minimum, meet all of the 597
following requirements of s. 1012.56(7): 598
(a) Have at least 5 years of teaching experience in this 599
state. 600
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(b) Have received an aggregate score of highly effective 601
on the three most recent available value -added model (VAM) 602
scores, as used by the department, or have received an aggregate 603
score of highly effective on the three most recent available 604
performance evaluations if the teac her does not generate a state 605
VAM score. 606
(c) Satisfy any other requirements established by the 607
department. 608
Section 8. Effective July 1, 2029, subsections (10) 609
through (17) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are 610
renumbered as subsections (8) throug h (15), respectively, 611
paragraph (b) of subsection (1), paragraph (d) of subsection 612
(2), paragraphs (e) and (f) of subsection (3), subsection (6), 613
paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) of subsection (7), and present 614
subsections (8) and (9) are amended, and paragraph (g) is added 615
to subsection (3) of that section, to read: 616
1012.56 Educator certification requirements. — 617
(1) APPLICATION.—Each person seeking certification 618
pursuant to this chapter shall submit a completed application 619
containing the applicant's social s ecurity number to the 620
Department of Education and remit the fee required pursuant to 621
s. 1012.59 and rules of the State Board of Education. Pursuant 622
to the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 623
Reconciliation Act of 1996, each party is requir ed to provide 624
his or her social security number in accordance with this 625
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section. Disclosure of social security numbers obtained through 626
this requirement is limited to the purpose of administration of 627
the Title IV-D program of the Social Security Act for ch ild 628
support enforcement. 629
(b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 630
a qualifying applicant within 14 calendar days after receipt of 631
a request from an employer with a professional education 632
competence demonstration program pursuant to parag raph (6)(f) 633
and subsection (9). The temporary certificate must cover the 634
classification, level, and area for which the applicant is 635
deemed qualified. The department shall electronically notify the 636
applicant's employer that the temporary certificate has bee n 637
issued and provide the applicant an official statement of status 638
of eligibility at the time the certificate is issued. 639
640
The statement of status of eligibility must be provided 641
electronically and must advise the applicant of any 642
qualifications that must b e completed to qualify for 643
certification. Each method by which an applicant can complete 644
the qualifications for a professional certificate must be 645
included in the statement of status of eligibility. Each 646
statement of status of eligibility is valid for 5 ye ars after 647
its date of issuance, except as provided in paragraph (2)(d). 648
(2) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. —To be eligible to seek 649
certification, a person must: 650
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(d) Submit to background screening in accordance with 651
subsection (9) (11). If the background screenin g indicates a 652
criminal history or if the applicant acknowledges a criminal 653
history, the applicant's records shall be referred to the 654
investigative section in the Department of Education for review 655
and determination of eligibility for certification. If the 656
applicant fails to provide the necessary documentation requested 657
by the department within 90 days after the date of the receipt 658
of the certified mail request, the statement of eligibility and 659
pending application shall become invalid. 660
(3) MASTERY OF GENER AL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of 661
demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are: 662
(e) Achievement of passing scores, identified in state 663
board rule, on national or international examinations that test 664
comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical 665
writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not 666
limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative 667
reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination and the 668
SAT, ACT, and Classic Learning Test. Passing scores identif ied 669
in state board rule must be at approximately the same level of 670
rigor as is required to pass the general knowledge examinations; 671
or 672
(f) Documentation of receipt of a master's or higher 673
degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution 674
that the Department of Education has identified as having a 675
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quality program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher ; 676
or 677
(g) Successful completion of an introduction to education 678
course and a classroom management and high -impact teaching 679
strategies course approved pursuant to s. 1012.551 . 680
681
A school district that employs an individual who does not 682
achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge 683
examination must provide information regarding the availability 684
of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to 685
assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information 686
must include, but need not be limited to, state -level test 687
information guides, school district test preparation resources, 688
and preparation courses offered by state universities and 689
Florida College System institutions. The requirement of mastery 690
of general knowledge shall be waived for an individual who has 691
been provided 3 years of supports and instruction and who has 692
been rated effective or highly effective und er s. 1012.34 for 693
each of the last 3 years. 694
(6) MASTERY OF PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND EDUCATION 695
COMPETENCE.—Acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of 696
professional preparation and education competence are: 697
(a) Successful completion of a state-approved an approved 698
teacher preparation program at a postsecondary educational 699
institution within this state and achievement of a passing score 700
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on the professional education competency examination required by 701
state board rule; 702
(b) Successful completion of a teacher preparation program 703
at a postsecondary educational institution outside Florida and 704
achievement of a passing score on the professional education 705
