| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to certification of public school |
| 3 | educators; providing that teachers who complete certain |
| 4 | inservice requirements for a reading endorsement shall |
| 5 | receive credit towards an English for Speakers of Other |
| 6 | Languages endorsement or certification; specifying |
| 7 | inservice requirements; creating the Reading and English |
| 8 | for Speakers of Others Languages Inservice Requirements |
| 9 | Task Force; providing purpose and membership; requiring a |
| 10 | report; providing for termination; providing effective |
| 11 | dates. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Teachers who complete 300 inservice hours or |
| 16 | the equivalent for a reading endorsement shall be credited with |
| 17 | 120 inservice hours towards their English for Speakers of Other |
| 18 | Languages (ESOL) endorsement or certification. These teachers |
| 19 | must complete 180 inservice hours of ESOL training to become |
| 20 | ESOL endorsed or certified. The 180 inservice hours must include |
| 21 | the following: 60 inservice hours of applied linguistics or |
| 22 | documented completion of such training; 60 inservice hours of |
| 23 | methods of teaching ESOL or documented completion of such |
| 24 | training; and 60 inservice hours of practicum/demonstration of |
| 25 | mastery or documented completion of such training. Documentation |
| 26 | of these inservice requirements is subject to approval by the |
| 27 | Department of Education. |
| 28 | Section 2. Reading and English for Speakers of Other |
| 29 | Languages (ESOL) Task Force.-- |
| 30 | (1) Effective upon this act becoming a law, there is |
| 31 | created the Reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages |
| 32 | (ESOL) Inservice Requirements Task Force with the purpose of |
| 33 | studying existing statutory requirements and recommending policy |
| 34 | to strengthen their components. The task force shall be composed |
| 35 | of the following 14 members: |
| 36 | (a) The Commissioner of Education, or his or her designee, |
| 37 | who shall serve as chair. |
| 38 | (b) The Director of the Florida Center for Reading |
| 39 | Research. |
| 40 | (c) Three kindergarten through grade 12 teachers, one of |
| 41 | whom shall be certified in reading, one of whom shall be |
| 42 | certified in ESOL, and one of whom shall be certified in both |
| 43 | areas. One member shall be appointed each by the Governor, the |
| 44 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 45 | Representatives. |
| 46 | (d) Three district school superintendents, one each from a |
| 47 | small, a medium, and a large school district, to be appointed by |
| 48 | the Commissioner of Education. |
| 49 | (e) A representative from the Florida Association of |
| 50 | Bilingual and ESOL Supervisors. |
| 51 | (f) A representative from the Florida Education |
| 52 | Association. |
| 53 | (g) A representative from a college or university who has |
| 54 | knowledge of teacher preparation programs for reading and ESOL. |
| 55 | (h) A representative from the Florida Association for |
| 56 | Staff Development. |
| 57 | (i) A representative from the Florida Organization of |
| 58 | Instructional Leaders. |
| 59 | (j) A representative of a statewide group that represents |
| 60 | students with disabilities. |
| 61 | (2) The members of the task force shall be appointed by |
| 62 | July 1, 2008, and shall convene the initial meeting of the task |
| 63 | force by September 1, 2008. |
| 64 | (3) The task force is assigned to the Department of |
| 65 | Education for administrative purposes. Members of the task force |
| 66 | shall serve without compensation but are entitled to per diem |
| 67 | and travel expenses under s. 112.061, Florida Statutes. Members |
| 68 | of the task force are subject to the Code of Ethics for Public |
| 69 | Officers and Employees under part III of chapter 112, Florida |
| 70 | Statutes. |
| 71 | (4) By February 1, 2009, the task force shall submit a |
| 72 | report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the |
| 73 | Speaker of the House of Representatives that includes, but is |
| 74 | not limited to, information and recommendations regarding the |
| 75 | inservice requirements for reading and ESOL teachers in the |
| 76 | state. |
| 77 | (5) Upon delivery of its final report and recommendations, |
| 78 | the task force is abolished. |
| 79 | Section 3. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this |
| 80 | act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |