Florida Senate - 2022 SB 896 By Senator Burgess 20-00922A-22 2022896__ Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to educator certification pathways for 2 veterans; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; expanding 3 eligibility to seek educator certification to 4 specified military servicemembers who have completed a 5 specified education requirement; authorizing the 6 Department of Education to issue a temporary 7 certificate to specified military servicemembers who 8 have completed a specified education requirement; 9 specifying the duration of a temporary certificate for 10 specified military servicemembers; amending s. 11 1012.59, F.S.; making a technical change; providing an 12 effective date. 13 14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15 16

Section 1. Paragraph (

c) of subsection (2) and subsection 17 (7) of

section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 18 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.— 19

(2) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—To be eligible to seek 20 certification, a person must: 21 (c)1. Document receipt of a bachelor’s or higher degree 22 from an accredited institution of higher learning, or a 23 nonaccredited institution of higher learning that the Department 24 of Education has identified as having a quality program 25 resulting in a bachelor’s degree, or higher. Each applicant 26 seeking initial certification must have attained a minimum 27 cumulative at least a 2.5 overall grade point average of 2.5 on 28 a 4.0 scale in the applicant’s major field of study; or 29

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 896 20-00922A-22 2022896__ Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 2.

Document 48 months of active-duty military service with 30 an honorable discharge or a medical separation and completion of 31 60 college credits with a minimum cumulative grade point average 32 of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as provided by one or more accredited 33 institutions of higher learning or a nonaccredited institution 34 of higher learning identified by the Department of Education as 35 having a quality program resulting in a bachelor’s degree or 36 higher. 37 38 The applicant may document the required education by submitting 39 official transcripts from institutions of higher education or by 40 authorizing the direct submission of such official transcripts 41 through established electronic network systems.

The bachelor’s 42 or higher degree may not be required in areas approved in rule 43 by the State Board of Education as nondegreed areas. The State 44 Board of Education may adopt rules that, for purposes of 45 demonstrating completion of specific certification requirements, 46 allow for the acceptance of college course credits recommended 47 by the American Council for Education (ACE), as posted on an 48 official ACE transcript. 49

(7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.— 50 (

a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional 51 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant 52 who fulfills one of the following: 53 1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in 54 subsection (2). 55 2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through 56 12: 57 a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-58

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 896 20-00922A-22 2022896__ Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (h). 59 b. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of 60 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 61 c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the 62 advanced degree. 63 d.

Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s 64 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on 65 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized 66 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International 67 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate 68 examination. 69 e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional 70 education competency examination required by state board rule. 71 3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-72 (

h) and completes a professional preparation and education 73 competence program approved by the department pursuant to 74 paragraph (8)(

c) or an educator preparation institute approved 75 by the department pursuant to s. 1004.85. An applicant who 76 completes one of these programs and is rated highly effective as 77 determined by his or her performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 78 is not required to take or achieve a passing score on the 79 professional education competency examination in order to be 80 awarded a professional certificate. 81 (

b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to 82 any applicant who: 83 1. Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs 84 (2)(a)-(f); and 85 2. Completes the subject area content requirements 86 specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject 87

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 896 20-00922A-22 2022896__ Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5); and 88 3.a. Holds an accredited degree or a degree approved by the 89 Department of Education at the level required for the subject 90 area specialization in state board rule; or 91 b.

For a subject area specialization for which the state 92 board otherwise requires a bachelor’s degree, has completed 48 93 months of active-duty military service with an honorable 94 discharge or medical separation and 60 college credits with a 95 minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as 96 provided by one or more accredited institutions of higher 97 learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher learning that 98 the Department of Education has identified as having a quality 99 program resulting in a bachelor’s degree or higher. 100 (

c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year 101 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional 102 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor’s 103 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for 104 completion of a master’s degree program in speech-language 105 impairment. 106 (d)1. Except for a temporary certificate issued under sub-107 subparagraph (b)3.b., each temporary certificate is valid for 3 108 school fiscal years and is nonrenewable. 109 2.

Each temporary certificate issued under sub-subparagraph 110 (b)3.b. is valid for 5 school fiscal years and is nonrenewable. 111 112 At least 1 year before an individual’s temporary certificate is 113 set to expire, the department shall electronically notify the 114 individual of the date on which his or her certificate will 115 expire and provide a list of each method by which the 116

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 896 20-00922A-22 2022896__ Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. qualifications for a professional certificate can be completed. 117 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow the 118 department to extend the validity period of a temporary 119 certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the 120 professional certificate were not completed due to the serious 121 illness or injury of the applicant, the military service of an 122 applicant’s spouse, other extraordinary extenuating 123 circumstances, or if the certificateholder is rated highly 124 effective in the immediate prior year’s performance evaluation 125 pursuant to s. 1012.34 or has completed a 2-year mentorship 126 program pursuant to s. 1012.56(8).

The department shall extend 127 the temporary certificate upon approval by the Commissioner of 128 Education. A written request for extension of the certificate 129 shall be submitted by the district school superintendent, the 130 governing authority of a university lab school, the governing 131 authority of a state-supported school, or the governing 132 authority of a private school. 133

Section 2. Paragraph (

c) of subsection (3) of

section 134 1012.59, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 135 1012.59 Certification fees.— 136

(3) The State Board of Education shall waive initial 137 general knowledge, professional education, and subject area 138 examination fees and certification fees for: 139 (

c) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States 140 Armed Forces or a veteran of a reserve component thereof who 141 served on active duty and the spouse or surviving spouse of such 142 a veteran. 143

Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 144