competency examination required by state board rule; 706
(c) Documentation of a valid professional standar d 707
teaching certificate issued by another state; 708
(d) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 709
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national 710
educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of 711
Education; 712
(e) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full -713
time or part-time teaching in a Florida College System 714
institution, state university, or private college or university 715
that awards an associate or higher degree and is an accredited 716
institution or an institution of higher education identified by 717
the Department of Education as having a quality program and 718
achievement of a passing score on the professional education 719
competency examination required by state board rule; 720
(f) Successful completion of professional prepar ation 721
courses as specified in state board rule, successful completion 722
of a professional education competence program pursuant to 723
subsection (9), and documentation of 3 years of being rated 724
effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 while holding a 725
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temporary certificate; 726
(g) Successful completion of a professional learning 727
certification program, outlined in subsection (8); or 728
(f)(h) Successful completion of a competency -based 729
certification program pursuant to s. 1004.85 and achievement of 730
a passing score on the professional education competency 731
examination required by rule of the State Board of Education ; or732
(g) Successful completion of a Coaching for Educator 733
Readiness and Teaching Certification Program as established in 734
s. 1012.552. 735
736
The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement this 737
subsection, including rules to approve specific teacher 738
preparation programs that are not identified in this subsection 739
which may be used to meet requirements for mastery of 740
professional preparation and ed ucation competence. A passing 741
score on the professional education competency examination shall 742
not be required of candidates who have successfully completed a 743
teacher preparation program approved, after July 1, 2029, 744
pursuant to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 1012.551. 745
(7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION. — 746
(a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional 747
certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant 748
who fulfills one of the following: 749
1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in 750
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subsection (2). 751
2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 752
through 12: 753
a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) -754
(h). 755
b. Holds a master's or higher degree in the area of 756
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 757
c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the 758
advanced degree. 759
d. Is rated highly effective as determined by the 760
teacher's performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part 761
on student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized 762
assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International 763
Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate 764
examination. 765
e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional 766
education competency examination required by state board rule. 767
3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a) -768
(h) and completes a Coaching for Educator Readiness and Teaching 769
Certification Program pursuant to s. 1012.551 professional 770
learning certification program approved by the department 771
pursuant to paragraph (8)(c) or an educator preparation 772
institute approved by the department pursuant to s. 1004.85. An 773
applicant who completes one of these programs and is rated 774
highly effective as determined by his or her perf ormance 775
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evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not required to take or achieve a 776
passing score on the professional education competency 777
examination in order to be awarded a professional certificate. 778
(b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 779
any applicant who: 780
1. Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs 781
(2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content requirements 782
specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 783
area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an 784
accredited degree or a degree approved by the Department of 785
Education at the level required for the subject area 786
specialization in state board rule; 787
2. For a subject area specialization for which the state 788
board otherwise requires a bachelor's degree, docume nts 48 789
months of active-duty military service with an honorable 790
discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements 791
outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d) -(f); completes the 792
subject area content requirements specified in state board rule 793
or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to 794
subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits 795
with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 796
scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of 797
higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher 798
learning identified by the Department of Education as having a 799
quality program resulting in a bachelor's degree or higher; or 800
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3. Is enrolled in a state -approved teacher preparation 801
program under s. 1004.04; i s actively completing the final 802
semester of the clinical experience or required program field 803
experience or internship at a public school immediately 804
preceding graduation ; completes the requirements outlined in 805
paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d) -(f); completes the subject area 806
content requirements specified in state board rule or 807
demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to 808
subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits 809
with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 810
scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of 811
higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher 812
learning identified by the Department of Education as having a 813
quality program resulting in a bachelor's degree or higher. 814
(e) A person who is issued a temporary certificate under 815
paragraph (b) must be assigned a teacher mentor or clinical 816
