Florida Senate - 2025                              CS for SB 166
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; and Senator Simon
       
       
       
       
       
       594-02943-25                                           2025166c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to administrative efficiency in public
    3         schools; amending s. 120.81, F.S.; exempting district
    4         school boards from requirements for adopting certain
    5         rules; amending s. 1001.02, F.S.; revising a duty of
    6         the State Board of Education to adopt certain rules;
    7         amending s. 1001.23, F.S.; requiring the Department of
    8         Education to annually inform district school
    9         superintendents by a specified date that they are
   10         authorized to petition to receive a specified
   11         declaratory statement; requiring the department to
   12         annually maintain and provide school districts with a
   13         list of statutory and rule requirements; providing
   14         requirements for such list; amending s. 1001.42, F.S.;
   15         deleting a requirement for a district school board to
   16         employ an internal auditor in certain circumstances;
   17         amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; deleting a requirement that
   18         the school financial report be included in the student
   19         handbook; requiring the department to produce
   20         specified reports relating to school accountability
   21         and make such reports available on the department’s
   22         website; requiring each school district to provide a
   23         link to such reports; amending s. 1002.31, F.S.;
   24         revising how often a school district or charter school
   25         must update its school capacity determination;
   26         deleting a requirement relating to school capacity
   27         determination by district school boards; conforming a
   28         cross-reference; amending s. 1002.33, F.S.; conforming
   29         a provision relating to a 5-year facilities plan;
   30         amending s. 1002.394, F.S.; revising the timeframe for
   31         a school district to develop an IEP and matrix of
   32         services after receipt of a parent’s request; amending
   33         s. 1002.451, F.S.; requiring innovation schools of
   34         technology to comply with specified provisions
   35         relating to instructional multiyear contracts, in
   36         addition to annual contracts, for instructional
   37         personnel in addition to annual contracts; amending s.
   38         1002.61, F.S.; removing public schools from a
   39         requirement for early learning coalitions to verify
   40         compliance with law; amending s. 1002.63, F.S.;
   41         deleting a requirement for an early learning coalition
   42         to verify that certain public schools comply with
   43         specified provisions; amending s. 1002.71, F.S.;
   44         revising requirements relating to district school
   45         board attendance policies for Voluntary
   46         Prekindergarten Education Programs; requiring a school
   47         district to certify its attendance records for a
   48         Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; amending
   49         s. 1003.03, F.S.; deleting a requirement for district
   50         school boards to provide an accountability plan to the
   51         Commissioner of Education under certain conditions;
   52         amending s. 1003.26, F.S.; authorizing a district
   53         school board to determine a timeframe for purposes of
   54         addressing a student’s absences; amending s.
   55         1003.4282, F.S.; revising requirements for assessments
   56         needed for a student to earn a high school diploma;
   57         deleting a requirement for a student who transfers
   58         into a public high school to take specified
   59         assessments; revising the courses for which the
   60         transferring course final grade must be honored for a
   61         transfer student under certain conditions; amending s.
   62         1003.433, F.S.; deleting requirements that must be met
   63         by students who transfer to a public school for 11th
   64         or 12th grade; amending s. 1006.1494, F.S.; providing
   65         that provisions relating to student online personal
   66         information protection do not impose requirements for
   67         a K-12 school, school district, or school board;
   68         amending s. 1006.40, F.S.; revising the timeframe
   69         within which certain instructional materials must be
   70         purchased; amending s. 1008.212, F.S.; providing that
   71         certain assessments are not subject to specified
   72         requirements; revising a deadline for IEP teams to
   73         submit requests for extraordinary exemptions; amending
   74         s. 1008.22, F.S.; requiring the Commissioner of
   75         Education to notify school districts of the assessment
   76         schedule for a specified time interval; deleting
   77         requirements relating to a uniform calendar that must
   78         be published by the commissioner each year; revising
   79         an annual timeframe for each school district to
   80         establish schedules for the administration of
   81         statewide, standardized assessments; requiring each
   82         school district to publish certain information
   83         regarding such schedules on its website; conforming
   84         provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
   85         1008.25, F.S.; specifying the score needed on any
   86         administration of the coordinated screening and
   87         progress monitoring system for a student to be
   88         promoted to grade 4; conforming cross-references;
   89         amending s. 1008.33, F.S.; prohibiting a school from
   90         being required to use a certain parameter as the sole
   91         determining factor to recruit instructional personnel;
   92         providing requirements for a rule adopted by the State
   93         Board of Education; amending s. 1010.20, F.S.;
   94         requiring charter schools to respond to monitoring
   95         questions from the department; amending s. 1011.035,
   96         F.S.; deleting a requirement that each district school
   97         board budget posted on the school board’s website
   98         include a graphical representation of specified
   99         information; revising website requirements; amending
  100         s. 1011.14, F.S.; revising the types of facilities for
  101         which district school boards may incur certain
  102         financial obligations; amending s. 1011.60, F.S.;
  103         revising circumstances under which the State Board of
  104         Education may alter the length of school terms for
  105         certain school districts; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.;
  106         deleting a requirement that certain full-time
  107         equivalent bonuses under the Florida Education Finance
  108         Program be paid only to teachers who are employed by
  109         the district when the bonus is calculated; amending s.
  110         1011.6202, F.S.; requiring schools participating in
  111         the Principal Autonomy Program Initiative to comply
  112         with specified provisions relating to instructional
  113         multiyear contracts, in addition to annual contracts,
  114         for instructional personnel; amending s. 1011.69,
  115         F.S.; deleting a requirement relating to Title I fund
  116         allocations to schools; providing a new category of
  117         funding school districts are authorized to withhold;
  118         revising a category of funding a school district is
  119         authorized to withhold; requiring the department to
  120         make certain funds available to local education
  121         agencies; amending s. 1011.71, F.S.; revising
  122         specified vehicles that may be purchased or leased
  123         using specified revenue; revising the types of
  124         facilities payments that may be made from such
  125         revenue; amending s. 1012.22, F.S.; providing
  126         requirements for advanced degrees which may be used to
  127         set salary schedules for instructional personnel and
  128         school administrators hired after a specified date;
  129         specifying district school board activities that may
  130         not be precluded by collective bargaining; amending s.
  131         1012.335, F.S.; defining the term “instructional
  132         multiyear contract”; providing requirements for the
  133         award of an instructional multiyear contract;
  134         requiring that an employee awarded an instructional
  135         multiyear contract be returned to an annual contract
  136         under certain conditions; making conforming and
  137         technical changes; amending s. 1012.34, F.S.;
  138         requiring that procedures and requirements established
  139         by the district school superintendent for performance
  140         evaluations be approved by the district school board;
  141         requiring the district school superintendent to submit
  142         evaluation systems to the department under certain
  143         circumstances; deleting a requirement for the
  144         department to approve and monitor each school
  145         district’s evaluation systems; revising the portion of
  146         a performance evaluation that is based on student
  147         performance; deleting certain performance evaluation
  148         requirements; providing that student performance may
  149         not be the sole determinant for incentive pay for
  150         instructional personnel or school administrators;
  151         amending s. 1012.39, F.S.; revising an occupational
  152         experience qualification requirement for nondegreed
  153         teachers of career programs; deleting a training
  154         requirement for full-time nondegreed teachers of
  155         career programs; amending s. 1012.555, F.S.; revising
  156         eligibility requirements for individuals to
  157         participate in the Teacher Apprenticeship Program;
  158         amending employment requirements for paraprofessionals
  159         to serve as an apprentice teacher; amending s.
