| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to educator certification requirements; |
| 3 | amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; requiring subject area |
| 4 | examinations in specified foreign languages for the |
| 5 | purpose of demonstrating mastery of that subject area |
| 6 | knowledge; providing an effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 1012.56, Florida |
| 11 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 12 | 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.-- |
| 13 | (4) MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.--Acceptable means |
| 14 | of demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are: |
| 15 | (a) Achievement of passing scores on subject area |
| 16 | examinations required by state board rule, such subject area |
| 17 | examinations to include foreign language examinations in |
| 18 | Spanish, French, German, Latin, Hebrew, Italian, and Chinese; |
| 19 | (b) Completion of the subject area specialization |
| 20 | requirements specified in state board rule and verification of |
| 21 | the attainment of the essential subject matter competencies by |
| 22 | the district school superintendent of the employing school |
| 23 | district or chief administrative officer of the employing state- |
| 24 | supported or private school for a subject area for which a |
| 25 | subject area examination has not been developed and required by |
| 26 | state board rule; |
| 27 | (c) Completion of the subject area specialization |
| 28 | requirements specified in state board rule for a subject |
| 29 | coverage requiring a master's or higher degree and achievement |
| 30 | of a passing score on the subject area examination specified in |
| 31 | state board rule; |
| 32 | (d) A valid professional standard teaching certificate |
| 33 | issued by another state; or |
| 34 | (e) A valid certificate issued by the National Board for |
| 35 | Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator |
| 36 | credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education. |
| 37 |
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| 38 | School districts are encouraged to provide mechanisms for those |
| 39 | middle school teachers holding only a K-6 teaching certificate |
| 40 | to obtain a subject area coverage for middle grades through |
| 41 | postsecondary coursework or district add-on certification. |
| 42 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |