Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 By the Committee on Education Pre-K -12 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 1 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to deregulation of public 2 schools/instructional, administrative, and support 3 personnel; amending s. 1002.451, F.S.; requiring 4 innovation schools of technology to comply with 5 specified provisions of law relating to instructional 6 multiyear contracts for instructional personnel in 7 addition to annual contracts; amending s. 1002.55, 8 F.S.; requiring newly hired prekindergarten 9 instructors to complete specified training within a 10 specified timeframe; deleting obsolete language; 11 amending s. 1004.88, F.S.; authorizing the Florida 12 Institute for Charter School Innovation to develop a 13 professional learning system; amending s. 1011.6202, 14 F.S.; requiring schools participating in the Principal 15 Autonomy Program Initiative to comply with specified 16 provisions of law relating to instructional multiyear 17 contracts for instructional personnel in addition to 18 annual contracts; amending s. 1012.05, F.S.; 19 authorizing, rather than requiring, district school 20 boards to base certain polices on guidelines from the 21 Department of Education; revising the frequency with 22 which school districts must submit certain information 23 to the department; amending s. 1012.07, F.S.; 24 requiring the State Board of Education to develop 25 written strategies to address critical teacher 26 shortages; making a technical change; amending s. 27 1012.22, F.S.; deleting a prohibition on district 28 school boards using advanced degrees to set salary 29

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 2 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. schedules for instructional personnel and school 30 administrators hired after a specified date; deleting 31 requirements relating to annual salary adjustments; 32 providing that collective bargaining may not preclude 33 a district school board from carrying out specified 34 duties; providing that if a superintendent appears 35 before the State Board of Education for a specified 36 purpose, the president of the school district 37 bargaining unit also must appear; making technical 38 changes; amending s. 1012.2315, F.S.; providing that 39 provisions of law relating to the assignment of 40 teachers apply to inexperienced teachers instead of 41 temporarily certified teachers; defining the term 42 “inexperienced teacher”; providing that a school 43 district may still provide specified incentives to 44 teachers despite collective bargaining provisions; 45 making technical changes; amending s. 1012.335, F.S.; 46 defining the term “instructional multiyear contract”; 47 providing requirements for the award of an 48 instructional multiyear contract; requiring that an 49 employee awarded an instructional multiyear contract 50 be returned to an annual contract under certain 51 conditions; making conforming and technical changes; 52 amending s. 1012.34, F.S.; requiring that procedures 53 and requirements established by the district school 54 superintendent for performance evaluations be approved 55 by the district school board; requiring the district 56 school superintendent to submit evaluation systems to 57 the department under certain circumstances; deleting a 58

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 3 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. requirement for the department to approve and monitor 59 each school district’s evaluation systems; revising 60 the portion of a performance evaluation that is based 61 on student performance; deleting requirements for 62 performance evaluations; providing that student 63 performance may not be the sole determinant for 64 incentive pay for instructional personnel or school 65 administrators; amending s. 1012.39, F.S.; revising an 66 occupational experience qualification requirement for 67 nondegreed teachers of career programs; deleting a 68 training requirement for full-time nondegreed teachers 69 of career programs; amending s. 1012.42, F.S.; 70 providing that a teacher is considered in-field under 71 certain circumstances; defining the term “self-72 contained classroom”; amending s. 1012.45, F.S.; 73 revising requirements for school bus drivers; 74 authorizing district school boards to adopt additional 75 requirements for school bus drivers; requiring school 76 bus drivers and school bus attendants to complete 77 training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first 78 aid; requiring school districts to maintain 79 documentation of such training; requiring district 80 school boards to provide training to school bus 81 drivers and school bus attendants relating to students 82 with disabilities; deleting a requirement for the 83 State Board of Education to adopt rules relating to 84 school bus drivers; amending s. 1012.555, F.S.; 85 revising requirements for individuals to participate 86 in the Teacher Apprenticeship Program; amending s. 87

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 4 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 1012.56, F.S.; adding an additional method for an 88 individual seeking an educator certification to 89 demonstrate a mastery of general knowledge; 90 authorizing school districts and consortia of school 91 districts to issue temporary certificates under 92 certain conditions; conforming a cross-reference; 93 amending s. 1012.57, F.S.; deleting a provision 94 relating to adjunct teaching certificates; amending s. 95 1012.575, F.S.; providing that certain provisions 96 relating to alternative teacher preparation programs 97 also apply to the Florida Institute for Charter School 98 Innovation; amending s. 1012.585, F.S.; revising the 99 validity period for professional certificates; 100 providing eligibility requirements for 5-year and 10-101 year professional certificates; revising requirements 102 for the renewal of professional certificates; 103 authorizing certain private school teachers to extend 104 the expiration date of a professional certificate; 105 repealing s. 1012.72, F.S., relating to the Dale 106 Hickam Excellent Teaching Program; amending s. 107 1012.98, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; providing 108 that provisions relating to the development of a 109 professional learning system apply to the Florida 110 Institute for Charter School Innovation; making 111 technical changes; amending ss. 1004.04, 1004.85, and 112 1012.586, F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing 113 an effective date. 114 115 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 116

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 5 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 117

Section 1. Paragraph (

a) of subsection (5) of

section 118 1002.451, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 119 1002.451 District innovation school of technology program.— 120

(5) EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES.— 121 (

a) An innovation school of technology is exempt from 122 chapters 1000-1013. However, an innovation school of technology 123 shall comply with the following provisions of those chapters: 124 1. Laws pertaining to the following: 125 a. Schools of technology, including this section. 126 b. Student assessment program and school grading system. 127 c. Services to students who have disabilities. 128 d. Civil rights, including s. 1000.05, relating to 129 discrimination. 130 e. Student health, safety, and welfare. 131 2. Laws governing the election and compensation of district 132 school board members and election or appointment and 133 compensation of district school superintendents. 134

Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except 135 that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is 136 the average at the school level. 137 4. Sections 1012.22(1)(

c) and 1012.27(2), relating to 138 compensation and salary schedules. 139 5.

Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions, 140 for annual contracts for instructional personnel. This 141 subparagraph does not apply to at-will employees. 142

Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with 143 instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011, for 144 annual or instructional multiyear contracts for instructional 145

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 6 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. personnel. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will 146 employees. 147

Section 1012.34, relating to requirements for 148 performance evaluations of instructional personnel and school 149 administrators. 150

Section 2. Paragraph (

c) of subsection (3) of

section 151 1002.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 152 1002.55 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by 153 private prekindergarten providers.— 154

(3) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program, 155 a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the 156 following requirements: 157 (

c) The private prekindergarten provider must have, for 158 each prekindergarten class of 11 children or fewer, at least one 159 prekindergarten instructor who meets each of the following 160 requirements: 161 1. The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum, 162 one of the following credentials: 163 a. A child development associate credential issued by the 164 National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional 165 Recognition; or 166 b.

A credential approved by the Department of Children and 167 Families as being equivalent to or greater than the credential 168 described in sub-subparagraph a. 169 170 The Department of Children and Families may adopt rules under 171 ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and procedures 172 for approving equivalent credentials under sub-subparagraph b. 173 2. The prekindergarten instructor must successfully 174

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 7 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. complete three emergent literacy training courses that include 175 developmentally appropriate and experiential learning practices 176 for children and a student performance standards training course 177 approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum 178 standards adopted under s. 1002.59.

A newly hired 179 prekindergarten instructor must complete the three emergent 180 literacy training courses within 30 calendar days after being 181 hired if the instructor has not previously completed the 182 courses. The prekindergarten instructor must complete an 183 emergent literacy training course at least once every 5 years 184 after initially completing the three emergent literacy training 185 courses. The courses in this subparagraph must be recognized as 186 part of the informal early learning and career pathway 187 identified by the department under s. 1002.995(1)(b).

