Florida Senate - 2014 CS for SB 950
By the Committee on Education; and Senator Stargel
581-02432-14 2014950c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 1012.2315,
3 F.S.; authorizing a school district to assign to a
4 school that has earned failing grades certain newly
5 hired instructional personnel; amending s. 1012.27,
6 F.S.; revising the powers of a district school
7 superintendent to include authorization to assign
8 certain newly hired instructional personnel to a
9 school that has earned failing grades based on the
10 judgment of a school principal; amending s. 1012.56,
11 F.S.; deleting obsolete provisions relating to
12 acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of
13 professional development; revising acceptable means of
14 demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge;
15 conforming terminology; revising components of a
16 competency-based professional development
17 certification program; amending s. 1012.585, F.S.;
18 revising certain requirements for the renewal or
19 reinstatement of a professional certificate; providing
20 an effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 1012.2315, Florida
25 Statutes, is amended to read:
26 1012.2315 Assignment of teachers.—
27 (2) ASSIGNMENT TO SCHOOLS GRADED “D” or “F”.—
28 (a) A school district districts may not assign a higher
29 percentage than the school district average of temporarily
30 certified teachers, teachers in need of improvement, or out-of
31 field teachers to schools graded “D” or “F” pursuant to s.
32 1008.34.
33 (b) Beginning July 1, 2014, a school district may assign an
34 individual newly hired as instructional personnel to a school
35 that has earned a grade of “F” in the previous year or any
36 combination of three consecutive grades of “D” or “F” in the
37 previous 3 years pursuant to s. 1008.34 if the individual:
38 1. Has received an effective rating or highly effective
39 rating in the immediate prior year’s performance evaluation
40 pursuant s. 1012.34;
41 2. Has successfully completed a professional education
42 training program provided by Teach for America, holds a
43 certificate issued pursuant to s. 1012.56, and holds a
44 probationary contract pursuant to s. 1012.335(2)(a); or
45 3. Holds a probationary contract pursuant to s.
46 1012.335(2)(a), holds a certificate issued pursuant to s.
47 1012.56, has successful teaching experience, and, in the
48 judgment of the school principal, students would benefit from
49 the placement of that individual.
50
51 Each school district shall annually certify to the Commissioner
52 of Education that the requirements in this subsection have this
53 requirement has been met. If the commissioner determines that a
54 school district is not in compliance with this subsection, the
55 State Board of Education shall be notified and shall take action
56 pursuant to s. 1008.32 in the next regularly scheduled meeting
57 to require compliance.
58 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1012.27, Florida
59 Statutes, is amended to read:
60 1012.27 Public school personnel; powers and duties of
61 district school superintendent.—The district school
62 superintendent is responsible for directing the work of the
63 personnel, subject to the requirements of this chapter, and in
64 addition the district school superintendent shall perform the
65 following:
66 (1) POSITIONS, QUALIFICATIONS, AND NOMINATIONS.—
67 (a) Recommend to the district school board duties and
68 responsibilities which need to be performed and positions which
69 need to be filled to make possible the development of an
70 adequate school program in the district.
71 (b) Recommend minimum qualifications of personnel for these
72 various positions, and nominate in writing persons to fill such
73 positions.
74
75 For the purpose of this subsection, the district school
76 superintendent’s recommendations for filling instructional
77 positions at the school level must consider nominations received
78 from school principals of the respective schools. The district
79 school superintendent may assign an individual newly hired as
80 instructional personnel to a school that has earned a grade of
81 “F” in the previous year or any combination of three consecutive
82 grades of “D” or “F” in the previous 3 years pursuant to s.
83 1008.34 if the individual holds a probationary contract pursuant
84 to s. 1012.335(2)(a), holds a certificate issued pursuant to s.
85 1012.56, has successful teaching experience, and, in the
86 judgment of the school principal, students would benefit from
87 the placement of that individual. Before transferring a teacher
88 who holds a professional teaching certificate from one school to
89 another, the district school superintendent shall consult with
90 the principal of the receiving school and allow the principal to
91 review the teacher’s records, including student performance
92 demonstrated under s. 1012.34, and interview the teacher. If, in
93 the judgment of the principal, students would not benefit from
94 the placement, an alternative placement may be sought. A
95 principal may refuse the placement in accordance with s.