  160         1012.56, F.S.; specifying individuals who must
  161         demonstrate mastery of general knowledge for educator
  162         certification; authorizing school districts and
  163         consortia of school districts to issue temporary
  164         certificates under certain conditions; conforming a
  165         cross-reference; amending s. 1012.585, F.S.; revising
  166         the validity period for professional certificates;
  167         providing eligibility requirements for 5-year and 10
  168         year professional certificates; revising requirements
  169         for the renewal of professional certificates; amending
  170         s. 1013.19, F.S.; requiring that proceeds from certain
  171         sales or leases of property be used for specified
  172         purposes by boards of trustees for Florida College
  173         System institutions or state universities; amending s.
  174         1013.35, F.S.; deleting definitions; revising
  175         requirements for the contents of a district school
  176         board’s tentative district educational facilities
  177         plan; deleting provisions relating to district school
  178         boards coordinating with local governments to ensure
  179         consistency between school district and local
  180         government plans; authorizing, rather than requiring,
  181         local governments to review tentative district
  182         educational facilities plans; making conforming
  183         changes; amending s. 1013.41, F.S.; revising
  184         requirements for an educational facilities plan;
  185         revising the duties of the Office of Educational
  186         Facilities; amending s. 1013.45, F.S.; specifying that
  187         Florida College System institution and state
  188         university boards of trustees are required to use an
  189         architect for the development of certain plans;
  190         deleting district school board requirements for
  191         certain construction plans; repealing s. 1013.451,
  192         F.S., relating to life-cycle costs comparisons;
  193         amending s. 1013.62, F.S.; conforming a cross
  194         reference; amending s. 1013.64, F.S.; revising
  195         determinations of allocations from the Public
  196         Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund;
  197         revising criteria for construction project funding
  198         from a specified account; revising district school
  199         board requirements relating to educational plant
  200         construction; amending ss. 163.3180, 1002.68,
  201         1003.631, 1004.04, 1004.85, 1012.586, and 1012.98,
  202         F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing effective
  203         dates.
  204          
  205  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
  206  
  207         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
  208  120.81, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  209         120.81 Exceptions and special requirements; general areas.—
  210         (1) EDUCATIONAL UNITS.—
  211         (a) District school boards are not subject to the
  212  requirements for rules in this chapter when making and adopting
  213  rules with public input at a public meeting. Notwithstanding s.
  214  120.536(1) and the flush left provisions of s. 120.52(8),
  215  district school boards may adopt rules to implement their
  216  general powers under s. 1001.41.
  217         Section 2. Paragraph (n) of subsection (2) of section
  218  1001.02, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  219         1001.02 General powers of State Board of Education.—
  220         (2) The State Board of Education has the following duties:
  221         (n) To adopt cohesive rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and
  222  120.54, within statutory authority as specifically provided by
  223  law.
  224         Section 3. Subsections (5) and (6) are added to section
  225  1001.23, Florida Statutes, to read:
  226         1001.23 Specific powers and duties of the Department of
  227  Education.—In addition to all other duties assigned to it by law
  228  or by rule of the State Board of Education, the department
  229  shall:
  230         (5) Annually by August 1, inform district school
  231  superintendents that pursuant to s. 120.565, the superintendents
  232  may receive a declaratory statement, within 90 days after
  233  submitting a petition to receive such statement, regarding the
  234  department’s opinion as to the applicability of a statutory or
  235  rule provision to a school district as it applies to the
  236  district’s particular set of circumstances.
  237         (6) Annually maintain and make available to school
  238  districts a list of all requirements in statute and rule
  239  relating to required actions by district school boards or
  240  superintendents. The list must include, but is not limited to,
  241  required parent notifications; information that must be posted
  242  to the district website; and reporting, filing, and
  243  certification requirements.
  244         Section 4. Paragraph (l) of subsection (12) of section
  245  1001.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  246         1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The
  247  district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
  248  powers and perform all duties listed below:
  249         (12) FINANCE.—Take steps to assure students adequate
  250  educational facilities through the financial procedure
  251  authorized in chapters 1010 and 1011 and as prescribed below:
  252         (l)Internal auditor.—May or, in the case of a school
  253  district receiving annual federal, state, and local funds in
  254  excess of $500 million, shall employ an internal auditor. The
  255  scope of the internal auditor shall not be restricted and shall
  256  include every functional and program area of the school system.
  257         1. The internal auditor shall perform ongoing financial
  258  verification of the financial records of the school district, a
  259  comprehensive risk assessment of all areas of the school system
  260  every 5 years, and other audits and reviews as the district
  261  school board directs for determining:
  262         a. The adequacy of internal controls designed to prevent
  263  and detect fraud, waste, and abuse as defined in s. 11.45(1).
  264         b. Compliance with applicable laws, rules, contracts, grant
  265  agreements, district school board-approved policies, and best
  266  practices.
  267         c. The efficiency of operations.
  268         d. The reliability of financial records and reports.
  269         e. The safeguarding of assets.
  270         f. Financial solvency.
  271         g. Projected revenues and expenditures.
  272         h. The rate of change in the general fund balance.
  273         2. The internal auditor shall prepare audit reports of his
  274  or her findings and report directly to the district school board
  275  or its designee.
  276         3. Any person responsible for furnishing or producing any
  277  book, record, paper, document, data, or sufficient information
  278  necessary to conduct a proper audit or examination which the
  279  internal auditor is by law authorized to perform is subject to
  280  the provisions of s. 11.47(3) and (4).
  281         Section 5. Subsection (16) of section 1002.20, Florida
  282  Statutes, is amended to read:
  283         1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
  284  school students must receive accurate and timely information
  285  regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
  286  of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
  287  students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
  288  rights including, but not limited to, the following:
  289         (16) SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT RATING
  290  REPORTS; FISCAL TRANSPARENCY.—Parents of public school students
  291  have the right to an easy-to-read report card about the school’s
  292  grade designation or, if applicable under s. 1008.341, the
  293  school’s improvement rating, and the school’s accountability
  294  report, including the school financial report as required under
  295  s. 1010.215. The school financial report must be provided to the
  296  parents and indicate the average amount of money expended per
  297  student in the school, which must also be included in the
  298  student handbook or a similar publication. The department shall
  299  produce the reports required under this subsection and make the
  300  reports for each school available on the department’s website in
  301  a prominent location. Each public school district must provide a
  302  link on its website to such reports for parent access.