educator for a minimum of 2 school years after commencing 817
employment. Each teacher mentor or clinical educator selected by 818
the school district, charter school, or charter management 819
organization must: 820
1. Hold a valid professional certificate issued pursuant 821
to this section; 822
2. Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in 823
prekindergarten through grade 12; and 824
3. Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on 825
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the prior 3 year's performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 ;. 826
4. Provide evidence of successful completion of clinical 827
educator training pursuant to s. 1012.98; and 828
5. Be certified or endorsed in reading when assigned to an 829
individual providing instruction to students in kindergarten 830
through grade 3 or an individual enrolled in a teacher 831
preparation program for a certificate area identified pursuant 832
to s. 1012.585(3)(f). 833
834
At least 1 year before an individual's temporary certif icate is 835
set to expire, the department shall electronically notify the 836
individual of the date on which his or her certificate will 837
expire and provide a list of each method by which the 838
qualifications for a professional certificate can be completed. 839
(8) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. — 840
(a) The Department of Education shall develop and each 841
school district, charter school, and charter management 842
organization may provide a cohesive competency -based 843
professional learning certification program b y which 844
instructional staff may satisfy the mastery of professional 845
preparation and education competence requirements specified in 846
subsection (6) and rules of the State Board of Education. 847
Participants must hold a state -issued temporary certificate. A 848
school district, charter school, or charter management 849
organization that implements the program shall provide a 850
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competency-based certification program developed by the 851
Department of Education or developed by the district, charter 852
school, or charter management organization and approved by the 853
Department of Education. These entities may collaborate with 854
other supporting agencies or educational entities for 855
implementation. The program shall include the following: 856
1. A teacher mentorship and induction component. 857
a. Each individual selected by the district, charter 858
school, or charter management organization as a mentor: 859
(I) Must hold a valid professional certificate issued 860
pursuant to this section; 861
(II) Must have earned at least 3 years of teaching 862
experience in prekindergarten through grade 12; 863
(III) Must have completed training in clinical supervision 864
and participate in ongoing mentor training provided through the 865
coordinated system of professional learning under s. 1012.98(4); 866
(IV) Must have earned an e ffective or highly effective 867
rating on the prior year's performance evaluation; and 868
(V) May be a peer evaluator under the district's 869
evaluation system approved under s. 1012.34. 870
b. The teacher mentorship and induction component must, at 871
a minimum, provide routine opportunities for mentoring and 872
induction activities, including ongoing professional learning as 873
described in s. 1012.98 targeted to a teacher's needs, 874
opportunities for a teacher to observe other teachers, co -875
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teaching experiences, and refl ection and followup discussions. 876
Professional learning must meet the criteria established in s. 877
1012.98(3). Mentorship and induction activities must be provided 878
for an applicant's first year in the program and may be provided 879
until the applicant attains hi s or her professional certificate 880
in accordance with this section. 881
2. An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the 882
district's, charter school's, or charter management 883
organization's system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34 884
which provides for: 885
a. An initial evaluation of each educator's competencies 886
to determine an appropriate individualized professional learning 887
plan. 888
b. A summative evaluation to assure successful completion 889
of the program. 890
3. Professional education preparation conte nt knowledge, 891
which must be included in the mentoring and induction activities 892
under subparagraph 1., that includes, but is not limited to, the 893
following: 894
a. The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41, 895
including scientifically researched and evidence-based reading 896
instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading, 897
content literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject 898
identified on the temporary certificate. Reading instructional 899
strategies for foundational skills shall inclu de phonics 900
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instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary 901
instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional 902
strategies may not employ the three -cueing system model of 903
reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. 904
Instructional strategies may include visual information and 905
strategies which improve background and experiential knowledge, 906
add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to 907
support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word 908
reading. 909
b. The educator-accomplished practices approved by the 910
state board. 911
4. Required achievement of passing scores on the subject 912
area and professional education competency examination required 913
by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge 914
must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3). 915
5. Beginning with candidates entering a program in the 916
2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 917
coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f) must 918
successfully complete all competencies for a readin g 919
endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum. 920
(b) Professional learning certification program courses: 921
1. May not distort significant historical events or 922
include curriculum or instruction that teaches identity 923
politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on theories that 924
systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent 925
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in the institutions of the United States and were created to 926
maintain social, political, and economic inequities. 927
2. Must afford candidates the opportu nity to think 928
