Bill Text: FL S0934 | 2021 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-26 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1159 (Ch. 2021-228), CS/HB 7011 (Ch. 2021-9), CS/CS/SB 1028 (Ch. 2021-35) [S0934 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S0934-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2021 CS for CS for SB 934
By the Committees on Appropriations; and Education; and Senator
Wright
576-04662-21 2021934c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 1001.43,
3 F.S.; authorizing members of certain committees of a
4 district school board to attend meetings and establish
5 quorums in person or through the use of
6 telecommunications networks; prohibiting any official
7 action of a district school board from being taken at
8 any meeting of such committees; amending s. 1003.621,
9 F.S.; authorizing academically high-performing school
10 districts to provide up to 2 days of virtual
11 instruction; specifying requirements for such virtual
12 instruction for such virtual instruction to comply
13 with a specified provision; amending s. 1004.04, F.S.;
14 requiring additional specified strategies to be
15 included in rules establishing uniform core curricula
16 for each state-approved teacher preparation program;
17 requiring that certain teacher preparation programs
18 require students to demonstrate mastery of general
19 knowledge by passing the General Knowledge Test of the
20 Florida Teacher Certification Examination by the time
21 of graduation; deleting a provision authorizing a
22 teacher preparation program to waive certain
23 admissions requirements for up to 10 percent of
24 admitted students; amending s. 1004.85, F.S.;
25 expanding the instruction that an educator preparation
26 institute may provide to include instruction and
27 professional development for part-time and full-time
28 nondegreed teachers of career programs; requiring the
29 Department of Education to approve a certification
30 program if an institute provides evidence of its
31 capacity to implement a competency-based program that
32 includes specified strategies; amending s. 1012.39,
33 F.S.; revising the minimum qualifications for part
34 time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career
35 programs; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; revising the
36 acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of general
37 knowledge to include documentation of receipt of a
38 master’s or higher degree from certain postsecondary
39 institutions; revising the criteria for the Department
40 of Education to issue a professional certificate;
41 amending s. 1012.575, F.S.; authorizing an
42 organization of private schools or a consortium of
43 charter schools with an approved professional
44 development system to design alternative teacher
45 preparation programs; amending s. 1012.986, F.S.;
46 defining the term “educational leader”; providing that
47 the William Cecil Golden Professional Development
48 Program for School Leaders must consist of a network
49 of specified entities; revising the goals of the
50 program; requiring the department to offer program
51 components through university or educational
52 leadership academies and through educational
53 leadership coaching and mentoring; making technical
54 changes; providing an effective date.
55
56 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
57
58 Section 1. Subsection (10) of section 1001.43, Florida
59 Statutes, is amended to read:
60 1001.43 Supplemental powers and duties of district school
61 board.—The district school board may exercise the following
62 supplemental powers and duties as authorized by this code or
63 State Board of Education rule.
64 (10) DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS.—The
65 district school board may adopt policies and procedures
66 necessary for the daily business operation of the district
67 school board, including, but not limited to, the provision of
68 legal services for the district school board; conducting a
69 district legislative program; district school board member
70 participation at conferences, conventions, and workshops,
71 including member compensation and reimbursement for expenses;
72 district school board policy development, adoption, and repeal;
73 district school board meeting procedures, including
74 participation via telecommunications networks, use of technology
75 at meetings, and presentations by nondistrict personnel; citizen
76 communications with the district school board and with
77 individual district school board members; collaboration with
78 local government and other entities as required by law; and
79 organization of the district school board, including special
80 committees and advisory committees. Members of special
81 committees and advisory committees may attend meetings and
82 establish quorums in person or through the use of
83 telecommunications networks such as telephonic and video
84 conferencing. No official action of the school board may be
85 taken at any meeting of a special committee or an advisory
86 committee.
87 Section 2. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section
88 1003.621, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
89 1003.621 Academically high-performing school districts.—It
90 is the intent of the Legislature to recognize and reward school
91 districts that demonstrate the ability to consistently maintain
92 or improve their high-performing status. The purpose of this
93 section is to provide high-performing school districts with
94 flexibility in meeting the specific requirements in statute and
95 rules of the State Board of Education.
96 (2) COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTES AND RULES.—Each academically
97 high-performing school district shall comply with all of the
98 provisions in chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the State Board
99 of Education which implement these provisions, pertaining to the
100 following:
101 (g) Those statutes pertaining to planning and budgeting,
102 including chapter 1011, except s. 1011.62(9)(d), relating to the
103 requirement for a comprehensive reading plan. A district that is
104 exempt from submitting a comprehensive reading this plan shall
105 be deemed approved to receive the research-based reading
106 instruction allocation. Each academically high-performing school
107 district may provide up to 2 days of virtual instruction as part
108 of the required 180 actual teaching days or the equivalent on an
109 hourly basis each school year, as specified by rules of the
110 State Board of Education. Virtual instruction that is conducted
111 in accordance with the plan approved by the department, is
112 teacher-developed, and is aligned with the standards for
113 enrolled courses complies with s. 1011.60(2). The day or days
114 must be indicated on the calendar approved by the school board.
