The Florida Senate

¹231.600  School Community Professional Development Act.--

(1)  The Department of Education, public community colleges and universities, public school districts, and public schools in this state shall collaborate to establish a coordinated system of professional development. The purpose of the professional development system is to enable the school community to meet state and local student achievement standards and the state education goals and to succeed in school improvement as described in s. 229.591.

(2)  The school community includes administrators, instructional personnel, support personnel, principals, members of school advisory councils, parents, business partners, and personnel that provide health and social services to school children. School districts may identify and include additional members of the school community in the professional development activities required by this section.

(3)  The activities designed to implement this section must:

(a)  Increase the success of educators in guiding student learning and development so as to implement state and local educational standards, goals, and initiatives;

(b)  Assist the school community in providing stimulating educational activities that encourage and motivate students to achieve at the highest levels and to become active learners; and

(c)  Provide continuous support as well as temporary intervention for education professionals who need improvement in knowledge, skills, and performance.

(4)  The Department of Education, school districts, schools, and public colleges and universities share the responsibilities described in this section. These responsibilities include the following:

(a)  The department shall develop and disseminate model professional development methods that have demonstrated success in meeting identified student needs. The Commissioner of Education shall use data on student achievement to identify student needs. The methods of dissemination must include a statewide performance support system, a database of exemplary professional development activities, a listing of available professional development resources, and technical assistance.

(b)  Each district school board shall consult with teachers and representatives of college and university faculty, community agencies, and other interested citizen groups to establish policy and procedures to guide the operation of the district professional development program. The professional development system must:

1.  Require that principals and schools use student achievement data, school discipline data, school environment surveys, assessments of parental satisfaction, and other performance indicators to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved professional performance, and assist principals and schools in making these identifications;

2.  Provide training activities coupled with followup support that is appropriate to accomplish district-level and school-level improvement goals and standards;

3.  Provide for systematic consultation with regional and state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and evaluation of local professional development programs;

4.  Provide for delivery of professional development by distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to reach more educators at lower costs; and

5.  Continuously evaluate the quality and effectiveness of professional development programs in order to eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such activities on the performance of participating educators and their students' achievement and behavior.

(c)  Each public community college and university shall assist the department, school districts, and schools in the design, delivery, and evaluation of professional development activities. This assistance must include active participation in state and local activities required by the professional development system.

(5)  Each district school board shall provide funding for the system as required by s. 236.081, and shall direct expenditures from other funding sources to strengthen the system and make it uniform and coherent. A school district may coordinate its professional development program with that of another district, with an educational consortium, or with a college or university, especially in preparing and educating personnel.

(6)  The Department of Education shall design methods by which the state and district school boards may evaluate and improve the professional development system. The evaluation must include an annual assessment of data that indicate progress or lack of progress of all students. If the review of data indicates an achievement level that is unusual, the department may investigate the causes of the success or lack of success, may provide technical assistance, and may require the school district to employ a different approach to professional development. The department shall report annually to the State Board of Education and the Legislature any school district that, in the determination of the department, has failed to provide an adequate professional development system. This report must include the results of the department's investigation and of any intervention provided.

(7)  The State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this section.

(8)  This section does not limit or discourage a district school board from contracting with independent entities for professional development services and inservice education if the school board believes that, through such a contract, a better product can be acquired or its goals for education improvement can be better met.

(9)  For teachers and administrators who have been evaluated as less than satisfactory, a school board may require participation in specific professional development programs as part of the improvement prescription.

History.--s. 41, ch. 73-338; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 28, 29, ch. 82-242; ss. 30, 31, ch. 83-324; ss. 1, 20, 21, ch. 85-238; s. 1, ch. 95-236; s. 10, ch. 98-281; s. 60, ch. 99-398.

¹Note.--Repealed October 1, 1995, by s. 21, ch. 85-238, but prior to that date was substantially reworded by s. 1, ch. 95-236, effective June 9, 1995; further amended by s. 10, ch. 98-281, and s. 60, ch. 99-398.