critically, achieve mastery of academic program content, learn 929
instructional strategies, and demonstrate competence. 930
(c) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the 931
approval and continued approval of professional learning 932
certification programs aligned to paragraph (a). A teacher may 933
not satisfy requirements for a professional certificate through 934
a professional learning certification program unless the program 935
has been approved by the department pursuant to this paragraph. 936
(9) PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COMPETENCY PROGRAM. — 937
(a) Each school district must and a private school or 938
state-supported public school, including a charter school, may 939
develop and maintain a system by which members of the 940
instructional staff may demonstrate mastery of professional 941
preparation and education competence as required by law. Each 942
program must be based on classroom application of the Florida 943
Educator Accomplished Practices and instructional performance 944
and, for public schools, must be aligned with the district's or 945
state-supported public school's evaluation system established 946
under s. 1012.34, as applicable. 947
(b) The Commissioner of Education shall determine the 948
continued approval of programs implemented under this paragraph, 949
based upon the departm ent's review of performance data. The 950
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department shall review the performance data as a part of the 951
periodic review of each school district's professional learning 952
system required under s. 1012.98. 953
Section 9. Effective July 1, 2029, paragraph (a) of 954
subsection (3) of section 1012.585, Florida Statutes, is amended 955
to read: 956
1012.585 Process for renewal of professional 957
certificates.— 958
(3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the 959
following requirements must be met: 960
(a) The applicant must earn a minimum of 6 college credits 961
or 120 inservice points or a combination thereof. For each area 962
of specialization to be retained on a certificate, the applicant 963
must earn at least 3 of the required credit hours or equivalent 964
inservice points in the special ization area. Education in 965
"clinical educator" Training pursuant to s. 1012.98(4) s. 966
1004.04(5)(b); participation in mentorship and induction 967
activities, including as a mentor , pursuant to s. 1012.56(8)(a) ; 968
and credits or points that provide training in th e area of 969
scientifically researched, knowledge -based reading literacy 970
grounded in the science of reading, including explicit, 971
systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, 972
developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory 973
intervention strategies, and computational skills acquisition, 974
exceptional student education, normal child development, and the 975
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disorders of development may be applied toward any 976
specialization area. Credits or points that provide training in 977
the areas of drug ab use, child abuse and neglect, strategies in 978
teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or 979
dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the 980
educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to 981
ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 m ay be applied toward any 982
specialization area, except specialization areas identified by 983
State Board of Education rule that include reading instruction 984
or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 985
6. Each district school board shall includ e in its inservice 986
master plan the ability for teachers to receive inservice points 987
for supporting students in extracurricular career and technical 988
education activities, such as career and technical student 989
organization activities outside of regular school hours and 990
training related to supervising students participating in a 991
career and technical student organization. Credits or points 992
earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward 993
the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points may also 994
be earned by participation in professional growth components 995
approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant 996
to s. 1012.98 in the district's approved master plan for 997
inservice educational training; however, such points may not be 998
used to satisfy the specialization requirements of this 999
paragraph. 1000
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Section 10. Subsections (3) and (4) and paragraph (b) of 1001
subsection (5) of section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, are amended 1002
to read: 1003
1012.98 School Community Professional Learning Act. — 1004
(3) Professional learning activities must be linked to 1005
student learning, provide and professional growth for 1006
instructional and administrative staff , and meet the following 1007
criteria: 1008
(a) For instructional personnel, utilize materials aligned 1009
to the state's academic standards. 1010
(b) For school administrators, utilize materials aligned 1011
to the Florida Educational Leadership Standards adopted in rule 1012
by the State Board of Education state's educational leadership 1013
standards. 1014
(c) Have clear, defined, and measurab le outcomes for both 1015
individual inservice activities and multiple day sessions. 1016
(d) Employ multiple measurement tools for data on teacher 1017
growth, participants' use of new knowledge and skills, student 1018
learning outcomes, instructional growth outcomes, and leadership 1019
growth outcomes, as applicable. 1020
(e) Utilize active learning and engage participants 1021
directly in designing and trying out strategies, providing 1022
participants with the opportunity to engage in authentic 1023
teaching and leadership experiences. 1024
(f) Utilize artifacts, interactive activities, and other 1025
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strategies to provide deeply embedded and highly contextualized 1026
professional learning. 1027
(g) Create opportunities for collaboration. 1028
(h) Utilize coaching and expert support to involve the 1029
sharing of expertise about content and evidence -based practices, 1030
focused directly on instructional personnel and school 1031
administrator needs. 1032
(i) Provide opportunities for instructional personnel and 1033
school administrators to think about, receive input on, and mak e 1034
changes to practice by facilitating reflection and providing 1035
feedback. 1036
(j) Provide sustained duration with followup for 1037
instructional personnel and school administrators to have 1038