  303         Section 6. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsection
  304  (5) of section 1002.31, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  305         1002.31 Controlled open enrollment; public school parental
  306  choice.—
  307         (2)
  308         (b) Each school district and charter school capacity
  309  determinations for its schools, by grade level, must be updated
  310  at least twice annually every 12 weeks and be identified on the
  311  school district and charter school’s websites. In determining
  312  the capacity of each district school, the district school board
  313  shall incorporate the specifications, plans, elements, and
  314  commitments contained in the school district educational
  315  facilities plan and the long-term work programs required under
  316  s. 1013.35. Each charter school governing board shall determine
  317  capacity based upon its charter school contract. Each virtual
  318  charter school and each school district with a contract with an
  319  approved virtual instruction program provider shall determine
  320  capacity based upon the enrollment requirements established
  321  under s. 1002.45(1)(d)4.
  322         (5) For a school or program that is a public school of
  323  choice under this section, the calculation for compliance with
  324  maximum class size pursuant to s. 1003.03(4) is the average
  325  number of students at the school level.
  326         Section 7. Paragraph (g) of subsection (18) of section
  327  1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  328         1002.33 Charter schools.—
  329         (18) FACILITIES.—
  330         (g) Each school district shall annually provide to the
  331  Department of Education as part of its 5-year work plan the
  332  number of existing vacant classrooms in each school that the
  333  district does not intend to use or does not project will be
  334  needed for educational purposes for the following school year.
  335  The department may recommend that a district make such space
  336  available to an appropriate charter school.
  337         Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section
  338  1002.394, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  339         1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program.—
  340         (7) SCHOOL DISTRICT OBLIGATIONS.—
  341         (b)1. The parent of a student with a disability who does
  342  not have an IEP in accordance with subparagraph (3)(b)4. or who
  343  seeks a reevaluation of an existing IEP may request an IEP
  344  meeting and evaluation from the school district in order to
  345  obtain or revise a matrix of services. The school district shall
  346  notify a parent who has made a request for an IEP that the
  347  district is required to complete the IEP and matrix of services
  348  within 60 30 days after receiving notice of the parent’s
  349  request. The school district shall conduct a meeting and develop
  350  an IEP and a matrix of services within 60 30 days after receipt
  351  of the parent’s request in accordance with State Board of
  352  Education rules. The district must accept the diagnosis and
  353  consider the service plan of the licensed professional providing
  354  the diagnosis pursuant to subparagraph (3)(b)4. The school
  355  district must complete a matrix that assigns the student to one
  356  of the levels of service as they existed before the 2000-2001
  357  school year. For a nonpublic school student without an IEP, the
  358  school district is authorized to use evaluation reports and
  359  plans of care developed by the licensed professionals under
  360  subparagraph (4)(b)3. to complete the matrix of services.
  361         2.a. The school district must provide the student’s parent
  362  and the department with the student’s matrix level within 10
  363  calendar days after its completion.
  364         b. The department shall notify the parent and the
  365  organization of the amount of the funds awarded within 10 days
  366  after receiving the school district’s notification of the
  367  student’s matrix level.
  368         c. A school district may change a matrix of services only
  369  if the change is a result of an IEP reevaluation or to correct a
  370  technical, typographical, or calculation error.
  371         Section 9. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
  372  1002.451, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  373         1002.451 District innovation school of technology program.—
  374         (5) EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES.—
  375         (a) An innovation school of technology is exempt from
  376  chapters 1000-1013. However, an innovation school of technology
  377  shall comply with the following provisions of those chapters:
  378         1. Laws pertaining to the following:
  379         a. Schools of technology, including this section.
  380         b. Student assessment program and school grading system.
  381         c. Services to students who have disabilities.
  382         d. Civil rights, including s. 1000.05, relating to
  383  discrimination.
  384         e. Student health, safety, and welfare.
  385         2. Laws governing the election and compensation of district
  386  school board members and election or appointment and
  387  compensation of district school superintendents.
  388         3. Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except
  389  that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is
  390  the average at the school level.
  391         4. Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to
  392  compensation and salary schedules.
  393         5. Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions,
  394  for annual contracts for instructional personnel. This
  395  subparagraph does not apply to at-will employees.
  396         6. Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with
  397  instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011, for
  398  annual or instructional multiyear contracts for instructional
  399  personnel. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will
  400  employees.
  401         7. Section 1012.34, relating to requirements for
  402  performance evaluations of instructional personnel and school
  403  administrators.
  404         Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (10) of section
  405  1002.61, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  406         1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
  407  schools and private prekindergarten providers.—
  408         (10)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that
  409  each private prekindergarten provider and public school
  410  delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
  411  within the coalition’s county or multicounty region complies
  412  with this part.
  413         Section 11. Subsection (9) of section 1002.63, Florida
  414  Statutes, is amended to read:
  415         1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
  416  public schools.—
  417         (9)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that each
  418  public school delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
  419  Program within the coalition’s service area complies with this
  420  part.
  421         (b) If a public school fails or refuses to comply with this
  422  part or engages in misconduct, the department must shall require
  423  that the school district to remove the school from eligibility
  424  to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and
  425  receive state funds under this part for a period of at least 2
  426  years but no more than 5 years.
  427         Section 12. Paragraph (b) of subsection (6) and subsection
  428  (7) of section 1002.71, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  429         1002.71 Funding; financial and attendance reporting.—
  430         (6)
  431         (b)1. Each private prekindergarten provider’s and district
  432  school board’s attendance policy must require the parent of each
  433  student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to
  434  verify, each month, the student’s attendance on the prior
  435  month’s certified student attendance.
  436         2. The parent must submit the verification of the student’s
  437  attendance to the private prekindergarten provider or public
  438  school on forms prescribed by the department. The forms must
  439  include, in addition to the verification of the student’s
  440  attendance, a certification, in substantially the following
  441  form, that the parent continues to choose the private
  442  prekindergarten provider or public school in accordance with s.
  443  1002.53 and directs that payments for the program be made to the
  444  provider or school:
  445  
  446                VERIFICATION OF STUDENT’S ATTENDANCE               
  447                AND CERTIFICATION OF PARENTAL CHOICE               
  448  
  449  I, ...(Name of Parent)..., swear (or affirm) that my child,
  450  ...(Name of Student)..., attended the Voluntary Prekindergarten
  451  Education Program on the days listed above and certify that I
  452  continue to choose ...(Name of Provider or School)... to deliver
  453  the program for my child and direct that program funds be paid
  454  to the provider or school for my child.
  455  ...(Signature of Parent)...
  456  ...(Date)...