115 The district shall submit a plan for each day of virtual
116 instruction to the department for approval, in a format
117 prescribed by the department, with assurances of alignment to
118 statewide student standards as described in s. 1003.41 before
119 the start of each school year.
120 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and paragraph
121 (b) of subsection (3) of section 1004.04, Florida Statutes, are
122 amended to read:
123 1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for
124 teacher preparation programs.—
125 (2) UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT.—
126 (b) The rules to establish uniform core curricula for each
127 state-approved teacher preparation program must include, but are
128 not limited to, the following:
129 1. Candidate instruction and assessment in the Florida
130 Educator Accomplished Practices across content areas.
131 2. The use of state-adopted content standards to guide
132 curricula and instruction.
133 3. Scientifically researched and evidence-based reading
134 instructional strategies that improve reading performance for
135 all students, including explicit, systematic, and sequential
136 approaches to teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary,
137 fluency, and text comprehension and multisensory intervention
138 strategies.
139 4. Content literacy and mathematics practices.
140 5. Strategies appropriate for the instruction of English
141 language learners.
142 6. Strategies appropriate for the instruction of students
143 with disabilities.
144 7. Strategies to differentiate instruction based on student
145 needs.
146 8. The use of character-based classroom management.
147 9. Strategies appropriate for the early identification of
148 students in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge and
149 the referral of such students to a mental health professional
150 for support.
151 10. Strategies to support the use of technology in
152 education and distance learning.
153 (3) INITIAL STATE PROGRAM APPROVAL.—
154 (b) Each teacher preparation program approved by the
155 Department of Education, as provided for by this section, shall
156 require students to meet, at a minimum, the following
157 requirements as prerequisites for admission into the program:
158 1. For admission into the program, have a grade point
159 average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the general education
160 component of undergraduate studies or have completed the
161 requirements for a baccalaureate degree with a minimum grade
162 point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from any college or
163 university accredited by a regional accrediting association as
164 defined by State Board of Education rule or any college or
165 university otherwise approved pursuant to State Board of
166 Education rule.
167 2. Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge sufficient for
168 entry into the program, including the ability to read, write,
169 and perform in mathematics, by passing the General Knowledge
170 Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination by the
171 time of graduation or, for a graduate level program, obtain a
172 baccalaureate degree from an institution that is accredited or
173 approved pursuant to the rules of the State Board of Education.
174
175 Each teacher preparation program may waive these admissions
176 requirements for up to 10 percent of the students admitted.
177 Programs shall implement strategies to ensure that students
178 admitted under a waiver receive assistance to demonstrate
179 competencies to successfully meet requirements for certification
180 and shall annually report to the Department of Education the
181 status of each candidate admitted under such a waiver.
182 Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) and paragraphs
183 (a) and (b) of subsection (3) of section 1004.85, Florida
184 Statutes, are amended to read:
185 1004.85 Postsecondary educator preparation institutes.—
186 (2)(a) Postsecondary institutions that are accredited or
187 approved as described in State Board of Education rule may seek
188 approval from the Department of Education to create educator
189 preparation institutes for the purpose of providing any or all
190 of the following:
191 1. Professional development instruction to assist teachers
192 in improving classroom instruction and in meeting certification
193 or recertification requirements.
194 2. Instruction to assist potential and existing substitute
195 teachers in performing their duties.
196 3. Instruction to assist paraprofessionals in meeting
197 education and training requirements.
198 4. Instruction for baccalaureate degree holders to become
199 certified teachers as provided in this section in order to
200 increase routes to the classroom for mid-career professionals
201 who hold a baccalaureate degree and college graduates who were
202 not education majors.
203 5. Instruction and professional development for part-time
204 and full-time nondegreed teachers of career programs under s.
205 1012.39(1)(c).
206 (3) Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to
207 this section may offer competency-based certification programs
208 specifically designed for noneducation major baccalaureate
209 degree holders to enable program participants to meet the
210 educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator
211 preparation institute choosing to offer a competency-based
212 certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section
213 must implement a program previously approved by the Department
214 of Education for this purpose or a program developed by the
215 institute and approved by the department for this purpose.
216 Approved programs shall be available for use by other approved
217 educator preparation institutes.