The 188 requirement for completion of the standards training course 189 shall take effect July 1, 2022. The courses must be made 190 available online or in person. 191

Section 3. Present subsections (3) and (4) of

section 192 1004.88, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4) 193 and (5), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to that 194 section, to read: 195 1004.88 Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation.— 196

(3) The institute may develop a professional learning 197 system pursuant to s. 1012.98(7). 198

Section 4. Paragraph (

b) of subsection (3) of

section 199 1011.6202, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 200 1011.6202 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative.—The 201 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative is created within the 202 Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to 203

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 8 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. provide a highly effective principal of a participating school 204 with increased autonomy and authority to operate his or her 205 school, as well as other schools, in a way that produces 206 significant improvements in student achievement and school 207 management while complying with constitutional requirements. The 208 State Board of Education may, upon approval of a principal 209 autonomy proposal, enter into a performance contract with the 210 district school board for participation in the program. 211

(3) EXEMPTION FROM LAWS.— 212 (

b) A participating school or a school operated by a 213 principal pursuant to subsection (5) shall comply with the 214 provisions of chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the state board 215 that implement those provisions, pertaining to the following: 216 1. Those laws relating to the election and compensation of 217 district school board members, the election or appointment and 218 compensation of district school superintendents, public meetings 219 and public records requirements, financial disclosure, and 220 conflicts of interest. 221 2. Those laws relating to the student assessment program 222 and school grading system, including

chapter 1008. 223 3. Those laws relating to the provision of services to 224 students with disabilities. 225 4. Those laws relating to civil rights, including s. 226 1000.05, relating to discrimination. 227 5. Those laws relating to student health, safety, and 228 welfare. 229 6.

Section 1001.42(4)(f), relating to the uniform opening 230 date for public schools. 231

Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except 232

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 9 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is 233 the average at the school level for a participating school. 234 8. Sections 1012.22(1)(

c) and 1012.27(2), relating to 235 compensation and salary schedules. 236 9.

Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions for 237 annual contracts for instructional personnel. This subparagraph 238 does not apply to at-will employees. 239

Section 1012.335, relating to annual or instructional 240 multiyear contracts for instructional personnel hired on or 241 after July 1, 2011. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will 242 employees. 243

Section 1012.34, relating to personnel evaluation 244 procedures and criteria. 245 12. Those laws pertaining to educational facilities, 246 including

chapter 1013, except that s. 1013.20, relating to 247 covered walkways for relocatables, and s. 1013.21, relating to 248 the use of relocatable facilities exceeding 20 years of age, are 249 eligible for exemption. 250 13. Those laws pertaining to participating school 251 districts, including this

section and ss. 1011.69(2) and 252 1012.28(8). 253

Section 5. Subsection (3) of

section 1012.05, Florida 254 Statutes, is amended to read: 255 1012.05 Teacher recruitment and retention.— 256 (3)(

a) Each school board shall adopt policies relating to 257 mentors and support for first-time teachers which may include 258 the based upon guidelines issued by the Department of Education. 259 (

b) By September 15 and February 15 each school year, each 260 school district shall electronically submit accurate public 261

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 10 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. school e-mail addresses for all instructional and administrative 262 personnel, as identified in s. 1012.01(2) and (3), to the 263 Department of Education. 264

Section

Section 1012.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to 265 read: 266 1012.07 Identification of critical teacher shortage areas.—267 The term “critical teacher shortage area” means high-need 268 content areas and high-priority location areas identified by the 269 State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall 270 adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 necessary to 271 annually identify critical teacher shortage areas. The state 272 board must consider current and emerging educational 273 requirements and workforce demands in determining critical 274 teacher shortage areas.

School grade levels may also be 275 designated critical teacher shortage areas. Individual district 276 school boards may identify and submit other critical teacher 277 shortage areas. Such submissions must be aligned to current and 278 emerging educational requirements and workforce demands in order 279 to be approved by the State Board of Education. High-priority 280 location areas must shall be in high-density, low-economic urban 281 schools; low-density, low-economic rural schools; and schools 282 that earned a grade of “F” or three consecutive grades of “D” 283 pursuant to s. 1008.34.

The State Board of Education shall 284 develop written strategies to address the critical teacher 285 shortages identified. 286

Section 7. Paragraph (

c) of subsection (1) of

section 287 1012.22, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (3) is 288 added to that section, to read: 289 1012.22 Public school personnel; powers and duties of the 290

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 11 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. district school board.—The district school board shall: 291

(1) Designate positions to be filled, prescribe 292 qualifications for those positions, and provide for the 293 appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal 294 of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this 295 chapter: 296 (

c) Compensation and salary schedules.— 297 1.

Definitions.—As used in this paragraph: 298 a. “Adjustment” means an addition to the base salary 299

schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employee’s 300 permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under 301 s. 121.021(22). 302 b. “Grandfathered salary schedule” means the salary 303

schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before 304 July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 3 4. 305 c. “Instructional personnel” means instructional personnel 306 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute 307 teachers. 308 d. “Performance salary schedule” means the salary

schedule 309 or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to 310 subparagraph 4 5. 311 e. “Salary schedule” means the

schedule or schedules used 312 to provide the base salary for district school board personnel. 313 f. “School administrator” means a school administrator as 314 defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c). 315 g. “Supplement” means an annual addition to the base salary 316 for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the 317 employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the 318 supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employee’s 319

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 12 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation 320 under s. 121.021(22). 321 2. Cost-of-living adjustment.—A district school board may 322 provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment: 323 a. Does not discriminate among comparable classes of 324 employees based upon the salary

schedule under which they are 325 compensated. 326 b. Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment 327 provided to instructional personnel rated as effective. 328 3. Advanced degrees.—A district school board may not use 329 advanced degrees in setting a salary

schedule for instructional 330 personnel or school administrators hired on or after July 1, 331 2011, unless the advanced degree is held in the individual’s 332 area of certification and is only a salary supplement. 333 4. Grandfathered salary schedule.— 334 a. The district school board shall adopt a salary

schedule 335 or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all 336 school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional 337 personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed 338 on the performance salary

schedule adopted under subparagraph 4 339 5. Instructional personnel on continuing contract or 340 professional service contract may opt into the performance 341 salary

schedule if the employee relinquishes such contract and 342 agrees to be employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. 343 Such an employee shall be placed on the performance salary 344

schedule and may not return to continuing contract or 345 professional service contract status. Any employee who opts into 346 the performance salary

schedule may not return to the 347 grandfathered salary schedule. 348

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 13 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. b. In determining the grandfathered salary

schedule for 349 instructional personnel, a district school board must base a 350 portion of each employee’s compensation upon performance 351 demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated 352 pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators 353 based upon district-determined factors, including, but not 354 limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics, 355 critical shortage areas, and level of job performance 356 difficulties. 357 4.5. Performance salary schedule.—By July 1, 2014, the 358 district school board shall adopt a performance salary

schedule 359 that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional 360 personnel and school administrators based upon performance 361 determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1, 362 2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered 363 salary

schedule to the performance salary

schedule shall be 364 compensated pursuant to the performance salary

schedule once 365 they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for 366 this purpose. 367 a. Base salary.—The base salary shall be established as 368 follows: 369 (

I) The base salary for instructional personnel or school 370 administrators who opt into the performance salary

schedule 371 shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including 372 adjustments only. 373 (II) Instructional personnel or school administrators new 374 to the district, returning to the district after a break in 375 service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for 376 the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of 377

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 14 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed 378 on the performance salary schedule. 379 b. Salary adjustments.—Salary adjustments for highly 380 effective or effective performance shall be established as 381 follows: 382 (

I) The annual salary adjustment under the performance 383 salary

schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must 384 be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary 385 adjustment available to an employee of the same classification 386 through any other salary

schedule adopted by the district. 387 (II) The annual salary adjustment under the performance 388 salary

schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal 389 to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual 390 adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same 391 classification. 392 (II)(III) A salary

schedule may shall not provide an annual 393 salary adjustment for an employee who receives a rating other 394 than highly effective or effective for the year. 395 c. Salary supplements.—In addition to the salary 396 adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary 397 supplements for activities that must include, but are not 398 limited to: 399 (