adequate time to learn, practice, implement, and reflect upon 1039
new strategies that facilitate changes in practice. 1040
(k) Provide training on the use of high -quality 1041
instructional materials included on the state -adopted 1042
instructional materials list pursuant to s. 1006.28, materials 1043
evaluated and identified pursuant to s. 1001.215( 4), materials 1044
developed pursuant to s. 1006.39, and materials posted online by 1045
the department, including when and how to use intervention 1046
materials. 1047
(4) The inservice activities designed to implement this 1048
section must: 1049
(a) Support and increase the succ ess of educators through 1050
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collaboratively developed school improvement plans that focus 1051
on: 1052
1. Enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies to 1053
engage students in a rigorous and knowledge-based relevant 1054
curriculum based on the Florida Educator Acco mplished Practices 1055
state and local educational standards, goals, and initiatives ; 1056
and 1057
2. Increased opportunities to provide meaningful 1058
relationships between teachers and all students; and 1059
2.3. Increased opportunities for professional 1060
collaboration among and between teachers, certified school 1061
counselors, instructional leaders, postsecondary educators 1062
engaged in preservice training for new teachers, and the 1063
workforce community. 1064
(b) Assist the school community in providing stimulating, 1065
scientific research-based educational activities that encourage 1066
and motivate students to achieve at the highest levels and to 1067
participate as active learners and that prepare students for 1068
success at subsequent educational levels and the workforce. 1069
(c) Provide continuous su pport for all education 1070
professionals as well as temporary intervention for education 1071
professionals who need improvement in knowledge, skills, and 1072
performance. 1073
(d) Provide instructional personnel and school 1074
administrators with the knowledge, skills, and best practices 1075
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necessary to support excellence in classroom instruction and 1076
educational leadership. 1077
(e) Provide training to individuals who serve as mentors 1078
or clinical educators teacher mentors as part of the 1079
professional learning certification program under s. 1012.56(8) 1080
and the professional education competency program under s. 1081
1012.56(9). The department shall develop criteria for the 1082
initial review and continued approval of clinical educator and 1083
mentor training that must include, at a minimum: 1084
1. Instruction and assessment in the Florida Educator 1085
Accomplished Practices. 1086
2. Effective communication strategies to guide reflection 1087
and personal growth. 1088
3. Effective modeling of high -impact teaching practices 1089
and skills. 1090
4. Fostering resilience in ed ucators 1091
components on teacher development, peer coaching, time 1092
management, and other related topics as determined by the 1093
Department of Education . 1094
(5) The Department of Education, school districts, 1095
schools, Florida College System institutions, and state 1096
universities share the responsibilities described in this 1097
section. These responsibilities include the following: 1098
(b) Each school district shall develop a professional 1099
learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall 1100
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be developed in consul tation with teachers, teacher -educators of 1101
Florida College System institutions and state universities, 1102
business and community representatives, and local education 1103
foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The 1104
professional learning system must : 1105
1. Be reviewed and approved by the department for 1106
compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March 1107
1, 2024, The department shall establish a calendar for the 1108
review and approval of all professional learning systems. A 1109
professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every 1110
5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must be 1111
submitted to the department for review and approval. The 1112
department shall establish a format for the review and approval 1113
of a professional learning syste m. 1114
2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and 1115
instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous, 1116
relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools 1117
and districts, in developing and refining the professional 1118
learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline 1119
data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental 1120
satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers, managers, 1121
and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators 1122
to identify school a nd student needs that can be met by improved 1123
professional performance. 1124
3. Provide inservice activities coupled with followup 1125
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support appropriate to accomplish district -level and school-1126
level improvement goals and standards. The inservice activities 1127
for instructional and school administrative personnel shall 1128
focus on analysis of student achievement data; ongoing formal 1129
and informal assessments of student achievement; identification 1130
and use of enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies 1131
that emphasize rigor, relevance, and reading in the content 1132
areas; enhancement of subject content expertise; integrated use 1133
of classroom technology that enhances teaching and learning; 1134
classroom management; parent involvement; and school safety. 1135
4. Provide inservic e activities and support targeted to 1136
the individual needs of new teachers participating in the 1137
professional learning certification and education competency 1138
program under s. 1012.56(8)(a). 1139
5. Include a professional learning catalog for inservice 1140
activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, 1141
for all district employees from all fund sources. The catalog 1142
must be updated annually by September 1, must be based on input 1143
from teachers and district and school instructional leaders, and 1144
must use the latest available student achievement data and 1145
research to enhance rigor and relevance in the classroom. Each 1146
district inservice catalog must be aligned to and support the 1147
school-based inservice catalog and school improvement plans 1148
pursuant to s. 1001.42( 18). Each district inservice catalog must 1149
provide a description of the training that middle grades 1150
