Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. PCS (813072) for SB 7070
Ì4354749Î435474
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/19/2019 .
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The Committee on Appropriations (Lee) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment to Amendment (782410) (with title
2 amendment)
3
4 Delete lines 1505 - 1571
5 and insert:
6 Section 16. Effective upon becoming a law, subsections (2),
7 (3), and (7) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended
8 to read:
9 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
10 (2) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—To be eligible to seek
11 certification, a person must:
12 (a) Be at least 18 years of age.
13 (b) File an affidavit that the applicant subscribes to and
14 will uphold the principles incorporated in the Constitution of
15 the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida
16 and that the information provided in the application is true,
17 accurate, and complete. The affidavit shall be by original
18 signature or by electronic authentication. The affidavit shall
19 include substantially the following warning:
20
21 WARNING: Giving false information in order to obtain or renew a
22 Florida educator’s certificate is a criminal offense under
23 Florida law. Anyone giving false information on this affidavit
24 is subject to criminal prosecution as well as disciplinary
25 action by the Education Practices Commission.
26 (c) Document receipt of a bachelor’s or higher degree from
27 an accredited institution of higher learning, or a nonaccredited
28 institution of higher learning that the Department of Education
29 has identified as having a quality program resulting in a
30 bachelor’s degree, or higher. Each applicant seeking initial
31 certification must have attained at least a 2.5 overall grade
32 point average on a 4.0 scale in the applicant’s major field of
33 study. The applicant may document the required education by
34 submitting official transcripts from institutions of higher
35 education or by authorizing the direct submission of such
36 official transcripts through established electronic network
37 systems. The bachelor’s or higher degree may not be required in
38 areas approved in rule by the State Board of Education as
39 nondegreed areas. The State Board of Education may adopt rules
40 that, for purposes of demonstrating completion of specific
41 certification requirements, allow for the acceptance of college
42 course credits recommended by the American Council for Education
43 (ACE), as posted on an official ACE transcript.
44 (d) Submit to background screening in accordance with
45 subsection (10). If the background screening indicates a
46 criminal history or if the applicant acknowledges a criminal
47 history, the applicant’s records shall be referred to the
48 investigative section in the Department of Education for review
49 and determination of eligibility for certification. If the
50 applicant fails to provide the necessary documentation requested
51 by the department within 90 days after the date of the receipt
52 of the certified mail request, the statement of eligibility and
53 pending application shall become invalid.
54 (e) Be of good moral character.
55 (f) Be competent and capable of performing the duties,
56 functions, and responsibilities of an educator.
57 (g) Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, pursuant to
58 subsection (3), if the person serves as a classroom teacher
59 pursuant to s. 1012.01(2)(a).
60 (h) Demonstrate mastery of subject area knowledge, pursuant
61 to subsection (5).
62 (i) Demonstrate mastery of professional preparation and
63 education competence, pursuant to subsection (6).
64 (3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
65 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
66 (a) Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge
67 examination required by state board rule;
68 (b) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching
69 certificate issued by another state;
70 (c) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the
71 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national
72 educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of
73 Education;
74 (d) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time
75 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution,
76 state university, or private college or university that awards
77 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution
78 or an institution of higher education identified by the
79 Department of Education as having a quality program; or
80 (e) Effective July 1, 2015, Achievement of passing scores,
81 identified in state board rule, on national or international
82 examinations that test comparable content and relevant standards
83 in verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative reasoning
84 skills, including, but not limited to, the verbal, analytical
85 writing, and quantitative reasoning portions of the Graduate
86 Record Examination. Passing scores identified in state board
87 rule must be at approximately the same level of rigor as is
88 required to pass the general knowledge examinations.
89
90 A school district that employs an individual who does not
91 achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge
92 examination must provide information regarding the availability
93 of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to
94 assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information
95 must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test
96 information guides, school district test preparation resources,
97 and preparation courses offered by state universities and
98 Florida College System institutions.
99 (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
100 (a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional
101 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant
102 who fulfills one of the following:
103 1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in
104 subsection (2).
105 2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through
106 12:
107 a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)
108 (h).
109 b. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of
110 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
111 c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the
112 advanced degree.
113 d. Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s
114 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on
115 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized
116 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International
117 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate
118 examination.
119 e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional
120 education competency examination required by state board rule.
121 3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)
122 (h) and completes a professional preparation and education
123 competence program approved by the department pursuant to
124 paragraph (8)(c). An applicant who completes the program and is
125 rated highly effective as determined by his or her performance
126 evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not required to take or achieve a
127 passing score on the professional education competency
128 examination in order to be awarded a professional certificate.
129
130 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
131 And the title is amended as follows:
132 Delete lines 2346 - 2347
133 and insert:
134 made by the act; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; revising
135 eligibility criteria for educator certification;
136 deleting obsolete language; requiring school districts
137 to