I) Assignment to a Title I eligible school. 400 (II) Assignment to a school that earned a grade of “F” or 401 three consecutive grades of “D” pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that 402 the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following 403 improved performance in that school. 404 (III) Certification and teaching in critical teacher 405 shortage areas. Statewide critical teacher shortage areas shall 406

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 15 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. be identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07. 407 However, the district school board may identify other areas of 408 critical shortage within the school district for purposes of 409 this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the 410 state board which do not apply within the school district. 411 (IV) Assignment of additional academic responsibilities. 412 413 If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school 414 board’s ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the 415 performance salary

schedule may shall not be reduced on the 416 basis of total cost or the value of individual awards in a 417 manner that is proportionally greater than reductions to any 418 other salary schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation 419 for longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who 420 are on any other salary

schedule must be included in calculating 421 the salary adjustments required by sub-subparagraph b. 422 (3)(

a) Collective bargaining.—Notwithstanding provisions of 423

chapter 447 related to district school board collective 424 bargaining, collective bargaining may not preclude a district 425 school board from carrying out its constitutional and statutory 426 duties related to the following: 427 1. Providing incentives to highly effective teachers. 428 2. Implementing school improvement plans under s. 1008.33 429 to address the causes of low student performance and improve 430 student academic performance and attendance. 431 3. Implementing student discipline provisions required by 432 law, including a review of a student’s abilities, past 433 performance, behavior, and needs. 434 4. Implementing school safety plans and requirements. 435

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 16 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 5. Implementing staff and student recognition programs. 436 6. Distributing correspondence to parents, teachers, and 437 community members related to the daily operation of schools and 438 the district. 439 7. Providing any required notice or copies of information 440 related to the district school board or district operations 441 which is readily available on the school district’s website. 442 8. The school district’s calendar. 443 9. The award of instructional multiyear contracts under s. 444 1012.335. 445 (

b) Appearances before the board.—If a district school 446 superintendent appears before the state board to provide an 447 update under s. 1011.62(14)(e), the state board must require 448 that the president of the school district bargaining unit also 449 must appear. 450

Section 8. Subsections (1) and (2) and paragraph (

a) of 451 subsection (4) of

section 1012.2315, Florida Statutes, are 452 amended to read: 453 1012.2315 Assignment of teachers.— 454

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds 455 disparities between teachers assigned to teach in a majority of 456 schools that do not need improvement and schools that do need 457 improvement pursuant to s. 1008.33. The disparities may be found 458 in the assignment of inexperienced temporarily certified 459 teachers, teachers in need of improvement, and out-of-field 460 teachers and in the performance of the students. It is the 461 intent of the Legislature that district school boards have 462 flexibility through the collective bargaining process to assign 463 teachers more equitably across the schools in the district. 464

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(2) ASSIGNMENT TO SCHOOLS GRADED “D” OR “F”.— 465 (

a) A school district may not assign a higher percentage 466 than the school district average of inexperienced temporarily 467 certified teachers, teachers in need of improvement, or out-of-468 field teachers to schools graded “D” or “F” pursuant to s. 469 1008.34. As used in this section, the term “inexperienced 470 teacher” means a teacher who has been teaching for 2 years or 471 less. 472 (b)1.

A school district may assign an individual newly 473 hired as instructional personnel to a school that has earned a 474 grade of “F” in the previous year or any combination of three 475 consecutive grades of “D” or “F” in the previous 3 years 476 pursuant to s. 1008.34 if the individual: 477 a. Has received an effective rating or highly effective 478 rating in the immediate prior year’s performance evaluation 479 pursuant to s. 1012.34; 480 b.

Has successfully completed or is enrolled in a teacher 481 preparation program pursuant to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 482 1012.56, or a teacher preparation program specified in State 483 Board of Education rule, is provided with high quality mentoring 484 during the first 2 years of employment, holds a certificate 485 issued pursuant to s. 1012.56, and holds a probationary contract 486 pursuant to s. 1012.335(2)(a); or 487 c.

Holds a probationary contract pursuant to s. 488 1012.335(2)(a), holds a certificate issued pursuant to s. 489 1012.56, and has successful teaching experience, and if, in the 490 judgment of the school principal, students would benefit from 491 the placement of that individual. 492 2. As used in this paragraph, the term “mentoring” includes 493

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 18 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the use of student achievement data combined with at least 494 monthly observations to improve the educator’s effectiveness in 495 improving student outcomes.

Mentoring may be provided by a 496 school district, a teacher preparation program approved pursuant 497 to s. 1004.04, s. 1004.85, or s. 1012.56, or a teacher 498 preparation program specified in State Board of Education rule. 499 500 Each school district shall annually certify to the Commissioner 501 of Education that the requirements in this subsection have been 502 met.

If the commissioner determines that a school district is 503 not in compliance with this subsection, the State Board of 504 Education must shall be notified and must shall take action 505 pursuant to s. 1008.32 in the next regularly scheduled meeting 506 to require compliance. 507

(4) COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.— 508 (

a) Notwithstanding provisions of

chapter 447 relating to 509 district school board collective bargaining, collective 510 bargaining provisions may not preclude a school district from 511 providing incentives to high-quality teachers and assigning such 512 teachers to low-performing schools, including incentives in s. 513 1011.69(4). 514

Section 9. Present paragraphs (

b) and (

c) of subsection (1) 515 of

section 1012.335, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 516 paragraphs (

c) and (d), respectively, a new paragraph (

b) is 517 added to that subsection, paragraphs (

d) and (

e) are added to 518 subsection (2) of that section, and subsections (3) and (4) of 519 that

section are amended, to read: 520 1012.335 Contracts with instructional personnel hired on or 521 after July 1, 2011.— 522

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(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 523 (b) “Instructional multiyear contract,” beginning July 1, 524 2025, means an employment contract for a period not to exceed 3 525 years which the district school board may choose to award upon 526 completion of a probationary contract and at least one annual 527 contract. 528

(2) EMPLOYMENT.— 529 (

d) An instructional multiyear contract may be awarded, 530 beginning July 1, 2025, only if the employee: 531 1. Holds an active professional certificate or temporary 532 certificate issued pursuant to s. 1012.56 and rules of the State 533 Board of Education; 534 2. Has been recommended by the district school 535 superintendent for the instructional multiyear contract based 536 upon the individual’s evaluation under s. 1012.34 and approved 537 by the district school board; and 538 3. Has not received an annual performance evaluation rating 539 of unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34. 540 (

e) An employee awarded an instructional multiyear contract 541 who receives an annual performance evaluation rating of 542 unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34 must be 543 returned to an annual contract in the following school year. 544 Such evaluation rating must be included with the evaluation 545 ratings under subsequent annual contracts for determinations of 546 just cause under s. 1012.33. 547

(3) VIOLATION OF ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR 548 CONTRACT.—Instructional personnel who accept a written offer 549 from the district school board and who leave their positions 550 without prior release from the district school board are subject 551

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 20 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. to the jurisdiction of the Education Practices Commission. 552

(4) SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL ON 553 ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR CONTRACT.—Any instructional 554 personnel with an annual or instructional multiyear contract may 555 be suspended or dismissed at any time during the term of the 556 contract for just cause as provided in subsection (5). The 557 district school board shall notify the employee in writing 558 whenever charges are made and may suspend such person without 559 pay. However, if the charges are not sustained, the employee 560 must shall be immediately reinstated and his or her back pay 561 must shall be paid.

If the employee wishes to contest the 562 charges, he or she must, within 15 days after receipt of the 563 written notice, submit a written request for a hearing to the 564 district school board. A direct hearing must shall be conducted 565 by the district school board or a subcommittee thereof within 60 566 days after receipt of the written appeal. The hearing must shall 567 be conducted in accordance with ss. 120.569 and 120.57. A 568 majority vote of the membership of the district school board 569 shall be required to sustain the district school 570 superintendent’s recommendation.

