Senate Bill sb1804
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1804
By Senator Atwater
25-1264-04 See HB 471
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to community colleges; creating
3 s. 1004.85, F.S.; authorizing community
4 colleges to create teacher institutes;
5 authorizing community colleges through teacher
6 institutes to offer competency-based
7 alternative teacher certification programs;
8 requiring Department of Education approval of
9 such programs; providing requirements for
10 program completion; providing eligibility for
11 funding; providing program requirements;
12 authorizing rulemaking; amending s. 1012.56,
13 F.S.; providing that successful completion of a
14 community college alternative certification
15 program meets certain educator certification
16 requirements; providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 1004.85, Florida Statutes, is
21 created to read:
22 1004.85 Community college teacher institutes.--
23 (1) Community colleges are authorized to create
24 teacher institutes for the purpose of providing any or all of
25 the following:
26 (a) Professional development instruction to assist
27 teachers in improving classroom instruction and in meeting
28 certification or recertification requirements.
29 (b) Instruction to assist potential and existing
30 substitute teachers in performing their duties.
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1804
25-1264-04 See HB 471
1 (c) Instruction to assist paraprofessionals in meeting
2 education and training requirements.
3 (d) Instruction for baccalaureate degree holders to
4 become certified teachers as provided in this section.
5 (2) Community colleges may offer alternative
6 certification programs specifically designed for noneducation
7 major baccalaureate degree holders to enable program
8 participants to meet the educator certification requirements
9 of s. 1012.56. Such programs shall be provided at community
10 college teacher institutes created pursuant to this section
11 and shall be competency-based teacher certification
12 preparation programs that prepare teachers through an
13 alternative route. Such educator preparation programs are
14 intended for mid-career professionals, dislocated
15 professionals, and other baccalaureate degree holders who want
16 to become teachers in this state. A community college choosing
17 to offer an alternative certification program shall implement
18 a program previously approved by the Department of Education
19 for this purpose or a program developed by the community
20 college and approved by the Department of Education for this
21 purpose. Approved programs shall be available for
22 implementation statewide.
23 (a) A community college program shall be approved by
24 the Department of Education if the community college provides
25 sufficient evidence of the following:
26 1. The program must be administered in collaboration
27 with other institutions, agencies, or organizations and must
28 be provided with leadership through an advisory committee
29 composed of nationally certified teachers, representatives
30 from the district school board or boards, and currently
31 employed teachers.
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1804
25-1264-04 See HB 471
1 2. Instruction must be provided in professional
2 knowledge and subject matter content that includes
3 educator-accomplished practices and competencies and meets
4 subject matter content requirements, professional competency
5 testing requirements, and competencies associated with
6 teaching reading, where appropriate.
7 (b) Each program participant must:
8 1. Meet temporary certification requirements by
9 obtaining a temporary certificate, pursuant to s. 1012.56(6),
10 or document eligibility to obtain a temporary certificate,
11 including meeting the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f).
12 2. Participate in field experience that is appropriate
13 to his or her educational plan.
14 3. Fully demonstrate his or her ability to teach the
15 subject area for which he or she is seeking certification
16 prior to completion of the program.
17 (c) Upon completion of the program, a participant
18 shall receive a credential from the sponsoring community
19 college, pursuant to authority granted in s. 1004.65. Such
20 credential shall satisfy the requirements of s. 1012.56(5)
21 relating to mastery of professional preparation and education
22 competence. A participant shall be eligible for educator
23 certification through the Department of Education upon
24 satisfaction of all requirements for certification set forth
25 in s. 1012.56(2), including demonstration of mastery of
26 general knowledge, subject area knowledge, and professional
27 preparation and education competence, through testing or other
28 statutorily authorized means.
29 (d) Community colleges offering approved programs are
30 eligible for funding from federal and state funds.
31 Participants who complete a program pursuant to this section
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1804
25-1264-04 See HB 471
1 shall be included for the purpose of performance-based
2 funding.
3 (e) Each community college offering an approved
4 program shall submit to the Department of Education annual
5 performance evaluations that measure the effectiveness of the
6 program, including the pass rates of participants on all
7 examinations required for teacher certification and employer
8 satisfaction surveys.
9 (f) If a community college offers an approved program
10 pursuant to this section, such program may be used by the
11 school district or districts served by that community college
12 to fully satisfy the requirements for the provision of a
13 competency-based professional preparation alternative
14 certification program as required in s. 1012.56(7).
15 (g) Instructors for a community college program
16 approved pursuant to this section must possess a master's
17 degree in education or in an education field and document
18 recent teaching experience.
19 (3) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
20 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the
21 provisions of this section.
22 Section 2. Subsection (5) of section 1012.56, Florida
23 Statutes, is amended to read:
24 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.--
25 (5) MASTERY OF PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND EDUCATION
26 COMPETENCE.--Acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of
27 professional preparation and education competence are:
28 (a) Completion of an approved teacher preparation
29 program at a postsecondary educational institution within this
30 state and achievement of a passing score on the professional
31 education competency examination required by state board rule;
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1804
25-1264-04 See HB 471
1 (b) Completion of a teacher preparation program at a
2 postsecondary educational institution outside Florida and
3 achievement of a passing score on the professional education
4 competency examination required by state board rule;
5 (c) A valid professional standard teaching certificate
6 issued by another state;
7 (d) A valid certificate issued by the National Board
8 for Professional Teaching Standards;
9 (e) Documentation of two semesters of successful
10 teaching in a community college, state university, or private
11 college or university that awards an associate or higher
12 degree and is an accredited institution or an institution of
13 higher education identified by the Department of Education as
14 having a quality program;
15 (f) Completion of professional preparation courses as
16 specified in state board rule, successful completion of a
17 professional education competence demonstration program
18 pursuant to paragraph (7)(b), and achievement of a passing
19 score on the professional education competency examination
20 required by state board rule; or
21 (g) Successful completion of a professional
22 preparation alternative certification and education competency
23 program, outlined in paragraph (7)(a); or.
24 (h) Successful completion of a community college
25 program pursuant to s. 1004.85 and achievement of a passing
26 score on the professional education competency examination
27 required by state board rule.
28 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
29 law.
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