HB 0755 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to teachers; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.;
3	revising requirements for demonstrating mastery of general
4	knowledge, subject area knowledge, and professional
5	preparation and education competence for purposes of
6	certification; revising requirements for temporary
7	certification; amending s. 1012.58, F.S.; revising
8	provisions relating to the Transition to Teaching Program;
9	expanding the program to assist dislocated professionals
10	and other baccalaureate degree holders to become teachers;
11	authorizing teacher preparation programs for persons with
12	noneducation majors; requiring instruction for mastery of
13	competencies; authorizing state and federal funding;
14	providing Transition to Teaching Program requirements;
15	providing an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1. Subsections (3), (4), (5), and (6) of section
20	1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
21	1012.56 Educator certification requirements.--
22	(3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.--Acceptable means of
23	demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
24	(a) Achievement of passing scores on basic skills
25	examination required by state board rule;
26	(b) Achievement of passing scores on the College Level
27	Academic Skills Test earned prior to July 1, 2002;
28	(c) A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
29	another state that requires an examination of mastery of general
30	knowledge;
31	(c)(d)A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
32	another state and valid certificate issued by the National Board
33	for Professional Teaching Standards; or
34	(d)(e)A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
35	another state and documentation of 2 years of continuous
36	successful full-time teaching or administrative experience
37	during the 5-year period immediately preceding the date of
38	application for certification.
39	(4) MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.--Acceptable means
40	of demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are:
41	(a) Achievement of passing scores on subject area
42	examinations required by state board rule;
43	(b) Completion of the subject area specialization
44	requirements specified in state board rule and verification of
45	the attainment of the essential subject matter competencies by
46	the district school superintendent of the employing school
47	district or chief administrative officer of the employing state-
48	supported or private school for a subject area for which a
49	subject area examination has not been developed and required by
50	state board rule;
51	(c) Completion of the graduate level subject area
52	specialization requirements specified in state board rule for a
53	subject coverage requiring a master's or higher degree and
54	achievement of a passing score on the subject area examination
55	specified in state board rule;
56	(d) A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
57	another state that requires an examination of mastery of subject
58	area knowledge;
59	(d)(e)A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
60	another state and valid certificate issued by the National Board
61	for Professional Teaching Standards; or
62	(e)(f)A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
63	another state and documentation of 2 years of continuous
64	successful full-time teaching or administrative experience
65	during the 5-year period immediately preceding the date of
66	application for certification.
67	(5) MASTERY OF PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND EDUCATION
68	COMPETENCE.--Acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of
69	professional preparation and education competence are:
70	(a) Completion of an approved teacher preparation program
71	at a postsecondary educational institution within this state and
72	achievement of a passing score on the professional education
73	competency examination required by state board rule;
74	(b) Completion of a teacher preparation program at a
75	postsecondary educational institution outside Florida and
76	achievement of a passing score on the professional education
77	competency examination required by state board rule;
78	(c) A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
79	another state that requires an examination of mastery of
80	professional education competence;
81	(c)(d)A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
82	another state and valid certificate issued by the National Board
83	for Professional Teaching Standards;
84	(d)(e)A valid standard teaching certificate issued by
85	another state and documentation of 2 years of continuous
86	successful full-time teaching or administrative experience
87	during the 5-year period immediately preceding the date of
88	application for certification;
89	(e)(f)Completion of professional preparation courses as
90	specified in state board rule, successful completion of a
91	professional education competence demonstration program pursuant
92	to paragraph (7)(b), and achievement of a passing score on the
93	professional education competency examination required by state
94	board rule; or
95	(f)(g)Successful completion of a professional preparation
96	alternative certification and education competency program,
97	outlined in paragraph (7)(a).
98	(6) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.--
99	(a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional
100	certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant
101	who meets all the requirements outlined in subsection (2).
102	(b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
103	any applicant who completes the requirements outlined in
104	paragraphs (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content
105	requirements specified in state board rule or demonstrates
106	mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to subsection (4) and
107	holds an accredited degree or a degree approved by the
108	Department of Education at the level required for the subject
109	area specialization in state board rule.
110	(c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year
111	temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional
112	certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor's
113	degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for
114	completion of a master's degree program in speech-language
115	impairment.
116
117	Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
118	and is nonrenewable. During the validity period of the temporary
119	certificate, all professional preparation and testing
120	requirements must be completed to be eligible for the 5-year
121	professional certificate and continued employment.However, the
122	requirement in paragraph (2)(g) must be met within 1 calendar
123	year of the date of employment under the temporary certificate.
124	Individuals who are employed under contract at the end of the 1
125	calendar year time period may continue to be employed through
126	the end of the school year in which they have been contracted. A
127	school district shall not employ, or continue the employment of,
128	an individual in a position for which a temporary certificate is
129	required beyond this time period if the individual has not met
130	the requirement of paragraph (2)(g).The State Board of
131	Education shall adopt rules to allow the department to extend
132	the validity period of a temporary certificate for 2 years when
133	the requirements for the professional certificate, not including
134	the requirement in paragraph (2)(g), were not completed due to
135	the serious illness or injury of the applicant or other
136	extraordinary extenuating circumstances. The department shall
137	reissue the temporary certificate for 2 additional years upon
138	approval by the Commissioner of Education. A written request for
139	reissuance of the certificate shall be submitted by the district
140	school superintendent, the governing authority of a university
141	lab school, the governing authority of a state-supported school,
142	or the governing authority of a private school.