96 1012.28(6).
97 Section 3. Subsections (3), (5), and (6) and paragraph (a)
98 of subsection (8) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are
99 amended to read:
100 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
101 (3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
102 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
103 (a) Achievement of passing scores on the basic skills
104 examination required by state board rule;
105 (b) Achievement of passing scores on the College Level
106 Academic Skills Test earned prior to July 1, 2002;
107 (b)(c) A valid professional standard teaching certificate
108 issued by another state;
109 (c)(d) A valid certificate issued by the National Board for
110 Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator
111 credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education; or
112 (d)(e) Documentation of two semesters of successful
113 teaching in a Florida College System institution, state
114 university, or private college or university that awards an
115 associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution or
116 an institution of higher education identified by the Department
117 of Education as having a quality program.
118 (5) MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
119 demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are:
120 (a) Achievement of passing scores on subject area
121 examinations required by state board rule for subjects requiring
122 no more than a bachelor’s degree, which may include, but need
123 not be limited to, world languages in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi,
124 French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian,
125 Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish;
126 (b) Completion of a bachelor’s degree or higher and
127 verification of the attainment of a passing score, as specified
128 in state board rule, on a subject area content knowledge
129 examination an oral proficiency interview score above the
130 intermediate level and a written proficiency score above the
131 intermediate level on a test administered by the American
132 Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages or a standardized
133 assessment approved by state board rule for certification
134 subjects for which there is no Florida-developed examination;
135 (c) Completion of the subject area specialization
136 requirements specified in state board rule and verification of
137 the attainment of the essential subject matter competencies by
138 the district school superintendent of the employing school
139 district or chief administrative officer of the employing state
140 supported or private school for a subject area for which a
141 subject area examination has not been developed and required by
142 state board rule;
143 (d) Completion of the subject area specialization
144 requirements specified in state board rule for a subject
145 coverage requiring a master’s or higher degree and achievement
146 of a passing score on the subject area examination or a
147 standardized examination or assessment approved as specified in
148 state board rule;
149 (e) A valid professional standard teaching certificate
150 issued by another state; or
151 (f) A valid certificate issued by the National Board for
152 Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator
153 credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education.
154
155 A school district is districts are encouraged to provide
156 mechanisms for those middle school teachers holding only a K-6
157 teaching certificate to obtain a subject area coverage for
158 middle grades through postsecondary coursework or district add
159 on certification.
160 (6) MASTERY OF PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND EDUCATION
161 COMPETENCE.—Acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of
162 professional preparation and education competence are:
163 (a) Completion of an approved teacher preparation program
164 at a postsecondary educational institution within this state and
165 achievement of a passing score on the professional education
166 competency examination required by state board rule;
167 (b) Completion of a teacher preparation program at a
168 postsecondary educational institution outside Florida and
169 achievement of a passing score on the professional education
170 competency examination required by state board rule;
171 (c) A valid professional standard teaching certificate
172 issued by another state;
173 (d) A valid certificate issued by the National Board for
174 Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator
175 credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education;
176 (e) Documentation of two semesters of successful teaching
177 in a Florida College System institution, state university, or
178 private college or university that awards an associate or higher
179 degree and is an accredited institution or an institution of
180 higher education identified by the Department of Education as
181 having a quality program;
182 (f) Completion of professional preparation courses as
183 specified in state board rule, successful completion of a
184 professional education competence demonstration program pursuant
185 to paragraph (8)(b), and achievement of a passing score on the
186 professional education competency examination required by state
187 board rule;
188 (g) Successful completion of a professional development
189 preparation alternative certification and education competency
190 program, outlined in paragraph (8)(a); or
191 (h) Successful completion of a competency-based an
192 alternative certification program pursuant to s. 1004.85 and
193 achievement of a passing score on the professional education
194 competency examination required by rule of the State Board of
195 Education; or.
196 (i) Successful completion of a professional education
197 training program provided by Teach for America and achievement
198 of a passing score on the professional education competency
199 examination required by rule of the State Board of Education.