  457  
  458         3. The private prekindergarten provider or public school
  459  must keep each original signed form for at least 2 years. Each
  460  private prekindergarten provider must permit the early learning
  461  coalition, and each public school must permit the school
  462  district, to inspect the original signed forms during normal
  463  business hours. The department shall adopt procedures for early
  464  learning coalitions and school districts to review the original
  465  signed forms against the certified student attendance. The
  466  review procedures must shall provide for the use of selective
  467  inspection techniques, including, but not limited to, random
  468  sampling. Each early learning coalition and the school districts
  469  must comply with the review procedures.
  470         (7) The department shall require that administrative
  471  expenditures be kept to the minimum necessary for efficient and
  472  effective administration of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
  473  Education Program. Administrative policies and procedures must
  474  shall be revised, to the maximum extent practicable, be revised
  475  to incorporate the use of automation and electronic submission
  476  of forms, including those required for child eligibility and
  477  enrollment, provider and class registration, and monthly
  478  certification of attendance for payment. A school district may
  479  use its automated daily attendance reporting system for the
  480  purpose of maintaining and transmitting attendance records to
  481  the early learning coalition in a mutually agreed-upon format.
  482  Each school district shall certify the correctness of attendance
  483  data submitted to the single point of entry system described in
  484  paragraph (5)(a) as required by the department. In addition,
  485  actions must shall be taken to reduce paperwork, eliminate the
  486  duplication of reports, and eliminate other duplicative
  487  activities. Each early learning coalition may retain and expend
  488  no more than 5.0 percent of the funds paid by the coalition to
  489  private prekindergarten providers and public schools under
  490  paragraph (5)(b). Funds retained by an early learning coalition
  491  under this subsection may be used only for administering the
  492  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and may not be used
  493  for the school readiness program or other programs.
  494         Section 13. Subsection (4) of section 1003.03, Florida
  495  Statutes, is amended to read:
  496         1003.03 Maximum class size.—
  497         (4) ACCOUNTABILITY.—Each district that has not complied
  498  with the requirements in subsection (1), based on the October
  499  student membership survey, shall submit to the commissioner by
  500  February 1 a plan certified by the district school board that
  501  describes the specific actions the district will take in order
  502  to fully comply with the requirements in subsection (1) by
  503  October of the following school year.
  504         Section 14. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
  505  1003.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  506         1003.26 Enforcement of school attendance.—The Legislature
  507  finds that poor academic performance is associated with
  508  nonattendance and that school districts must take an active role
  509  in promoting and enforcing attendance as a means of improving
  510  student performance. It is the policy of the state that each
  511  district school superintendent be responsible for enforcing
  512  school attendance of all students subject to the compulsory
  513  school age in the school district and supporting enforcement of
  514  school attendance by local law enforcement agencies. The
  515  responsibility includes recommending policies and procedures to
  516  the district school board that require public schools to respond
  517  in a timely manner to every unexcused absence, and every absence
  518  for which the reason is unknown, of students enrolled in the
  519  schools. District school board policies shall require the parent
  520  of a student to justify each absence of the student, and that
  521  justification will be evaluated based on adopted district school
  522  board policies that define excused and unexcused absences. The
  523  policies must provide that public schools track excused and
  524  unexcused absences and contact the home in the case of an
  525  unexcused absence from school, or an absence from school for
  526  which the reason is unknown, to prevent the development of
  527  patterns of nonattendance. The Legislature finds that early
  528  intervention in school attendance is the most effective way of
  529  producing good attendance habits that will lead to improved
  530  student learning and achievement. Each public school shall
  531  implement the following steps to promote and enforce regular
  532  school attendance:
  533         (1) CONTACT, REFER, AND ENFORCE.—
  534         (b) If a student has had at least five unexcused absences,
  535  or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a calendar
  536  month or 10 unexcused absences, or absences for which the
  537  reasons are unknown, within a 90-calendar-day period, or a
  538  period of time less than 90 days as determined by the district
  539  school board, the student’s primary teacher must shall report to
  540  the school principal or his or her designee that the student may
  541  be exhibiting a pattern of nonattendance. The principal shall,
  542  unless there is clear evidence that the absences are not a
  543  pattern of nonattendance, refer the case to the school’s child
  544  study team to determine if early patterns of truancy are
  545  developing. If the child study team finds that a pattern of
  546  nonattendance is developing, whether the absences are excused or
  547  not, a meeting with the parent must be scheduled to identify
  548  potential remedies, and the principal must shall notify the
  549  district school superintendent and the school district contact
  550  for home education programs that the referred student is
  551  exhibiting a pattern of nonattendance.
  552         Section 15. Effective upon becoming a law, paragraphs (a)
  553  and (b) of subsection (3), paragraph (c) of subsection (5), and
  554  subsection (6) of section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, are
  555  amended to read:
  556         1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
  557         (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
  558  REQUIREMENTS.—
  559         (a) Four credits in English Language Arts (ELA).—The four
  560  credits must be in ELA I, II, III, and IV. A student’s
  561  performance on the statewide, standardized grade 10 ELA
  562  assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course
  563  grade A student must pass the statewide, standardized grade 10
  564  ELA assessment, or earn a concordant score, in order to earn a
  565  standard high school diploma.
  566         (b) Four credits in mathematics.—
  567         1. A student must earn one credit in Algebra I and one
  568  credit in Geometry. A student’s performance on the statewide,
  569  standardized Algebra I end-of-course (EOC) assessment
  570  constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade. A
  571  student must pass the statewide, standardized Algebra I EOC
  572  assessment, or earn a comparative score, in order to earn a
  573  standard high school diploma. A student’s performance on the
  574  statewide, standardized Geometry EOC assessment constitutes 30
  575  percent of the student’s final course grade.
  576         2. A student who earns an industry certification for which
  577  there is a statewide college credit articulation agreement
  578  approved by the State Board of Education may substitute the
  579  certification for one mathematics credit. Substitution may occur
  580  for up to two mathematics credits, except for Algebra I and
  581  Geometry. A student may earn two mathematics credits by
  582  successfully completing Algebra I through two full-year courses.
  583  A certified school counselor or the principal’s designee shall
  584  must advise the student that admission to a state university may
  585  require the student to earn 3 additional mathematics credits
  586  that are at least as rigorous as Algebra I.
  587         3. A student who earns a computer science credit may
  588  substitute the credit for up to one credit of the mathematics
  589  requirement, with the exception of Algebra I and Geometry, if
  590  the commissioner identifies the computer science credit as being
  591  equivalent in rigor to the mathematics credit. An identified
  592  computer science credit may not be used to substitute for both a
  593  mathematics and a science credit. A student who earns an
  594  industry certification in 3D rapid prototype printing may
  595  satisfy up to two credits of the mathematics requirement, with
  596  the exception of Algebra I, if the commissioner identifies the
  597  certification as being equivalent in rigor to the mathematics
  598  credit or credits.