143	Section 2. Section 1012.58, Florida Statutes, is amended
144	to read:
145	1012.58 Transition to Teaching Program.--
146	(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Transition to Teaching
147	Program, known as the "EXPRESS TRACK,"is created to encourage
148	and assist midcareer professionals, dislocated professionals,
149	and other baccalaureate degree holderswho want to become
150	teachers.
151	(2) Community colleges and approved teacher preparation
152	programs are authorized to offer teacher preparation programs
153	for baccalaureate degree holders with noneducation majors. Such
154	programs shall provide participants with the competencies
155	identified through the alternative certification program, as
156	described in s. 1012.56(7), or as identified by the provider as
157	appropriate to successfully demonstrate mastery of professional
158	preparation and education competence, as specified in s.
159	1012.56(5), and to enter the classroom. Competency-based
160	instruction should be offered in a time-shortened method, where
161	possible. Transition to Teaching Program participants must be
162	determined by a school district to be eligible to obtain a
163	temporary certificate, including meeting the requirements of s.
164	1012.56(2)(a)-(f), except that participants may be accepted into
165	the program if they attained a 2.5 overall grade point average
166	on a 4.0 scale in their baccalaureate or higher degree.
167	Participants may enter employment with a temporary certificate
168	during the period they are completing the program, with school
169	district approval. However, Transition to Teaching programs are
170	encouraged to ensure that sufficient competencies are acquired
171	by participants prior to said employment. Transition to Teaching
172	programs shall provide assistance to potential participants in
173	completing the requirements for demonstration of mastery of
174	general knowledge and subject area knowledge.
175	(3)(2) GRANTS; FUNDINGELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.--
176	(a)If state or federal funds are available to support
177	Transition to Teaching programs,the Commissioner of Education
178	shall design the process for receiving and evaluating grant or
179	fundingproposals in accordance with state and federal
180	appropriations guidelines, as appropriate. Grants may be awarded
181	only to the extent that funding is provided. However, community
182	college Transition to Teaching Program completers shall be
183	included in appropriate performance-based funding allocations.
184	(4) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.--
185	(a)(b) The Commissioner of Education shall review
186	Transition to Teaching programs to ensure that each program
187	addresses the followingrequest proposals from eligible
188	applicants to participate in the program. Each application must:
189	1. DescribesDescribethe target group of career-changing
190	professionals or baccalaureate degree holders upon which the
191	programapplicantwill focus in carrying out its program,
192	including a description of the characteristics of the target
193	group that shows how the knowledge and experience of its members
194	are likely to improve their ability to become effective
195	teachers.
196	2. DescribesDescribe how the programapplicantwill
197	identify and recruit program participants.
198	3. DescribesDescribe how the programapplicantwill
199	ensure that program participants are placed and teach in
200	eligible school districts in this state.
201	4. DescribesDescribethe teacher support services that
202	program participants will receive throughout at least their
203	first year of teaching.
204	5. DescribesDescribe how the programapplicantwill
205	collaborate with other institutions, agencies, or organizations,
206	including the local workforce development agencies, to recruit,
207	train,place, and support program participants, including
208	evidence of the commitment of those institutions, agencies, or
209	organizations to the applicant's program.
210	(b)(c)The Commissioner of Education must require an
211	evaluation process to measure the progress and effectiveness of
212	the program. This evaluation must include:
213	1. The program's goals and objectives.
214	2. The performance indicators that the programapplicant
215	will use to measure the program's progress.
216	3. The outcome measures that will be used to determine the
217	program's effectiveness, including pass rates of participants on
218	the professional preparation examination.
219	4. An assurance that the programapplicantwill provide
220	the commissioner with information the commissioner finds
221	necessary to determine the overall effectiveness of the
222	programs.
223	(5)(3) PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION; AUTHORIZED EXPENDITURES.--
224	(a) An applicant shall estimate the funds required for the
225	proposed program. All funds provided for a program must be used
226	as authorized in federal guidelines.
227	(b) Eligible providersapplicantsare encouraged to
228	implement the program using the following components:
229	(a)1.Recruiting program participants, including informing
230	them of opportunities under the program and putting them in
231	contact with other institutions, agencies, or organizations that
232	will train, place, and support them in the teaching profession.
233	(b)2.TailoringAssisting providers of teacher training to
234	tailor their training to meet the particular needs of
235	participantsprofessionals who are changing their careers to
236	teaching.
237	(c)3.Placement activities, including identifying eligible
238	local education agencies with a need for the skills and
239	characteristics of the newly trained program participants and
240	assisting those participants to obtain employment in those
241	school districts.
242	(d)4.Postplacement support activities for program
243	participants.
244	(6)(4) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS; REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT
245	REPAYMENT.--
246	(a) If state or federal funds are used to support training
247	stipends, each participant who receives a stipendgrantfrom the
248	program to pursue a teacher preparation program must agree to
249	teach in an eligible school district in this state for at least
250	3 years after certification. To be eligible, a school district
251	must meet the requirements established in regulations that
252	implement the Omnibus Appropriations Bill of 2000.
253	(b) The commissioner shall establish conditions under
254	which a participant must repay all or a portion of the training
255	stipend if the participant fails to complete his or her service
256	obligation.
257	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.