200 (8) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION AND EDUCATION
201 COMPETENCY PROGRAM.—
202 (a) The Department of Education shall develop and each
203 school district may provide a cohesive, competency-based
204 professional development certification program by which members
205 of a school district’s instructional staff may satisfy the
206 mastery of professional preparation and education competence
207 requirements specified in this subsection and rules of the State
208 Board of Education. Participants must hold a state-issued
209 temporary certificate. A school district that implements the
210 program shall provide a competency-based certification program
211 developed by the Department of Education or developed by the
212 district and approved by the Department of Education. The
213 program must shall include the following components:
214 1. A minimum period of initial preparation before assuming
215 duties as the teacher of record.
216 2. An option for collaboration between school districts and
217 other supporting agencies or educational entities for
218 implementation.
219 3. Experienced peer mentors. Each individual selected by
220 the district as a peer mentor must hold a valid professional
221 certificate issued pursuant to this section, must have earned at
222 least 3 years of teaching experience in prekindergarten through
223 grade 12, and must have earned an effective or highly effective
224 rating on the prior year’s performance evaluation under s.
225 1012.34 or be a peer evaluator under the district’s evaluation
226 system approved under s. 1012.34.
227 4. An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the
228 district’s system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34
229 which provides for:
230 a. An initial evaluation of each educator’s competencies to
231 determine an appropriate individualized professional development
232 plan.
233 b. A summative evaluation to assure successful completion
234 of the program.
235 5. Professional education preparation content knowledge
236 that includes, but is not limited to, the following:
237 a. The state-adopted student content standards, including
238 scientifically based reading instruction, content literacy, and
239 mathematical practices, for each subject identified on the
240 temporary certificate.
241 b. The educator-accomplished practices approved by the
242 state board.
243 c. A variety of data indicators for monitoring student
244 progress.
245 d. Methodologies for teaching students with disabilities.
246 e. Methodologies for teaching English language learners
247 appropriate for each subject area identified on the temporary
248 certificate.
249 f. Techniques and strategies for operationalizing the role
250 of the teacher in assuring a safe learning environment for
251 students.
252 6. Required achievement of passing scores on the subject
253 area and professional education competency examination required
254 by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge
255 must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3).
256 Section 4. Paragraphs (b) and (d) of subsection (3) and
257 paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section 1012.585, Florida
258 Statutes, are amended to read:
259 1012.585 Process for renewal of professional certificates.—
260 (3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the
261 following requirements must be met:
262 (b) In lieu of college course credit or inservice points,
263 the applicant may renew a specialization area by passage of a
264 state-board-approved state board approved subject area test,
265 including another standardized examination or assessment.
266 (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
267 expanded use of training for renewal of the professional
268 certificate for educators who are required to complete training
269 in teaching students of limited English proficiency, training in
270 teaching students with disabilities, and training in the
271 teaching of reading as follows:
272 1. A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use
273 college credits or inservice points completed in training in
274 English for Speakers of Other Languages, in teaching students
275 with disabilities, English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages
276 training and training in the teaching of reading in excess of 6
277 semester hours during one certificate-validity period toward
278 renewal of the professional certificate during the subsequent
279 validity periods.
280 2. A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use
281 college credits or inservice points completed in training in
282 English for Speakers of Other Languages, in teaching students
283 with disabilities, English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages
284 training and training in the teaching of reading toward renewal
285 of the teacher’s first professional certificate. Such training
286 must not have been included within the degree program, and the
287 teacher’s temporary and professional certificates must be issued
288 for consecutive school years.
289 (5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow
290 the reinstatement of expired professional certificates. The
291 department may reinstate an expired professional certificate if
292 the certificateholder:
293 (b) Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5
294 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired
295 certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a
296 combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(a) to
297 include the credit specified in paragraph (3)(e).
298
299 The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by
300 subject area tests or college credits completed for issuance of
301 the certificate that has expired.
302 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.