The district school board’s 571 determination is final as to the sufficiency or insufficiency of 572 the grounds for suspension without pay or dismissal. Any such 573 decision adverse to the employee may be appealed by the employee 574 pursuant to s. 120.68. 575

Section 10. Paragraphs (

a) and (

b) of subsection (1) and 576 paragraph (

a) of subsection (3) of

section 1012.34, Florida 577 Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (

c) is added to subsection 578 (7) of that section, to read: 579 1012.34 Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria.— 580

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(1) EVALUATION SYSTEM APPROVAL AND REPORTING.— 581 (

a) For the purpose of increasing student academic 582 performance by improving the quality of instructional, 583 administrative, and supervisory services in the public schools 584 of this the state, the district school superintendent shall 585 establish procedures for evaluating the performance of duties 586 and responsibilities of all instructional, administrative, and 587 supervisory personnel employed by the school district.

The 588 procedures and requirements in subsection (3) must be 589 established by the district school superintendent and approved 590 by the district school board, must set the standards of service 591 to be offered to the public within the meaning of s. 447.209, 592 and are not subject to collective bargaining. The district 593 school superintendent shall provide instructional personnel the 594 opportunity to review their class rosters for accuracy and to 595 correct any mistakes.

The district school superintendent shall 596 report accurate class rosters for the purpose of calculating 597 district and statewide student performance and annually report 598 the evaluation results of instructional personnel and school 599 administrators to the Department of Education in addition to the 600 information required under subsection (5). 601 (

b) The district school superintendent must submit the 602 district instructional personnel and school administrator 603 evaluation systems to the department whenever the evaluation 604 systems in subsection (2) are amended department must approve 605 each school district’s instructional personnel and school 606 administrator evaluation systems. The department shall monitor 607 each district’s implementation of its instructional personnel 608 and school administrator evaluation systems for compliance with 609

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 22 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the requirements of this section. 610

(3) EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.—Instructional 611 personnel and school administrator performance evaluations must 612 be based upon the performance of students assigned to their 613 classrooms or schools, as provided in this section.

Pursuant to 614 this section, a school district’s performance evaluation system 615 is not limited to basing unsatisfactory performance of 616 instructional personnel and school administrators solely upon 617 student performance, but may include other criteria to evaluate 618 instructional personnel and school administrators’ performance, 619 or any combination of student performance and other criteria. 620 Evaluation procedures and criteria must comply with, but are not 621 limited to, the following: 622 (

a) A performance evaluation must be conducted for each 623 employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher, 624 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding substitute teachers, 625 who is newly hired by the district school board must be observed 626 and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching in 627 the school district. The performance evaluation must be based 628 upon sound educational principles and contemporary research in 629 effective educational practices. The evaluation criteria must 630 include: 631 1.

Performance of students.—At least one-half one-third of 632 a performance evaluation must be based upon data and indicators 633 of student performance, as determined by each school district. 634 This portion of the evaluation must include growth or 635 achievement data of the teacher’s students or, for a school 636 administrator, the students attending the school over the course 637 of at least 3 years. If less than 3 years of data are available, 638

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 23 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the years for which data are available must be used. The 639 proportion of growth or achievement data may be determined by 640 instructional assignment. 641 2. Instructional practice.—For instructional personnel, at 642 least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based upon 643 instructional practice.

Evaluation criteria used when annually 644 observing classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), 645 excluding substitute teachers, must include indicators based 646 upon each of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices adopted 647 by the State Board of Education. For instructional personnel who 648 are not classroom teachers, evaluation criteria must be based 649 upon indicators of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices 650 and may include specific job expectations related to student 651 support. This

section does not preclude a school administrator 652 from visiting and observing classroom teachers throughout the 653 school year for purposes of providing mentorship, training, 654 instructional feedback, or professional learning. 655 3. Instructional leadership.—For school administrators, at 656 least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based on 657 instructional leadership.

Evaluation criteria for instructional 658 leadership must include indicators based upon each of the 659 leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education 660 under s. 1012.986, including performance measures related to the 661 effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the 662 administrator’s appropriate use of evaluation criteria and 663 procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly 664 effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentage of 665 instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or 666 effective level, and other leadership practices that result in 667

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 24 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. student learning growth. The system may include a means to give 668 parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide 669 input into the administrator’s performance evaluation. 670 4.

Other indicators of performance.—For instructional 671 personnel and school administrators, the remainder of a 672 performance evaluation may include, but is not limited to, 673 professional and job responsibilities as recommended by the 674 State Board of Education or identified by the district school 675 board and, for instructional personnel, peer reviews, 676 objectively reliable survey information from students and 677 parents based on teaching practices that are consistently 678 associated with higher student achievement, and other valid and 679 reliable measures of instructional practice. 680

(7) MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE.— 681 (

c) The measurement of student learning growth under 682 paragraph (

a) may not be the sole determinant for any incentive 683 pay for instructional personnel or school administrators. 684

Section 11. Paragraph (

c) of subsection (1) of

section 685 1012.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 686 1012.39 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of 687 adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and 688 career specialists; students performing clinical field 689 experience.— 690

(1) Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and 691 1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary, 692 each district school board shall establish the minimal 693 qualifications for: 694 (

c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career 695 programs. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed 696

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 25 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. teachers of career and technical education courses for program 697 clusters that are recognized in the state and are based 698 primarily on successful occupational experience rather than 699 academic training. The qualifications for such teachers must 700 require: 701 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same 702 manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to 703 conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this 704 requirement. 705 2.

Documentation of education and successful occupational 706 experience including documentation of: 707 a. A high school diploma or the equivalent. 708 b. Completion of a minimum level, established by the 709 district school board, 3 years of full-time successful 710 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time 711 experience in the teaching specialization area. The district 712 school board may establish alternative qualifications for 713 teachers with an industry certification in the career area in 714 which they teach. 715 c.

For full-time teachers, completion of professional 716 education training in teaching methods, course construction, 717 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs 718 students. This training may be completed through coursework from 719 an accredited or approved institution or an approved district 720 teacher education program, or the local school district 721 inservice master plan. 722 d. Documentation of industry certification when state or 723 national industry certifications are available and applicable. 724

Section 12. Subsection (1) of

section 1012.42, Florida 725

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 26 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Statutes, is amended to read: 726 1012.42 Teacher teaching out-of-field.— 727

(1) ASSISTANCE.— 728 (

a) Each district school board shall adopt and implement a 729 plan to assist any teacher teaching out-of-field, and priority 730 consideration in professional development activities shall be 731 given to a teacher who is teaching out-of-field. The district 732 school board shall require that the teacher participate in a 733 certification or staff development program designed to provide 734 the teacher with the competencies required for the assigned 735 duties. The board-approved assistance plan must include duties 736 of administrative personnel and other instructional personnel to 737 provide students with instructional services. 738 (

b) A teacher who holds an educator certificate in 739 exceptional student education is considered in-field if he or 740 she is teaching in a self-contained classroom. For the purpose 741 of this paragraph, the term “self-contained classroom” means a 742 classroom of exceptional students as defined in s. 1003.01 743 taught by an educator who holds a certificate in exceptional 744 student education and who is responsible for instruction of all 745 academic subjects. 746

Section 13. Subsections (1) and (3) of

section 1012.45, 747 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 748 1012.45 School bus drivers; requirements and duties.— 749

(1) Each school bus driver must be of good moral character, 750 of good vision and hearing, able-bodied, free from communicable 751 disease, mentally alert, and sufficiently strong physically to 752 handle the bus with ease, and must meet he or she must possess 753 other qualifications prescribed by the Commissioner of 754

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 27 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Education, including those qualifications described in 49 C.F.R. 755 s. 391, relating to physical qualifications and examinations, 756 and 49 C.F.R.

part 40 and

part 382, relating to controlled 757 substance and alcohol use and testing, and he or she must hold a 758 valid commercial driver license with a passenger endorsement. 759

(3) Each district school board shall require that school 760 bus drivers and school bus attendants complete a certified 761 cardiopulmonary resuscitation course and first aid training 762 before being employed as a school bus driver or a school bus 763 attendant. The school district shall maintain documentation of 764 the completion of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation course and 765 first aid training. Each district school board must also provide 766 training to school bus drivers and school bus attendants for 767 students with disabilities under s. 1003.57.