218 (a) Within 90 days after receipt of a request for approval,
219 the Department of Education shall approve a preparation program
220 pursuant to the requirements of this subsection or issue a
221 statement of the deficiencies in the request for approval. The
222 department shall approve a certification program if the
223 institute provides evidence of the institute’s capacity to
224 implement a competency-based program that includes each of the
225 following:
226 1.a. Participant instruction and assessment in the Florida
227 Educator Accomplished Practices across content areas.
228 b. The use of state-adopted student content standards to
229 guide curriculum and instruction.
230 c. Scientifically researched and evidence-based reading
231 instructional strategies that improve reading performance for
232 all students, including explicit, systematic, and sequential
233 approaches to teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary,
234 fluency, and text comprehension and multisensory intervention
235 strategies.
236 d. Content literacy and mathematical practices.
237 e. Strategies appropriate for instruction of English
238 language learners.
239 f. Strategies appropriate for instruction of students with
240 disabilities.
241 g. Strategies to differentiate instruction based on student
242 needs.
243 h. The use of character-based classroom management.
244 i. Strategies appropriate for the early identification of
245 students in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge and
246 the referral of such students to a mental health professional
247 for support.
248 j. Strategies to support the use of technology in education
249 and distance learning.
250 2. An educational plan for each participant to meet
251 certification requirements and demonstrate his or her ability to
252 teach the subject area for which the participant is seeking
253 certification, which is based on an assessment of his or her
254 competency in the areas listed in subparagraph 1.
255 3. Field experiences appropriate to the certification
256 subject area specified in the educational plan with a diverse
257 population of students in a variety of challenging environments,
258 including, but not limited to, high-poverty schools, urban
259 schools, and rural schools, under the supervision of qualified
260 educators.
261 4. A certification ombudsman to facilitate the process and
262 procedures required for participants who complete the program to
263 meet any requirements related to the background screening
264 pursuant to s. 1012.32 and educator professional or temporary
265 certification pursuant to s. 1012.56.
266 (b) Each program participant must:
267 1. Meet certification requirements pursuant to s.
268 1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in
269 the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet
270 the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f).
271 2. Participate in coursework and field experiences that are
272 appropriate to his or her educational plan prepared under
273 paragraph (a).
274 3. Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his
275 or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is
276 seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on
277 student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12
278 setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving
279 a passing score on the professional education competency
280 examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area
281 examination for the subject area certification which is required
282 by state board rule.
283 Section 5. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
284 1012.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
285 1012.39 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of
286 adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and
287 career specialists; students performing clinical field
288 experience.—
289 (1) Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and
290 1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary,
291 each district school board shall establish the minimal
292 qualifications for:
293 (c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career
294 programs. Qualifications shall be established for nondegreed
295 teachers of career and technical education courses for program
296 clusters that are recognized in the state and are based
297 primarily on successful occupational experience rather than
298 academic training. The qualifications for such teachers shall
299 require:
300 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same
301 manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to
302 conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
303 requirement.
304 2. Documentation of education and successful occupational
305 experience including documentation of:
306 a. A high school diploma or the equivalent.
307 b. Completion of 6 years of full-time successful
308 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time
309 experience in the teaching specialization area. The district
310 school board may establish alternative qualifications for
311 teachers with an industry certification in the career area in
312 which they teach.
313 c. Completion of career education training conducted
314 through the local school district inservice master plan or
315 through an educator preparation institute approved by the State
316 Board of Education pursuant to s. 1004.85.
317 d. For full-time teachers, completion of professional
318 education training in teaching methods, course construction,
319 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs
320 students. This training may be completed through coursework from
321 an accredited or approved institution or an approved district
322 teacher education program.
323 e. Demonstration of successful teaching performance.
324 f. Documentation of industry certification when state or
325 national industry certifications are available and applicable.
326 Section 6. Subsection (3) and paragraph (a) of subsection
327 (7) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
328 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
329 (3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
330 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
331 (a) Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge
332 examination required by state board rule;
333 (b) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching
334 certificate issued by another state;
335 (c) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the
336 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national
337 educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of
338 Education;
339 (d) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time
340 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution,
341 state university, or private college or university that awards
342 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution
343 or an institution of higher education identified by the
344 Department of Education as having a quality program; or
345 (e) Achievement of passing scores, identified in state
346 board rule, on national or international examinations that test
347 comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical
348 writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not
349 limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative
350 reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination. Passing
351 scores identified in state board rule must be at approximately
352 the same level of rigor as is required to pass the general
353 knowledge examinations; or
354 (f) Documentation of receipt of a master’s or higher degree
355 from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that
356 the Department of Education has identified as having a quality
357 program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher.