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instructional personnel and school administrators receive on the 1151
district's code of student conduct adopted pursuant to s. 1152
1006.07; integrated digital instru ction and competency -based 1153
instruction and CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry 1154
certifications; classroom management; student behavior and 1155
interaction; extended learning opportunities for students; and 1156
instructional leadership. District plans m ust be approved by the 1157
district school board annually in order to ensure compliance 1158
with subsection (1) and to allow for dissemination of research -1159
based best practices to other districts. District school boards 1160
shall submit verification of their approval t o the Commissioner 1161
of Education no later than October 1, annually. Each school 1162
principal may establish and maintain an individual professional 1163
learning plan for each instructional employee assigned to the 1164
school as a seamless component to the school improv ement plans 1165
developed pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional 1166
learning plan must be related to specific performance data for 1167
the students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the 1168
inservice objectives and specific measurable improvements 1169
expected in student performance as a result of the inservice 1170
activity, and include an evaluation component that determines 1171
the effectiveness of the professional learning plan. 1172
6. Include inservice activities for school administrative 1173
personnel, aligned to the state's educational leadership 1174
standards, which address updated skills necessary for 1175
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instructional leadership and effective school management 1176
pursuant to s. 1012.986. 1177
7. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and 1178
state personnel designate d to provide technical assistance and 1179
evaluation of local professional learning programs. 1180
8. Provide for delivery of professional learning by 1181
distance learning and other technology -based delivery systems to 1182
reach more educators at lower costs. 1183
9. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality 1184
and effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to 1185
eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand 1186
effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such 1187
activities on the performance of participating educators and 1188
their students' achievement and behavior. 1189
10. For all grades, emphasize: 1190
a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and 1191
instruction. 1192
b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to 1193
the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41. 1194
c. Use of small learning communities; problem -solving, 1195
inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students; 1196
strategies and tools based on student needs; competency -based 1197
instruction; integrated d igital instruction; and project -based 1198
instruction. 1199
1200
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Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall include 1201
in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a 1202
description of the specific strategies used by the school to 1203
implement each item listed in this subparagraph. 1204
11. Provide training to reading coaches, interventionists, 1205
classroom teachers, and school administrators in effective 1206
methods of identifying characteristics of conditions such as 1207
dyslexia and other causes of diminished phonological processing 1208
skills; incorporating instructional techniques into the general 1209
education setting which are proven to improve reading 1210
performance for all students; and using predictive and other 1211
data to make instructional decisions based on indivi dual student 1212
needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic 1213
awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency; 1214
vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text 1215
comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and 1216
sequential approach to reading instruction, including 1217
multisensory intervention strategies. Such training for teaching 1218
foundational skills must be based on the science of reading and 1219
include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the 1220
primary instructional s trategy for word reading. Instructional 1221
strategies included in the training may not employ the three -1222
cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for 1223
teaching word reading. Such instructional strategies may include 1224
visual information and stra tegies which improve background and 1225
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experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language 1226
and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to 1227
teach word reading. Each district must provide all elementary 1228
grades instructional personnel access to training sufficient to 1229
meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(f). 1230
Section 11. Section 1012.981, Florida Statutes, is created 1231
to read: 1232
1012.981 The Florida Institute for Teaching Excellence. — 1233
(1) The Florida Institute for Teaching Excell ence is 1234
established at Miami Dade College, subject to an appropriation, 1235
for the purpose of preparing high -quality teachers in this state 1236
through rigorous, evidence -based programs grounded in cognitive 1237
science, high-impact teaching strategies, and the imple mentation 1238
of knowledge-rich curricula. 1239
(2) The institute shall do all of the following: 1240
(a) Develop and deliver evidence -based professional 1241
learning opportunities aligned to the Florida Educator 1242
Accomplished Practices. 1243
(b) Develop and deliver educator training programs 1244
pursuant to s. 1012.98 that integrate high -quality instructional 1245
materials included on the state -adopted instructional materials 1246
list under s. 1006.28, materials evaluated and identified 1247
pursuant to s. 1001.215(4), and materials developed by or under 1248
the direction of the department as provided in s. 1006.39. These 1249
programs must focus on the effective use of knowledge -based 1250
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curricula, highlighting when and how to incorporate intervention 1251
materials, and emphasize the importance of background knowledge 1252
in building advanced reading comprehension grounded in the 1253
science of reading and critical thinking skills. 1254
(c) Develop and design models of high -quality clinical 1255