Each district 768 school board may adopt additional The State Board of Education 769 shall adopt rules outlining requirements that school bus drivers 770 must meet to be before they are employed by district school 771 boards. 772

Section 14. Subsection (2) and paragraph (

a) of subsection 773 (3) of

section 1012.555, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 774 1012.555 Teacher Apprenticeship Program.— 775 (2)(

a) An individual must meet the following minimum 776 eligibility requirements to participate in the apprenticeship 777 program: 778 1. Be enrolled in or have completed Have received an 779 associate degree program at from an accredited postsecondary 780 institution. 781 2. Have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 3.0 782 in that degree program. 783

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 28 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 3. Have successfully passed a background screening as 784 provided in s. 1012.32. 785 4. Have received a temporary apprenticeship certificate as 786 provided in s. 1012.56(7)(d). 787 (

b) As a condition of participating in the program, an 788 apprentice teacher must commit to spending at least the first 2 789 years in the classroom of a mentor teacher using team teaching 790 strategies identified in s. 1003.03(5)(

b) and fulfilling the on-791 the-job training component of the registered apprenticeship and 792 its associated standards. 793 (

c) An apprentice teacher must do both of the following: 794 1. Complete at least 2 years in an apprenticeship before 795 being eligible to apply for a professional certificate 796 established in s. 1012.56(7)(a). Completion of the Teacher 797 Apprenticeship Program does not exempt an apprentice teacher 798 from the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(c). 799 2. Receive related instruction as provided in s. 446.051. 800 (

d) An apprentice teacher must be appointed by the district 801 school board as an education paraprofessional and must be paid 802 in accordance with s. 446.032 and rules adopted by the State 803 Board of Education. 804 (

e) An apprentice teacher may change schools or districts 805 after the first year of his or her apprenticeship if the hiring 806 school or district has agreed to fund the remaining year of the 807 apprenticeship. 808

(3) A teacher who serves as a mentor in the apprenticeship 809 program shall mentor his or her apprentice teacher using team 810 teaching strategies and must, at a minimum, meet all of the 811 following requirements: 812

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 29 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (

a) Have at least 5 7 years of teaching experience in this 813 state. 814

Section 15. Subsections (3) and (7) and paragraph (

a) of 815 subsection (8) of

section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended 816 to read: 817 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.— 818

(3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of 819 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are: 820 (

a) Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge 821 examination required by state board rule; 822 (

b) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching 823 certificate issued by another state; 824 (

c) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 825 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national 826 educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of 827 Education; 828 (

d) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time 829 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution, 830 state university, or private college or university that awards 831 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution 832 or an institution of higher education identified by the 833 Department of Education as having a quality program; 834 (

e) Achievement of passing scores, identified in state 835 board rule, on national or international examinations that test 836 comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical 837 writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not 838 limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative 839 reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination. Passing 840 scores identified in state board rule must be at approximately 841

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 30 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the same level of rigor as is required to pass the general 842 knowledge examinations; or 843 (

f) Documentation of receipt of a master’s or higher degree 844 from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that 845 the Department of Education has identified as having a quality 846 program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher; or 847 (

g) Documentation of a rating of effective or highly 848 effective under s. 1012.34 in each year of the validity period 849 of the temporary certificate. 850 851 A school district that employs an individual who does not 852 achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge 853 examination must provide information regarding the availability 854 of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to 855 assist him or her in achieving a passing score.

Such information 856 must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test 857 information guides, school district test preparation resources, 858 and preparation courses offered by state universities and 859 Florida College System institutions. The requirement of mastery 860 of general knowledge shall be waived for an individual who has 861 been provided 3 years of supports and instruction and who has 862 been rated effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 for 863 each of the last 3 years. 864

(7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.— 865 (

a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional 866 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant 867 who fulfills one of the following: 868 1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in 869 subsection (2). 870

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 31 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through 871 12: 872 a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-873 (h). 874 b. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of 875 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 876 c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the 877 advanced degree. 878 d.

Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s 879 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on 880 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized 881 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International 882 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate 883 examination. 884 e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional 885 education competency examination required by state board rule. 886 3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-887 (

h) and completes a professional learning certification program 888 approved by the department pursuant to paragraph (8)(

b) or an 889 educator preparation institute approved by the department 890 pursuant to s. 1004.85. An applicant who completes one of these 891 programs and is rated highly effective as determined by his or 892 her performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not required to 893 take or achieve a passing score on the professional education 894 competency examination in order to be awarded a professional 895 certificate. 896 (

b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 897 any applicant who: 898 1. Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs 899

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 32 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (2)(a)-(

f) and completes the subject area content requirements 900 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 901 area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an 902 accredited degree or a degree approved by the Department of 903 Education at the level required for the subject area 904 specialization in state board rule; 905 2.

For a subject area specialization for which the state 906 board otherwise requires a bachelor’s degree, documents 48 907 months of active-duty military service with an honorable 908 discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements 909 outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d)-(f); completes the 910 subject area content requirements specified in state board rule 911 or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to 912 subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits 913 with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 914 scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of 915 higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher 916 learning identified by the Department of Education as having a 917 quality program resulting in a bachelor’s degree or higher; or 918 3.

Is enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation 919 program under s. 1004.04; is actively completing the required 920 program field experience or internship at a public school; 921 completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), 922 and (d)-(f); completes the subject area content requirements 923 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 924 area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5); and documents 925 completion of 60 college credits with a minimum cumulative grade 926 point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as provided by one or more 927 accredited institutions of higher learning or a nonaccredited 928

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 33 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. institution of higher learning identified by the Department of 929 Education as having a quality program resulting in a bachelor’s 930 degree or higher. 931 (

c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year 932 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional 933 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor’s 934 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for 935 completion of a master’s degree program in speech-language 936 impairment. 937 (

d) The department shall issue a temporary apprenticeship 938 certificate to any applicant who: 939 1. Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and 940 (d)-(f). 941 2. Completes the subject area content requirements 942 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 943 area knowledge as provided in subsection (5). 944 (

e) A person who is issued a temporary certificate under 945 paragraph (

b) must be assigned a teacher mentor for a minimum of 946 2 school years after commencing employment. Each teacher mentor 947 selected by the school district, charter school, or charter 948 management organization must: 949 1. Hold a valid professional certificate issued pursuant to 950 this section; 951 2. Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in 952 prekindergarten through grade 12; and 953 3. Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on 954 the prior year’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34. 955 (f)1. A temporary certificate is valid for 5 school fiscal 956 years, is limited to a one-time issuance, and is nonrenewable. 957

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 34 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 2. A temporary apprenticeship certificate issued under 958 paragraph (

d) is valid for 5 school years, may be issued only 959 once, and is nonrenewable. 960 (

g) A school district or a consortium of school districts 961 may issue temporary certificates based on the requirements in 962 paragraph (b).

School districts or a consortium of school 963 districts must report the number of such certificates issued, 964 and any additional information to the department, based on 965 reporting requirements adopted by the State Board of Education. 966 967 At least 1 year before an individual’s department-issued 968 temporary certificate is set to expire, the department shall 969 electronically notify the individual of the date on which his or 970 her certificate will expire and provide a list of each method by 971 which the qualifications for a professional certificate can be 972 completed. 973

(8) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.— 974 (

a) The Department of Education shall develop and each 975 school district, charter school, and charter management 976 organization may provide a cohesive competency-based 977 professional learning certification program by which 978 instructional staff may satisfy the mastery of professional 979 preparation and education competence requirements specified in 980 subsection (6) and rules of the State Board of Education. 981 Participants must hold a state-issued temporary certificate.