  599         (5) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.—
  600         (c) A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the
  601  required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the
  602  assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA
  603  shall be awarded a certificate of completion in a form
  604  prescribed by the State Board of Education. However, a student
  605  who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of completion may
  606  elect to remain in high school either as a full-time student or
  607  a part-time student for up to 1 additional year and receive
  608  special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified
  609  deficiencies.
  610         (6) UNIFORM TRANSFER OF HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS.—Beginning with
  611  the 2012-2013 school year, if a student transfers to a Florida
  612  public high school from out of country, out of state, a private
  613  school, a personalized education program, or a home education
  614  program and the student’s transcript shows a credit in Algebra
  615  I, the student must pass the statewide, standardized Algebra I
  616  EOC assessment in order to earn a standard high school diploma
  617  unless the student earned a comparative score, passed a
  618  statewide assessment in Algebra I administered by the
  619  transferring entity, or passed the statewide mathematics
  620  assessment the transferring entity uses to satisfy the
  621  requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as
  622  amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 20 U.S.C. ss.
  623  6301 et seq. If a student’s transcript shows a credit in high
  624  school reading or English Language Arts II or III, in order to
  625  earn a standard high school diploma, the student must take and
  626  pass the statewide, standardized grade 10 ELA assessment, or
  627  earn a concordant score. If a transfer student’s transcript
  628  shows a final course grade and course credit in Algebra I,
  629  Geometry, Biology I, or United States History, or the equivalent
  630  of a grade 10 ELA course, the transferring course final grade
  631  and credit must shall be honored without the student taking the
  632  requisite statewide, standardized EOC assessment and without the
  633  assessment results constituting 30 percent of the student’s
  634  final course grade.
  635         Section 16. Effective upon becoming a law, section
  636  1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  637         1003.433 Learning opportunities for out-of-state and out
  638  of-country transfer students and students needing additional
  639  instruction to meet high school graduation requirements.—
  640         (1) Students who enter a Florida public school at the 11th
  641  or 12th grade from out of state or out of country may shall not
  642  be required to spend additional time in a Florida public school
  643  in order to meet the high school course requirements if the
  644  student has met all requirements of the school district, state,
  645  or country from which he or she is transferring. Such students
  646  who are not proficient in English should receive immediate and
  647  intensive instruction in English language acquisition. However,
  648  to receive a standard high school diploma, a transfer student
  649  must earn a 2.0 grade point average and meet the requirements
  650  under s. 1008.22.
  651         (2) Students who earn the required 24 credits for the
  652  standard high school diploma except for passage of any must-pass
  653  assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate
  654  assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the following
  655  learning opportunities:
  656         (a) Participation in an accelerated high school equivalency
  657  diploma preparation program during the summer.
  658         (b) Upon receipt of a certificate of completion, be allowed
  659  to take the College Placement Test and be admitted to
  660  developmental education or credit courses at a Florida College
  661  System institution, as appropriate.
  662         (c) Participation in an adult general education program as
  663  provided in s. 1004.93 for such time as the student requires to
  664  master English, reading, mathematics, or any other subject
  665  required for high school graduation. A student attending an
  666  adult general education program shall have the opportunity to
  667  take any must-pass assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22
  668  an unlimited number of times in order to receive a standard high
  669  school diploma.
  670         (3) Students who have been enrolled in an ESOL program for
  671  less than 2 school years and have met all requirements for the
  672  standard high school diploma except for passage of any must-pass
  673  assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or alternate
  674  assessment may:
  675         (a) Receive immersion English language instruction during
  676  the summer following their senior year. Students receiving such
  677  instruction are eligible to take the required assessment or
  678  alternate assessment and receive a standard high school diploma
  679  upon passage of the required assessment or alternate assessment.
  680  This paragraph shall be implemented to the extent funding is
  681  provided in the General Appropriations Act.
  682         (b) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, meet the
  683  requirement to pass the statewide, standardized grade 10 English
  684  Language Arts assessment by satisfactorily demonstrating grade
  685  level expectations on formative assessments, in accordance with
  686  state board rule.
  687         Section 17. Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (6) of
  688  section 1006.1494, Florida Statutes, to read:
  689         1006.1494 Student online personal information protection.—
  690         (6) This section does not do any of the following:
  691         (j) Impose requirements for a K-12 school, school district,
  692  or district school board.
  693  
  694  The State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement this
  695  section.
  696         Section 18. Subsection (2) of section 1006.40, Florida
  697  Statutes, is amended to read:
  698         1006.40 Purchase of instructional materials.—
  699         (2) Each district school board must purchase current
  700  instructional materials to provide each student in kindergarten
  701  through grade 12 with a major tool of instruction in core
  702  courses of the subject areas of mathematics, language arts,
  703  science, social studies, reading, and literature. Such purchase
  704  must be made within the first 5 3 years after the effective date
  705  of the adoption cycle unless a district school board or a
  706  consortium of school districts has implemented an instructional
  707  materials program pursuant to s. 1006.283.
  708         Section 19. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 1008.212,
  709  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  710         1008.212 Students with disabilities; extraordinary
  711  exemption.—
  712         (2) A student with a disability for whom the individual
  713  education plan (IEP) team determines is prevented by a
  714  circumstance or condition from physically demonstrating the
  715  mastery of skills that have been acquired and are measured by
  716  the statewide standardized assessment, a statewide standardized
  717  end-of-course assessment, or an alternate assessment pursuant to
  718  s. 1008.22(3)(d) shall be granted an extraordinary exemption
  719  from the administration of the assessment. A learning,
  720  emotional, behavioral, or significant cognitive disability, or
  721  the receipt of services through the homebound or hospitalized
  722  program in accordance with rule 6A-6.03020, Florida
  723  Administrative Code, is not, in and of itself, an adequate
  724  criterion for the granting of an extraordinary exemption. The
  725  first two administrations of the coordinated screening and
  726  progress monitoring system under s. 1008.25(9) or any alternate
  727  assessments used in lieu of such administrations are not subject
  728  to the requirements of this section.
  729         (3) The IEP team, which must include the parent, may submit
  730  to the district school superintendent a written request for an
  731  extraordinary exemption at any time during the school year,
  732  subject to deadlines established by the district school
  733  superintendent but not later than 60 days before the current
  734  year’s assessment administration for which the request is made.
  735  A request must include all of the following:
  736         (a) A written description of the student’s disabilities,
  737  including a specific description of the student’s impaired
  738  sensory, manual, or speaking skills.
  739         (b) Written documentation of the most recent evaluation
  740  data.
  741         (c) Written documentation, if available, of the most recent
  742  administration of the statewide standardized assessment, an end
  743  of-course assessment, or an alternate assessment.
  744         (d) A written description of the condition’s effect on the
  745  student’s participation in the statewide standardized
  746  assessment, an end-of-course assessment, or an alternate
  747  assessment.
  748         (e) Written evidence that the student has had the
  749  opportunity to learn the skills being tested.
  750         (f) Written evidence that the student has been provided
  751  appropriate instructional accommodations.