experiences, for aspiring teachers. These mode l experiences 1256
shall serve as a standard that institutions approved pursuant to 1257
ss. 1004.04 and 1004.85 can adopt or adapt, enabling 1258
participants to demonstrate mastery of instructional techniques, 1259
classroom management strategies, and the application of hig h-1260
impact teaching strategies in authentic educational settings. 1261
(d) Collaborate with school districts and other 1262
educational stakeholders to identify emerging needs in teacher 1263
preparation and align institute programs accordingly, conducting 1264
gap analyses to provide comprehensive coverage of the science of 1265
learning, high-impact teaching strategies, and knowledge -rich 1266
curriculum implementation. 1267
(e) Establish a statewide network of teachers and 1268
instructional leaders equipped with the knowledge and skills to 1269
mentor and support aspiring and current educators participating 1270
in the institute's programs. This network shall model effective 1271
pedagogical practices and facilitate professional growth. 1272
(f) Conduct research and disseminate findings on high -1273
impact teaching practices and the implementation of knowledge -1274
based curricula to inform policy, improve classroom instruction, 1275
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and address the importance of background knowledge in student 1276
achievement. 1277
(g) Report to the department the completion of 1278
professional learning by individuals who are not employed by 1279
entities with an approved professional learning system. 1280
(3) The institute may submit a professional learning 1281
system for approval pursuant to s. 1012.98. 1282
(4) The institute may apply for and receive federal, 1283
state, or local agency grants for the purposes of this section. 1284
(5) The Miami Dade College Board of Trustees in 1285
collaboration with the Florida Department of Education shall 1286
establish policies for the supervision, administration, and 1287
governance of the institu te. 1288
Section 12. Effective July 1, 2029, subsection (5) of 1289
section 1012.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1290
1012.55 Positions for which certificates required. — 1291
(5) Notwithstanding this section and ss. 1012.32 and 1292
1012.56, or any other provisio n of law or rule to the contrary, 1293
the State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow for the 1294
issuance of a classical education teaching certificate, upon the 1295
request of a classical school, to any applicant who fulfills the 1296
requirements of s. 1012.56(2 )(a)-(f) and (9) (11) and any other 1297
criteria established by the department. Such certificate is only 1298
valid at a classical school. For the purposes of this 1299
subsection, the term "classical school" means a school that 1300
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implements and provides professional lear ning in a classical 1301
education school model that emphasizes the development of 1302
students in the principles of moral character and civic virtue 1303
through a well-rounded education in the liberal arts and 1304
sciences that is based on the classical trivium stages of 1305
grammar, logic, and rhetoric. 1306
Section 13. Effective July 1, 2029, subsection (1) of 1307
section 1012.57, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1308
1012.57 Certification of adjunct educators. — 1309
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 1012.32, 1310
1012.55, and 1012.56, or any other provision of law or rule to 1311
the contrary, district school boards and charter school 1312
governing boards shall adopt rules to allow for the issuance of 1313
an adjunct teaching certificate to any applicant who fulfills 1314
the requirements of s. 1 012.56(2)(a)-(f) and (9) (11) and who 1315
has expertise in the subject area to be taught. An applicant is 1316
considered to have expertise in the subject area to be taught if 1317
the applicant demonstrates sufficient subject area mastery 1318
through passage of a subject a rea test or has achieved an 1319
industry certification in the subject area to be taught. 1320
Section 14. Effective July 1, 2029, paragraph (b) of 1321
subsection (5) of section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, is amended 1322
to read: 1323
1012.98 School Community Professional Learning Act.— 1324
(5) The Department of Education, school districts, 1325
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schools, Florida College System institutions, and state 1326
universities share the responsibilities described in this 1327
section. These responsibilities include the following: 1328
(b) Each school district shall develop a professional 1329
learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall 1330
be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher -educators of 1331
Florida College System institutions and state universities, 1332
business and community repres entatives, and local education 1333
foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The 1334
professional learning system must: 1335
1. Be reviewed and approved by the department for 1336
compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March 1337
1, 2024, The department shall establish a calendar for the 1338
review and approval of all professional learning systems. A 1339
professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every 1340
5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must be 1341
submitted to the department f or review and approval. The 1342
department shall establish a format for the review and approval 1343
of a professional learning system. 1344
2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and 1345
instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous, 1346
relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools 1347
and districts, in developing and refining the professional 1348
learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline 1349
data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental 1350
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satisfaction; performan ce appraisal data of teachers, managers, 1351
and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators 1352
to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved 1353
professional performance. 1354
3. Provide inservice activities coupled with followup 1355
support appropriate to accomplish district -level and school-1356
level improvement goals and standards. The inservice activities 1357
for instructional and school administrative personnel shall 1358
focus on analysis of student achievement data; ongoing formal 1359
and informal assessments of student achievement; identification 1360