A 982 school district, charter school, or charter management 983 organization that implements the program shall provide a 984 competency-based certification program developed by the 985 Department of Education or developed by the district, charter 986

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 35 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. school, or charter management organization and approved by the 987 Department of Education. These entities may collaborate with 988 other supporting agencies or educational entities for 989 implementation. The program shall include the following: 990 1. A teacher mentorship and induction component. 991 a. Each individual selected by the district, charter 992 school, or charter management organization as a mentor: 993 (

I) Must hold a valid professional certificate issued 994 pursuant to this section; 995 (II) Must have earned at least 3 years of teaching 996 experience in prekindergarten through grade 12; 997 (III) Must have completed training in clinical supervision 998 and participate in ongoing mentor training provided through the 999 coordinated system of professional learning under s. 1012.98(4); 1000 (IV) Must have earned an effective or highly effective 1001 rating on the prior year’s performance evaluation; and 1002 (

V) May be a peer evaluator under the district’s evaluation 1003 system approved under s. 1012.34. 1004 b. The teacher mentorship and induction component must, at 1005 a minimum, provide routine opportunities for mentoring and 1006 induction activities, including ongoing professional learning as 1007 described in s. 1012.98 targeted to a teacher’s needs, 1008 opportunities for a teacher to observe other teachers, co-1009 teaching experiences, and reflection and follow-up followup 1010 discussions. Professional learning must meet the criteria 1011 established in s. 1012.98(3).

Mentorship and induction 1012 activities must be provided for an applicant’s first year in the 1013 program and may be provided until the applicant attains his or 1014 her professional certificate in accordance with this section. 1015

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 36 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 2. An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the 1016 district’s, charter school’s, or charter management 1017 organization’s system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34 1018 which provides for: 1019 a. An initial evaluation of each educator’s competencies to 1020 determine an appropriate individualized professional learning 1021 plan. 1022 b. A summative evaluation to assure successful completion 1023 of the program. 1024 3.

Professional education preparation content knowledge, 1025 which must be included in the mentoring and induction activities 1026 under subparagraph 1., that includes, but is not limited to, the 1027 following: 1028 a. The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41, 1029 including scientifically researched and evidence-based reading 1030 instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading, 1031 content literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject 1032 identified on the temporary certificate.

Reading instructional 1033 strategies for foundational skills shall include phonics 1034 instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary 1035 instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional 1036 strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of 1037 reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. 1038 Instructional strategies may include visual information and 1039 strategies which improve background and experiential knowledge, 1040 add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to 1041 support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word 1042 reading. 1043 b.

The educator-accomplished practices approved by the 1044

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 37 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. state board. 1045 4. Required achievement of passing scores on the subject 1046 area and professional education competency examination required 1047 by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge 1048 must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3). 1049 5. Beginning with candidates entering a program in the 1050 2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a 1051 coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(

g) s. 1052 1012.585(3)(

f) must successfully complete all competencies for a 1053 reading endorsement, including completion of the endorsement 1054 practicum. 1055

Section 16. Subsection (4) of

section 1012.57, Florida 1056 Statutes, is amended to read: 1057 1012.57 Certification of adjunct educators.— 1058

(4) Each adjunct teaching certificate is valid through the 1059 term of the annual contract between the educator and the school 1060 district or charter school. An additional annual certification 1061 and an additional annual contract may be awarded by the district 1062 or charter school at the district’s or charter school’s 1063 discretion but only if the applicant is rated effective or 1064 highly effective under s. 1012.34 during each year of teaching 1065 under adjunct teaching certification.

A school district and 1066 charter school may issue an adjunct teaching certificate for a 1067 part-time or full-time teaching position; however, an adjunct 1068 teaching certificate issued for a full-time teaching position is 1069 valid for no more than 5 years and is nonrenewable. 1070

Section

Section 1012.575, Florida Statutes, is amended 1071 to read: 1072 1012.575 Alternative preparation programs for certified 1073

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 38 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. teachers to add additional coverage.—A district school board, or 1074 an organization of private schools, or a consortium of charter 1075 schools with an approved professional learning system as 1076 described in s. 1012.98(7), or the Florida Institute for Charter 1077 School Innovation may design alternative teacher preparation 1078 programs to enable persons already certificated to add an 1079 additional coverage to their certificates.

Each alternative 1080 teacher preparation program shall be reviewed and approved by 1081 the Department of Education to ensure assure that persons who 1082 complete the program are competent in the necessary areas of 1083 subject matter specialization. Two or more school districts may 1084 jointly participate in an alternative preparation program for 1085 teachers. 1086

Section 18. Paragraph (

a) of subsection (2), subsections 1087 (3) and (4), and paragraph (

b) of subsection (5) of

section 1088 1012.585, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1089 1012.585 Process for renewal of professional certificates.— 1090 (2)(

a) All professional certificates, except a nonrenewable 1091 professional certificate, are shall be renewable for successive 1092 periods not to exceed 10 5 years after the date of submission of 1093 documentation of completion of the requirements for renewal 1094 provided in subsection (3). Only one renewal may be granted 1095 during each 5-year or 10-year validity period of a professional 1096 certificate. 1097 1.

A teacher who is rated highly effective, pursuant to s. 1098 1012.34, in at least 4 years of the 5-year validity period of 1099 his or her professional certificate is eligible for a 1100 professional certificate valid for 10 years. A teacher must be 1101 issued at least one 5-year professional certificate to be 1102

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 39 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. eligible for a 10-year professional certificate. A teacher who 1103 does not meet the requirement of this subparagraph is eligible 1104 to renew his or her 5-year professional certificate. 1105 2. A teacher who is rated effective or highly effective, 1106 pursuant to s. 1012.34, for the entirety of the 10-year validity 1107 period of his or her professional certificate is eligible to 1108 renew a professional certificate valid for 10 years.

A teacher 1109 issued a 10-year professional certificate who does not meet the 1110 requirement of this subparagraph is eligible for a professional 1111 certificate valid for 5 years. 1112

(3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the 1113 following requirements must be met: 1114 (

a) The applicant must: 1115 1. Earn a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice 1116 points or a combination thereof for a certificate valid for 5 1117 years. The district school board may reduce the requirements by 1118 1 college credit or 20 inservice points for an applicant rated 1119 highly effective, pursuant to s. 1012.34, in at least 3 of the 5 1120 years of the 5-year validity period of his or her initial 1121 professional certificate. 1122 2. Earn a minimum of 9 college credits or 180 inservice 1123 points or a combination thereof for a professional certificate 1124 valid for 10 years. 1125 (

b) For each area of specialization to be retained on a 1126 certificate, the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required 1127 credit hours or equivalent inservice points in the 1128 specialization area. Education in “clinical educator” training 1129 pursuant to s. 1004.04(5)(b); participation in mentorship and 1130 induction activities, including as a mentor, pursuant to s. 1131

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 40 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 1012.56(8)(a); and credits or points that provide training in 1132 the area of scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading 1133 literacy grounded in the science of reading, including explicit, 1134 systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, 1135 developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory 1136 intervention strategies, and computational skills acquisition, 1137 exceptional student education, normal child development, and the 1138 disorders of development may be applied toward any 1139 specialization area.

Credits or points that provide training in 1140 the areas of drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, strategies in 1141 teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or 1142 dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the 1143 educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to 1144 ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 may be applied toward any 1145 specialization area, except specialization areas identified by 1146 State Board of Education rule that include reading instruction 1147 or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 1148 6.

Each district school board shall include in its inservice 1149 master plan the ability for teachers to receive inservice points 1150 for supporting students in extracurricular career and technical 1151 education activities, such as career and technical student 1152 organization activities outside of regular school hours and 1153 training related to supervising students participating in a 1154 career and technical student organization. Credits or points 1155 earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward 1156 the fulfillment of these requirements.