  752         (g) Written evidence as to whether the student has had the
  753  opportunity to be assessed using the instructional
  754  accommodations on the student’s IEP which are allowable in the
  755  administration of the statewide standardized assessment, an end
  756  of-course assessment, or an alternate assessment in prior
  757  assessments.
  758         (h) Written evidence of the circumstance or condition as
  759  defined in subsection (1).
  760         Section 20. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (d) of subsection (7)
  761  of section 1008.22, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  762         1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.—
  763         (7) ASSESSMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTING OF RESULTS.—
  764         (a) The Commissioner of Education shall establish schedules
  765  for the administration of statewide, standardized assessments
  766  and the reporting of student assessment results. The
  767  commissioner shall consider the observance of religious and
  768  school holidays when developing the schedules. By January 1 of
  769  each year, the commissioner shall notify each school district in
  770  writing and publish on the department’s website the assessment
  771  schedule for, at a minimum, the next 2 school years. The
  772  assessment and reporting schedules must provide the earliest
  773  possible reporting of student assessment results to the school
  774  districts. Assessment results for the statewide, standardized
  775  ELA and Mathematics assessments and all statewide, standardized
  776  EOC assessments must be made available no later than June 30,
  777  except for results for the grade 3 statewide, standardized ELA
  778  assessment, which must be made available no later than May 31.
  779  Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, assessment results for
  780  the statewide, standardized ELA and Mathematics assessments must
  781  be available no later than May 31. School districts shall
  782  administer statewide, standardized assessments in accordance
  783  with the schedule established by the commissioner.
  784         (b)By January of each year, the commissioner shall publish
  785  on the department’s website a uniform calendar that includes the
  786  assessment and reporting schedules for, at a minimum, the next 2
  787  school years. The uniform calendar must be provided to school
  788  districts in an electronic format that allows each school
  789  district and public school to populate the calendar with, at
  790  minimum, the following information for reporting the district
  791  assessment schedules under paragraph (d):
  792         1. Whether the assessment is a district-required assessment
  793  or a state-required assessment.
  794         2. The specific date or dates that each assessment will be
  795  administered, including administrations of the coordinated
  796  screening and progress monitoring system under s. 1008.25(9)(b).
  797         3. The time allotted to administer each assessment.
  798         4. Whether the assessment is a computer-based assessment or
  799  a paper-based assessment.
  800         5. The grade level or subject area associated with the
  801  assessment.
  802         6. The date that the assessment results are expected to be
  803  available to teachers and parents.
  804         7. The type of assessment, the purpose of the assessment,
  805  and the use of the assessment results.
  806         8. A glossary of assessment terminology.
  807         9. Estimates of average time for administering state
  808  required and district-required assessments, by grade level.
  809         (c)(d) Each school district shall, by November 1 of each
  810  year, establish schedules for the administration of any
  811  statewide, standardized assessments and district-required
  812  assessments and approve the schedules as an agenda item at a
  813  district school board meeting. Each school district shall
  814  publish the testing schedules on its website which specify
  815  whether an assessment is a state-required or district-required
  816  assessment and the grade bands or subject areas associated with
  817  the assessments using the uniform calendar, including all
  818  information required under paragraph (b), and submit the
  819  schedules to the Department of Education by October 1 of each
  820  year. Each public school shall publish schedules for statewide,
  821  standardized assessments and district-required assessments on
  822  its website using the uniform calendar, including all
  823  information required under paragraph (b). The school board
  824  approved assessment uniform calendar must be included in the
  825  parent guide required by s. 1002.23(5).
  826         Section 21. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) and paragraphs
  827  (b), (c), and (d) of subsection (9) of section 1008.25, Florida
  828  Statutes, are amended to read:
  829         1008.25 Public school student progression; student support;
  830  coordinated screening and progress monitoring; reporting
  831  requirements.—
  832         (5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.—
  833         (c) To be promoted to grade 4, a student must score a Level
  834  2 or higher in English Language Arts for grade 3 on any
  835  administration of the coordinated screening and progress
  836  monitoring system, which includes on the statewide, standardized
  837  English Language Arts assessment required under s. 1008.22 for
  838  grade 3. If a student’s reading deficiency is not remedied by
  839  the end of grade 3, as demonstrated by scoring Level 2 or higher
  840  on the mid-year or final administration of the coordinated
  841  screening and progress monitoring system, which includes the
  842  statewide, standardized assessment required under s. 1008.22 for
  843  grade 3, the student must be retained.
  844         (9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM.—
  845         (b) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, private
  846  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program providers and public
  847  schools must participate in the coordinated screening and
  848  progress monitoring system pursuant to this paragraph.
  849         1. For students in the school-year Voluntary
  850  Prekindergarten Education Program through grade 2, the
  851  coordinated screening and progress monitoring system must be
  852  administered at least three times within a school year, with the
  853  first administration occurring no later than the first 30
  854  instructional days after a student’s enrollment or the start of
  855  the school year, the second administration occurring midyear,
  856  and the third administration occurring within the last 30 days
  857  of the school year pursuant to state board rule. The state board
  858  may adopt alternate timeframes to address nontraditional school
  859  year calendars to ensure the coordinated screening and progress
  860  monitoring program is administered a minimum of three times
  861  within a year.
  862         2. For students in the summer prekindergarten program, the
  863  coordinated screening and progress monitoring system must be
  864  administered two times, with the first administration occurring
  865  no later than the first 10 instructional days after a student’s
  866  enrollment or the start of the summer prekindergarten program,
  867  and the final administration occurring within the last 10 days
  868  of the summer prekindergarten program pursuant to state board
  869  rule.
  870         3. For grades 3 through 10 English Language Arts and grades
  871  3 through 8 Mathematics, the coordinated screening and progress
  872  monitoring system must be administered at the beginning, middle,
  873  and end of the school year pursuant to state board rule. The
  874  end-of-year administration of the coordinated screening and
  875  progress monitoring system must be a comprehensive progress
  876  monitoring assessment administered in accordance with the
  877  scheduling requirements under s. 1008.22(7)(b) s. 1008.22(7)(c).
  878         (c) To facilitate timely interventions and supports
  879  pursuant to subsection (4), the system must provide results from
  880  the first two administrations of the progress monitoring to a
  881  student’s teacher or prekindergarten instructor within 1 week
  882  and to the student’s parent within 2 weeks after the
  883  administration of the progress monitoring. Delivery of results
  884  from the comprehensive, end-of-year progress monitoring ELA
  885  assessment for grades 3 through 10 and Mathematics assessment
  886  for grades 3 through 8 must be in accordance with s.
  887  1008.22(7)(g) s. 1008.22(7)(h).
  888         1. A student’s results from the coordinated screening and
  889  progress monitoring system must be recorded in a written, easy
  890  to-comprehend individual student report. Each school district
  891  shall provide a parent secure access to his or her child’s
  892  individual student reports through a web-based portal as part of
  893  its student information system. Each early learning coalition
  894  shall provide parents the individual student report in a format
  895  determined by state board rule.