358
359 A school district that employs an individual who does not
360 achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge
361 examination must provide information regarding the availability
362 of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to
363 assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information
364 must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test
365 information guides, school district test preparation resources,
366 and preparation courses offered by state universities and
367 Florida College System institutions.
368 (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
369 (a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional
370 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant
371 who fulfills one of the following:
372 1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in
373 subsection (2).
374 2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through
375 12:
376 a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)
377 (h).
378 b. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of
379 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
380 c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the
381 advanced degree.
382 d. Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s
383 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on
384 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized
385 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International
386 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate
387 examination.
388 e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional
389 education competency examination required by state board rule.
390 3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)
391 (h) and completes a professional preparation and education
392 competence program approved by the department pursuant to
393 paragraph (8)(c) or an educator preparation institute approved
394 by the department pursuant to s. 1004.85. An applicant who
395 completes one of these programs the program and is rated highly
396 effective as determined by his or her performance evaluation
397 under s. 1012.34 is not required to take or achieve a passing
398 score on the professional education competency examination in
399 order to be awarded a professional certificate.
400
401 Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
402 and is nonrenewable. At least 1 year before an individual’s
403 temporary certificate is set to expire, the department shall
404 electronically notify the individual of the date on which his or
405 her certificate will expire and provide a list of each method by
406 which the qualifications for a professional certificate can be
407 completed. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
408 allow the department to extend the validity period of a
409 temporary certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
410 professional certificate were not completed due to the serious
411 illness or injury of the applicant, the military service of an
412 applicant’s spouse, other extraordinary extenuating
413 circumstances, or if the certificateholder is rated highly
414 effective in the immediate prior year’s performance evaluation
415 pursuant to s. 1012.34 or has completed a 2-year mentorship
416 program pursuant to s. 1012.56(8). The department shall extend
417 the temporary certificate upon approval by the Commissioner of
418 Education. A written request for extension of the certificate
419 shall be submitted by the district school superintendent, the
420 governing authority of a university lab school, the governing
421 authority of a state-supported school, or the governing
422 authority of a private school.
423 Section 7. Section 1012.575, Florida Statutes, is amended
424 to read:
425 1012.575 Alternative preparation programs for certified
426 teachers to add additional coverage.—A district school board, or
427 an organization of private schools or a consortium of charter
428 schools with an approved professional development system as
429 described in s. 1012.98(6), may design alternative teacher
430 preparation programs to enable persons already certificated to
431 add an additional coverage to their certificates. Each
432 alternative teacher preparation program shall be reviewed and
433 approved by the Department of Education to assure that persons
434 who complete the program are competent in the necessary areas of
435 subject matter specialization. Two or more school districts may
436 jointly participate in an alternative preparation program for
437 teachers.
438 Section 8. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 1012.986,
439 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
440 1012.986 William Cecil Golden Professional Development
441 Program for School Leaders.—
442 (1) There is established the William Cecil Golden
443 Professional Development Program for School Leaders to provide
444 high-quality high standards and sustained support for
445 educational principals as instructional leaders. For purposes of
446 this section, “educational leader” means teacher leaders,
447 assistant principals, principals, or school district leaders.
448 The program shall consist of a collaborative network of school
449 districts, state-approved educational leadership programs,
450 regional consortia, charter management organizations, and state
451 and national professional leadership organizations to respond to
452 educational instructional leadership needs throughout the state.
453 The network shall support the human-resource development needs
454 of educational leaders principals, principal leadership teams,
455 and candidates for principal leadership positions using the
456 framework of leadership standards adopted by the State Board of
457 Education, the Southern Regional Education Board, and the
458 National Staff Development Council. The goal of the network
459 leadership program is to:
460 (a) Provide resources to support and enhance the roles of
461 educational leaders principal’s role as the instructional
462 leader.
463 (b) Maintain a clearinghouse and disseminate data-supported
464 information related to the continued enhancement of enhanced
465 student achievement and learning, civic education, coaching and
466 mentoring, mental health awareness, technology in education,
467 distance learning, and school safety, based on educational
468 research and best practices.
469 (c) Build the capacity to Increase the quality and capacity
470 of educational leadership development programs for preservice
471 education for aspiring principals and inservice professional
472 development for principals and principal leadership teams.
473 (d) Support evidence-based leadership best teaching and
474 research-based instructional practices through dissemination and
475 modeling at the preservice and inservice levels for educational
476 leaders both teachers and principals.
477 (2) The Department of Education shall coordinate through
478 the network identified in subsection (1) to offer the program
479 components through multiple delivery systems, including:
480 (a) Approved school district training programs.
481 (b) Interactive technology-based instruction.
482 (c) Regional consortium service organizations pursuant to
483 s. 1001.451.
484 (d) State, regional, university, or local educational
485 leadership academies.
486 (e) Educational leadership coaching and mentoring.
487 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.