Inservice points may also 1157 be earned by participation in professional growth components 1158 approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant 1159 to s. 1012.98 in the district’s approved master plan for 1160

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 41 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. inservice educational training; however, such points may not be 1161 used to satisfy the specialization requirements of this 1162 paragraph. 1163 (c)(

b) In lieu of college course credit or inservice 1164 points, the applicant may renew a subject area specialization by 1165 passage of a state board approved Florida-developed subject area 1166 examination or, if a Florida subject area examination has not 1167 been developed, a standardized examination specified in state 1168 board rule. 1169 (d)(

c) If an applicant wishes to retain more than two 1170 specialization areas on the certificate, the applicant must 1171 shall be permitted two successive validity periods for renewal 1172 of all specialization areas, but must earn no fewer than 6 1173 college course credit hours or the equivalent inservice points 1174 in any one validity period. If an applicant with an initial 1175 professional certificate qualifies for reduced requirements 1176 under paragraph (a), he or she must earn no fewer than 5 college 1177 course credit hours or 100 inservice points in any one validity 1178 period. 1179 (e)(

d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for 1180 the expanded use of training for renewal of the professional 1181 certificate for educators who are required to complete training 1182 in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1183 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading as 1184 follows: 1185 1. A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use 1186 college credits or inservice points earned through training in 1187 teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1188 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading in 1189

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 42 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. excess of 6 semester hours during one certificate-validity 1190 period toward renewal of the professional certificate during the 1191 subsequent validity periods. 1192 2.

A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use 1193 college credits or inservice points earned through training in 1194 teaching students of limited English proficiency or students 1195 with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading toward 1196 renewal of the teacher’s first professional certificate. Such 1197 training must not have been included within the degree program, 1198 and the teacher’s temporary and professional certificates must 1199 be issued for consecutive school years. 1200 (f)(

e) Beginning July 1, 2014, an applicant for renewal of 1201 a professional certificate must earn a minimum of one college 1202 credit or the equivalent inservice points in the area of 1203 instruction for teaching students with disabilities. The 1204 requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours 1205 required by the department for continuing education or inservice 1206 training. 1207 (g)(

f) An applicant for renewal of a professional 1208 certificate in any area of certification identified by State 1209 Board of Education rule that includes reading instruction or 1210 intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 6, 1211 with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, 1212 must earn a minimum of 2 college credits or the equivalent 1213 inservice points in evidence-based instruction and interventions 1214 grounded in the science of reading specifically designed for 1215 students with characteristics of dyslexia, including the use of 1216 explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading 1217 instruction, developing phonological and phonemic awareness, 1218

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 43 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. decoding, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies. 1219 Such training must be provided by teacher preparation programs 1220 under s. 1004.04 or s. 1004.85 or approved school district 1221 professional development systems under s. 1012.98. The 1222 requirements in this paragraph may not add to the total hours 1223 required by the department for continuing education or inservice 1224 training. 1225 (h)(

g) An applicant for renewal of a professional 1226 certificate in educational leadership from a Level I program 1227 under s. 1012.562(2) or Level II program under s. 1012.562(3), 1228 with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2025, or thereafter, 1229 must earn a minimum of 1 college credit or 20 inservice points 1230 in Florida’s educational leadership standards, as established in 1231 rule by the State Board of Education. The requirement in this 1232 paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the 1233 department for continuing education or inservice training. 1234 (i)(

h) A teacher may earn inservice points only once during 1235 each 5-year validity period for any mandatory training topic 1236 that is not linked to student learning or professional growth. 1237 (4)(

a) When any person who holds a valid temporary 1238 certificate or professional certificate is called into or 1239 volunteers for actual wartime service or required peacetime 1240 military service training, the certificate shall be renewed for 1241 a period of time equal to the time spent in military service if 1242 the person makes proper application and presents substantiating 1243 evidence to the department or the employing school district 1244 regarding such military service. 1245 (

b) A teacher who has taught in a private school during the 1246 5-year validity period of his or her professional certificate 1247

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 44 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. and is subsequently reemployed to teach in a school district may 1248 extend the expiration date of the certificate for a duration 1249 equivalent to the number of years taught at a private school, up 1250 to a maximum of 3 years. This extension is granted in order for 1251 the teacher to submit documentation for his or her completion of 1252 the requirements outlined in subsection (3). The teacher must 1253 submit documentation of employment in a school district or in a 1254 private school in a format determined by the department. 1255

(5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow 1256 the reinstatement of expired professional certificates. The 1257 department may reinstate an expired professional certificate if 1258 the certificateholder: 1259 (

b) Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5 1260 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired 1261 certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a 1262 combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(b) 1263 (3)(

a) to include the credit required under paragraph (3)(f) 1264 (3)(e). 1265 1266 The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by 1267 subject area examinations or college credits completed for 1268 issuance of the certificate that has expired. 1269

Section

Section 1012.72, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 1270

Section 20. Paragraph (

b) of subsection (5) and subsection 1271 (7) of

section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1272 1012.98 School Community Professional Learning Act.— 1273

(5) The Department of Education, school districts, schools, 1274 Florida College System institutions, and state universities 1275 share the responsibilities described in this section. These 1276

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 45 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. responsibilities include the following: 1277 (

b) Each school district shall develop a professional 1278 learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall 1279 be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher-educators of 1280 Florida College System institutions and state universities, 1281 business and community representatives, and local education 1282 foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The 1283 professional learning system must: 1284 1. Be reviewed and approved by the department for 1285 compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section.

Effective March 1286 1, 2024, the department shall establish a calendar for the 1287 review and approval of all professional learning systems. A 1288 professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every 1289 5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must shall be 1290 submitted to the department for review and approval. The 1291 department shall establish a format for the review and approval 1292 of a professional learning system. 1293 2.

Be based on analyses of student achievement data and 1294 instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous, 1295 relevant, and challenging curricula for all students.

Schools 1296 and districts, in developing and refining the professional 1297 learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline 1298 data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental 1299 satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers, managers, 1300 and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators 1301 to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved 1302 professional performance. 1303 3. Provide inservice activities coupled with follow-up 1304 followup support appropriate to accomplish district-level and 1305

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 46 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. school-level improvement goals and standards.

The inservice 1306 activities for instructional and school administrative personnel 1307 shall focus on analysis of student achievement data, ongoing 1308 formal and informal assessments of student achievement, 1309 identification and use of enhanced and differentiated 1310 instructional strategies that emphasize rigor, relevance, and 1311 reading in the content areas, enhancement of subject content 1312 expertise, integrated use of classroom technology that enhances 1313 teaching and learning, classroom management, parent involvement, 1314 and school safety. 1315 4.

Provide inservice activities and support targeted to the 1316 individual needs of new teachers participating in the 1317 professional learning certification and education competency 1318 program under s. 1012.56(8)(a). 1319 5. Include a professional learning catalog for inservice 1320 activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, 1321 for all district employees from all fund sources.

The catalog 1322 must shall be updated annually by September 1, must be based on 1323 input from teachers and district and school instructional 1324 leaders, and must use the latest available student achievement 1325 data and research to enhance rigor and relevance in the 1326 classroom. Each district inservice catalog must be aligned to 1327 and support the school-based inservice catalog and school 1328 improvement plans pursuant to s. 1001.42(18).

Each district 1329 inservice catalog must provide a description of the training 1330 that middle grades instructional personnel and school 1331 administrators receive on the district’s code of student conduct 1332 adopted pursuant to s. 1006.07; integrated digital instruction 1333 and competency-based instruction and CAPE Digital Tool 1334

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 47 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. certificates and CAPE industry certifications; classroom 1335 management; student behavior and interaction; extended learning 1336 opportunities for students; and instructional leadership. 1337 District plans must be approved by the district school board 1338 annually in order to ensure compliance with subsection (1) and 1339 to allow for dissemination of research-based best practices to 1340 other districts.

District school boards shall must submit 1341 verification of their approval to the Commissioner of Education 1342 no later than October 1, annually. Each school principal may 1343 establish and maintain an individual professional learning plan 1344 for each instructional employee assigned to the school as a 1345 seamless component to the school improvement plans developed 1346 pursuant to s. 1001.42(18).

An individual professional learning 1347 plan must be related to specific performance data for the 1348 students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the inservice 1349 objectives and specific measurable improvements expected in 1350 student performance as a result of the inservice activity, and 1351 include an evaluation component that determines the 1352 effectiveness of the professional learning plan. 1353 6.