  896         2. In addition to the information under subparagraph (a)5.,
  897  the report must also include parent resources that explain the
  898  purpose of progress monitoring, assist the parent in
  899  interpreting progress monitoring results, and support informed
  900  parent involvement. Parent resources may include personalized
  901  video formats.
  902         3. The department shall annually update school districts
  903  and early learning coalitions on new system features and
  904  functionality and collaboratively identify with school districts
  905  and early learning coalitions strategies for meaningfully
  906  reporting to parents results from the coordinated screening and
  907  progress monitoring system. The department shall develop ways to
  908  increase the utilization, by instructional staff and parents, of
  909  student assessment data and resources.
  910         4. An individual student report must be provided in a
  911  printed format upon a parent’s request.
  912         (d) Screening and progress monitoring system results,
  913  including the number of students who demonstrate characteristics
  914  of dyslexia and dyscalculia, shall be reported to the department
  915  pursuant to state board rule and maintained in the department’s
  916  Education Data Warehouse. Results must be provided to a
  917  student’s teacher and parent in a timely manner as required in
  918  s. 1008.22(7)(f) s. 1008.22(7)(g).
  919         Section 22. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) and subsection
  920  (5) of section 1008.33, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  921         1008.33 Authority to enforce public school improvement.—
  922         (3)
  923         (c) The state board shall adopt by rule a differentiated
  924  matrix of intervention and support strategies for assisting
  925  traditional public schools identified under this section and
  926  rules for implementing s. 1002.33(9)(n), relating to charter
  927  schools. The intervention and support strategies must address
  928  student performance and may include improvement planning;
  929  leadership quality improvement; educator quality improvement;
  930  professional learning; curriculum review, pacing, and alignment
  931  across grade levels to improve background knowledge in social
  932  studies, science, and the arts; and the use of continuous
  933  improvement and monitoring plans and processes. In addition, the
  934  state board may prescribe reporting requirements to review and
  935  monitor the progress of the schools. The rule must define the
  936  intervention and support strategies for school improvement for
  937  schools earning a grade of “D” or “F” and the roles for the
  938  district and department. A school may not be required to use the
  939  measure of student learning growth in s. 1012.34(7) as the sole
  940  determinant to recruit instructional personnel. The rule must
  941  create a timeline for a school district’s school improvement
  942  plan or district-managed turnaround plan to be approved and for
  943  the school improvement funds under Title I to be released to the
  944  school district. The timeline established in rule for the
  945  release of school improvement funding under Title I may not
  946  exceed 20 calendar days after the approval of the school
  947  improvement plan or district-managed turnaround plan.
  948         (5) The state board shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.
  949  120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this section. The rules
  950  shall include timelines for submission of implementation plans,
  951  approval criteria for implementation plans, timelines for
  952  releasing Title I funding, implementing intervention and support
  953  strategies, a standard charter school turnaround contract, a
  954  standard facility lease, and a mutual management agreement. The
  955  state board shall consult with education stakeholders in
  956  developing the rules.
  957         Section 23. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
  958  section 1010.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
  959         1010.20 Cost accounting and reporting for school
  960  districts.—
  961         (2) COST REPORTING.—
  962         (e) Each charter school shall receive and respond to
  963  monitoring questions from the department.
  964         Section 24. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 1011.035,
  965  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  966         1011.035 School district fiscal transparency.—
  967         (2) Each district school board shall post on its website:
  968         (a) A plain language version of each proposed, tentative,
  969  and official budget which describes each budget item in terms
  970  that are easily understandable to the public and includes:
  971         (a) Graphical representations, for each public school
  972  within the district and for the school district, of the
  973  following:
  974         1. Summary financial efficiency data.
  975         2. Fiscal trend information for the previous 3 years on:
  976         a. The ratio of full-time equivalent students to full-time
  977  equivalent instructional personnel.
  978         b. The ratio of full-time equivalent students to full-time
  979  equivalent administrative personnel.
  980         c. The total operating expenditures per full-time
  981  equivalent student.
  982         d. The total instructional expenditures per full-time
  983  equivalent student.
  984         e. The general administrative expenditures as a percentage
  985  of total budget.
  986         f. The rate of change in the general fund’s ending fund
  987  balance not classified as restricted.
  988         (b) A link to the web-based fiscal transparency tool
  989  developed by the department pursuant to s. 1010.20 to enable
  990  taxpayers to evaluate the financial efficiency of the school
  991  district and compare the financial efficiency of the school
  992  district with other similarly situated school districts.
  993  
  994  This information must be prominently posted on the school
  995  district’s website in a manner that is readily accessible to the
  996  public.
  997         (4) The website should contain links to:
  998         (a) Help explain or provide background information on
  999  various budget items that are required by state or federal law.
 1000         (b) Allow users to navigate to related sites to view
 1001  supporting details.
 1002         (c) enable taxpayers, parents, and education advocates to
 1003  send e-mails asking questions about the budget and enable others
 1004  to view the questions and responses.
 1005         Section 25.  Subsection (1) of section 1011.14, Florida
 1006  Statutes, is amended to read:
 1007         1011.14 Obligations for a period of 1 year.—District school
 1008  boards are authorized only under the following conditions to
 1009  create obligations by way of anticipation of budgeted revenues
 1010  accruing on a current basis without pledging the credit of the
 1011  district or requiring future levy of taxes for certain purposes
 1012  for a period of 1 year; however, such obligations may be
 1013  extended from year to year with the consent of the lender for a
 1014  period not to exceed 4 years, or for a total of 5 years
 1015  including the initial year of the loan:
 1016         (1) PURPOSES.—The purposes for which such obligations may
 1017  be incurred within the intent of this section shall include only
 1018  the purchase of school buses, land, and equipment for
 1019  educational purposes; the erection of, alteration to, or
 1020  addition to educational plants, ancillary plants, and auxiliary
 1021  facilities; and the adjustment of insurance on educational
 1022  property on a 5-year plan, as provided by rules of the State
 1023  Board of Education.
 1024         Section 26. Subsection (2) of section 1011.60, Florida
 1025  Statutes, is amended to read:
 1026         1011.60 Minimum requirements of the Florida Education
 1027  Finance Program.—Each district which participates in the state
 1028  appropriations for the Florida Education Finance Program shall
 1029  provide evidence of its effort to maintain an adequate school
 1030  program throughout the district and shall meet at least the
 1031  following requirements:
 1032         (2) MINIMUM TERM.—Operate all schools for a term of 180
 1033  actual teaching days or the equivalent on an hourly basis as
 1034  specified by rules of the State Board of Education each school
 1035  year. The State Board of Education may prescribe procedures for
 1036  altering, and, upon written application, may alter, this
 1037  requirement during a national, state, or local emergency as it
 1038  may apply to an individual school or schools in any district or
 1039  districts if the district school board certifies to the
 1040  Commissioner of Education that if, in the opinion of the board,
 1041  it is not necessary feasible to make up lost days or hours, and
 1042  the apportionment may, at the discretion of the Commissioner of
 1043  Education and if the board determines that the reduction of
 1044  school days or hours is caused by the existence of a bona fide
 1045  emergency, be reduced for such district or districts in
 1046  proportion to the decrease in the length of term in any such
 1047  school or schools. A strike, as defined in s. 447.203(6), by
 1048  employees of the school district may not be considered an
 1049  emergency.