and use of enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies 1361
that emphasize rigor, relevance, and reading in the content 1362
areas; enhancement of subject content expertise; integrated use 1363
of classroom technology that enhances teaching and learning; 1364
classroom management; parent involvement; and school safety. 1365
4. Provide inservice activities and support targeted to 1366
the individual needs of new teachers participating in the 1367
professional learning certification a nd education competency 1368
program under s. 1012.56(8)(a) . 1369
5. Include a professional learning catalog for inservice 1370
activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, 1371
for all district employees from all fund sources. The catalog 1372
must be updated annually by September 1, must be based on input 1373
from teachers and district and school instructional leaders, and 1374
must use the latest available student achievement data and 1375
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research to enhance rigor and relevance in the classroom. Each 1376
district inservice ca talog must be aligned to and support the 1377
school-based inservice catalog and school improvement plans 1378
pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). Each district inservice catalog must 1379
provide a description of the training that middle grades 1380
instructional personnel and schoo l administrators receive on the 1381
district's code of student conduct adopted pursuant to s. 1382
1006.07; integrated digital instruction and competency -based 1383
instruction and CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry 1384
certifications; classroom management; st udent behavior and 1385
interaction; extended learning opportunities for students; and 1386
instructional leadership. District plans must be approved by the 1387
district school board annually in order to ensure compliance 1388
with subsection (1) and to allow for disseminati on of research-1389
based best practices to other districts. District school boards 1390
shall submit verification of their approval to the Commissioner 1391
of Education no later than October 1, annually. Each school 1392
principal may establish and maintain an individual pr ofessional 1393
learning plan for each instructional employee assigned to the 1394
school as a seamless component to the school improvement plans 1395
developed pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional 1396
learning plan must be related to specific performance d ata for 1397
the students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the 1398
inservice objectives and specific measurable improvements 1399
expected in student performance as a result of the inservice 1400
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activity, and include an evaluation component that determines 1401
the effectiveness of the professional learning plan. 1402
6. Include inservice activities for school administrative 1403
personnel, aligned to the state's educational leadership 1404
standards, which address updated skills necessary for 1405
instructional leadership and effective sch ool management 1406
pursuant to s. 1012.986. 1407
7. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and 1408
state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and 1409
evaluation of local professional learning programs. 1410
8. Provide for delivery of professional learning by 1411
distance learning and other technology -based delivery systems to 1412
reach more educators at lower costs. 1413
9. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality 1414
and effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to 1415
eliminate ineffectiv e programs and strategies and to expand 1416
effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such 1417
activities on the performance of participating educators and 1418
their students' achievement and behavior. 1419
10. For all grades, emphasize: 1420
a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and 1421
instruction. 1422
b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to 1423
the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41. 1424
c. Use of small learning communities; problem -solving, 1425
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inquiry-driven research and anal ytical approaches for students; 1426
strategies and tools based on student needs; competency -based 1427
instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project -based 1428
instruction. 1429
1430
Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall include 1431
in its school improv ement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a 1432
description of the specific strategies used by the school to 1433
implement each item listed in this subparagraph. 1434
11. Provide training to reading coaches , interventionists, 1435
classroom teachers, and school administr ators in effective 1436
methods of identifying characteristics of conditions such as 1437
dyslexia and other causes of diminished phonological processing 1438
skills; incorporating instructional techniques into the general 1439
education setting which are proven to improve re ading 1440
performance for all students; and using predictive and other 1441
data to make instructional decisions based on individual student 1442
needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic 1443
awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency; 1444
vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text 1445
comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and 1446
sequential approach to reading instruction, including 1447
multisensory intervention strategies. Such training for teaching 1448
foundational skills must be b ased on the science of reading and 1449
include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the 1450
CS/CS/HB 875 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb875-02-c2
Page 59 of 59
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
primary instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional 1451
strategies included in the training may not employ the three -1452
cueing system model of reading or vi sual memory as a basis for 1453
teaching word reading. Such instructional strategies may include 1454
visual information and strategies which improve background and 1455
experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language 1456
and vocabulary to support comprehensi on, but may not be used to 1457
teach word reading. Each district must provide all elementary 1458
grades instructional personnel access to training sufficient to 1459
meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(f). 1460
Section 15. Except as otherwise expressly provided in t his 1461
act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 1462