Include inservice activities for school administrative 1354 personnel, aligned to the state’s educational leadership 1355 standards, which that address updated skills necessary for 1356 instructional leadership and effective school management 1357 pursuant to s. 1012.986. 1358 7. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and 1359 state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and 1360 evaluation of local professional learning programs. 1361 8. Provide for delivery of professional learning by 1362 distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to 1363

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 48 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. reach more educators at lower costs. 1364 9. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and 1365 effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to 1366 eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand 1367 effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such 1368 activities on the performance of participating educators and 1369 their students’ achievement and behavior. 1370 10. For all grades, emphasize: 1371 a.

Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and 1372 instruction. 1373 b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to 1374 the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41. 1375 c.

Use of small learning communities; problem-solving, 1376 inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students; 1377 strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based 1378 instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based 1379 instruction. 1380 1381 Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall must 1382 include in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1383 1001.42(18), a description of the specific strategies used by 1384 the school to implement each item listed in this subparagraph. 1385 11.

Provide training to reading coaches, classroom 1386 teachers, and school administrators in effective methods of 1387 identifying characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia and 1388 other causes of diminished phonological processing skills; 1389 incorporating instructional techniques into the general 1390 education setting which are proven to improve reading 1391 performance for all students; and using predictive and other 1392

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 49 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. data to make instructional decisions based on individual student 1393 needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic 1394 awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency; 1395 vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text 1396 comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and 1397 sequential approach to reading instruction, including 1398 multisensory intervention strategies.

Such training for teaching 1399 foundational skills must shall be based on the science of 1400 reading and include phonics instruction for decoding and 1401 encoding as the primary instructional strategy for word reading. 1402 Instructional strategies included in the training may not employ 1403 the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a 1404 basis for teaching word reading.

Such instructional strategies 1405 may include visual information and strategies which improve 1406 background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase 1407 oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may 1408 not be used to teach word reading. Each district must provide 1409 all elementary grades instructional personnel access to training 1410 sufficient to meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(

g) s. 1411 1012.585(3)(f). 1412

(7) An organization of private schools or consortium of 1413 charter schools which has no fewer than 10 member schools in 1414 this state, which publishes and files with the Department of 1415 Education copies of its standards, and the member schools of 1416 which comply with the provisions of

part II of

chapter 1003, 1417 relating to compulsory school attendance;, or a public or 1418 private college or university with a teacher preparation program 1419 approved pursuant to s. 1004.04; or the Florida Institute for 1420 Charter School Innovation, may also develop a professional 1421

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 50 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. learning system that includes a professional learning catalog 1422 for inservice activities. The system and inservice catalog must 1423 be submitted to the commissioner for approval pursuant to state 1424 board rules. 1425

Section 21. Paragraph (

c) of subsection (2) and paragraph 1426 (

b) of subsection (5) of

section 1004.04, Florida Statutes, are 1427 amended to read: 1428 1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for 1429 teacher preparation programs.— 1430

(2) UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT.— 1431 (

c) Each candidate must receive instruction and be assessed 1432 on the uniform core curricula in the candidate’s area or areas 1433 of program concentration during course work and field 1434 experiences. Beginning with candidates entering a teacher 1435 preparation program in the 2022-2023 school year, a candidate 1436 for certification in a coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1437 1012.585(3)(

g) s. 1012.585(3)(

f) must successfully complete all 1438 competencies for a reading endorsement, including completion of 1439 the endorsement practicum through the candidate’s field 1440 experience under subsection (5), in order to graduate from the 1441 program. 1442

(5) PRESERVICE FIELD EXPERIENCE.—All postsecondary 1443 instructors, school district personnel and instructional 1444 personnel, and school sites preparing instructional personnel 1445 through preservice field experience courses and internships 1446 shall meet special requirements. District school boards may pay 1447 student teachers during their internships. 1448 (b)1. All school district personnel and instructional 1449 personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 1450

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 51 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. during field experience courses or internships taking place in 1451 this state in which candidates demonstrate an impact on student 1452 learning growth must have: 1453 a. Evidence of “clinical educator” training; 1454 b. A valid professional certificate issued pursuant to s. 1455 1012.56; 1456 c. At least 3 years of teaching experience in 1457 prekindergarten through grade 12; 1458 d.

Earned an effective or highly effective rating on the 1459 prior year’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 or be a 1460 peer evaluator under the district’s evaluation system approved 1461 under s. 1012.34; and 1462 e. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, for all such 1463 personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students 1464 during internships in kindergarten through grade 3 or who are 1465 enrolled in a teacher preparation program for a certificate area 1466 identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(

g) s. 1012.585(3)(f), a 1467 certificate or endorsement in reading. 1468 1469 The State Board of Education shall approve the training 1470 requirements. 1471 2. All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 1472 teacher preparation students during field experience courses or 1473 internships in another state, in which a candidate demonstrates 1474 his or her impact on student learning growth, through a Florida 1475 online or distance program must have received “clinical 1476 educator” training or its equivalent in that state, hold a valid 1477 professional certificate issued by the state in which the field 1478 experience takes place, and have at least 3 years of teaching 1479

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 52 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. experience in prekindergarten through grade 12. 1480 3.

All instructional personnel who supervise or direct 1481 teacher preparation students during field experience courses or 1482 internships, in which a candidate demonstrates his or her impact 1483 on student learning growth, on a United States military base in 1484 another country through a Florida online or distance program 1485 must have received “clinical educator” training or its 1486 equivalent, hold a valid professional certificate issued by the 1487 United States Department of Defense or a state or territory of 1488 the United States, and have at least 3 years teaching experience 1489 in prekindergarten through grade 12. 1490

Section 22. Paragraph (

b) of subsection (3) of

section 1491 1004.85, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1492 1004.85 Postsecondary educator preparation institutes.— 1493

(3) Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to 1494 this

section may offer competency-based certification programs 1495 specifically designed for noneducation major baccalaureate 1496 degree holders to enable program participants to meet the 1497 educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator 1498 preparation institute choosing to offer a competency-based 1499 certification program pursuant to the provisions of this

section 1500 must implement a program developed by the institute and approved 1501 by the department for this purpose. Approved programs shall be 1502 available for use by other approved educator preparation 1503 institutes. 1504 (

b) Each program participant must: 1505 1. Meet certification requirements pursuant to s. 1506 1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in 1507 the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet 1508

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 53 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f). 1509 2. Demonstrate competency and participate in field 1510 experiences that are appropriate to his or her educational plan 1511 prepared under paragraph (a). Beginning with candidates entering 1512 an educator preparation institute in the 2022-2023 school year, 1513 a candidate for certification in a coverage area identified 1514 pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(

g) s. 1012.585(3)(

f) must 1515 successfully complete all competencies for a reading 1516 endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum 1517 through the candidate’s field experience, in order to graduate 1518 from the program. 1519 3.

Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his 1520 or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is 1521 seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on 1522 student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12 1523 setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving 1524 a passing score on the professional education competency 1525 examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area 1526 examination for the subject area certification which is required 1527 by state board rule. 1528

Section 23. Paragraph (

b) of subsection (2) of

section 1529 1012.586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1530 1012.586 Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate 1531 certificates; reading endorsement pathways.— 1532 (2) 1533 (

b) As part of adopting a pathway pursuant to paragraph 1534 (a), the department shall review the competencies for the 1535 reading endorsement and subject area examinations for educator 1536 certificates identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(

g) s. 1537

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 7000 581-01445-24 20247000__ Page 54 of 54 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 1012.585(3)(

f) for alignment with evidence-based instructional 1538 and intervention strategies rooted in the science of reading and 1539 identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7) and recommend changes to 1540 the State Board of Education. Recommended changes must address 1541 identification of the characteristics of conditions such as 1542 dyslexia, implementation of evidence-based classroom instruction 1543 and interventions, including evidence-based reading instruction 1544 and interventions specifically for students with characteristics 1545 of dyslexia, and effective progress monitoring.

By July 1, 2023, 1546 each school district reading endorsement add-on program must be 1547 resubmitted for approval by the department consistent with this 1548 paragraph. 1549

Section 24. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 1550