 1050         Section 27. Paragraph (o) of subsection (1) of section
 1051  1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1052         1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
 1053  allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
 1054  district for operation of schools is not determined in the
 1055  annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
 1056  the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
 1057  follows:
 1058         (1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
 1059  OPERATION.—The following procedure shall be followed in
 1060  determining the annual allocation to each district for
 1061  operation:
 1062         (o) Calculation of additional full-time equivalent
 1063  membership based on successful completion of a career-themed
 1064  course pursuant to ss. 1003.491-1003.493, or courses with
 1065  embedded CAPE industry certifications or CAPE Digital Tool
 1066  certificates, and issuance of industry certification identified
 1067  on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to
 1068  rules adopted by the State Board of Education or CAPE Digital
 1069  Tool certificates pursuant to s. 1003.4203.—
 1070         1.a. A value of 0.025 full-time equivalent student
 1071  membership shall be calculated for CAPE Digital Tool
 1072  certificates earned by students in elementary and middle school
 1073  grades.
 1074         b. A value of 0.1 or 0.2 full-time equivalent student
 1075  membership shall be calculated for each student who completes a
 1076  course as defined in s. 1003.493(1)(b) or courses with embedded
 1077  CAPE industry certifications and who is issued an industry
 1078  certification identified annually on the CAPE Industry
 1079  Certification Funding List approved under rules adopted by the
 1080  State Board of Education. A value of 0.2 full-time equivalent
 1081  membership shall be calculated for each student who is issued a
 1082  CAPE industry certification that has a statewide articulation
 1083  agreement for college credit approved by the State Board of
 1084  Education. For CAPE industry certifications that do not
 1085  articulate for college credit, the Department of Education shall
 1086  assign a full-time equivalent value of 0.1 for each
 1087  certification. Middle grades students who earn additional FTE
 1088  membership for a CAPE Digital Tool certificate pursuant to sub
 1089  subparagraph a. may not rely solely on the previously funded
 1090  examination to satisfy the requirements for earning an industry
 1091  certification under this sub-subparagraph. The State Board of
 1092  Education shall include the assigned values on the CAPE Industry
 1093  Certification Funding List under rules adopted by the state
 1094  board. Such value shall be added to the total full-time
 1095  equivalent student membership for grades 6 through 12 in the
 1096  subsequent year. CAPE industry certifications earned through
 1097  dual enrollment must be reported and funded pursuant to s.
 1098  1011.80. However, if a student earns a certification through a
 1099  dual enrollment course and the certification is not a fundable
 1100  certification on the postsecondary certification funding list,
 1101  or the dual enrollment certification is earned as a result of an
 1102  agreement between a school district and a nonpublic
 1103  postsecondary institution, the bonus value shall be funded in
 1104  the same manner as other nondual enrollment course industry
 1105  certifications. In such cases, the school district may provide
 1106  for an agreement between the high school and the technical
 1107  center, or the school district and the postsecondary institution
 1108  may enter into an agreement for equitable distribution of the
 1109  bonus funds.
 1110         c. A value of 0.3 full-time equivalent student membership
 1111  shall be calculated for student completion of at least three
 1112  courses and an industry certification in a single career and
 1113  technical education program or program of study.
 1114         d. A value of 0.5 full-time equivalent student membership
 1115  shall be calculated for CAPE Acceleration Industry
 1116  Certifications that articulate for 15 to 29 college credit
 1117  hours, and 1.0 full-time equivalent student membership shall be
 1118  calculated for CAPE Acceleration Industry Certifications that
 1119  articulate for 30 or more college credit hours pursuant to CAPE
 1120  Acceleration Industry Certifications approved by the
 1121  commissioner pursuant to ss. 1003.4203(4) and 1008.44.
 1122         2. Each district must allocate at least 80 percent of the
 1123  funds provided for CAPE industry certification, in accordance
 1124  with this paragraph, to the program that generated the funds,
 1125  and any remaining funds provided for CAPE industry certification
 1126  for school district career and technical education programs.
 1127  This allocation may not be used to supplant funds provided for
 1128  basic operation of the program.
 1129         3. For CAPE industry certifications earned in the 2013-2014
 1130  school year and in subsequent years, the school district shall
 1131  distribute to each classroom teacher who provided direct
 1132  instruction toward the attainment of a CAPE industry
 1133  certification that qualified for additional full-time equivalent
 1134  membership under subparagraph 1.:
 1135         a. A bonus of $25 for each student taught by a teacher who
 1136  provided instruction in a course that led to the attainment of a
 1137  CAPE industry certification on the CAPE Industry Certification
 1138  Funding List with a weight of 0.1.
 1139         b. A bonus of $50 for each student taught by a teacher who
 1140  provided instruction in a course that led to the attainment of a
 1141  CAPE industry certification on the CAPE Industry Certification
 1142  Funding List with a weight of 0.2.
 1143         c. A bonus of $75 for each student taught by a teacher who
 1144  provided instruction in a course that led to the attainment of a
 1145  CAPE industry certification on the CAPE Industry Certification
 1146  Funding List with a weight of 0.3.
 1147         d. A bonus of $100 for each student taught by a teacher who
 1148  provided instruction in a course that led to the attainment of a
 1149  CAPE industry certification on the CAPE Industry Certification
 1150  Funding List with a weight of 0.5 or 1.0.
 1151  
 1152  Bonuses awarded pursuant to this paragraph shall be provided to
 1153  teachers who are employed by the district in the year in which
 1154  the additional FTE membership calculation is included in the
 1155  calculation. Bonuses shall be calculated based upon the
 1156  associated weight of a CAPE industry certification on the CAPE
 1157  Industry Certification Funding List for the year in which the
 1158  certification is earned by the student. Any bonus awarded to a
 1159  teacher pursuant to this paragraph is in addition to any regular
 1160  wage or other bonus the teacher received or is scheduled to
 1161  receive. A bonus may not be awarded to a teacher who fails to
 1162  maintain the security of any CAPE industry certification
 1163  examination or who otherwise violates the security or
 1164  administration protocol of any assessment instrument that may
 1165  result in a bonus being awarded to the teacher under this
 1166  paragraph.
 1167         Section 28. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
 1168  1011.6202, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1169         1011.6202 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative.—The
 1170  Principal Autonomy Program Initiative is created within the
 1171  Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to
 1172  provide a highly effective principal of a participating school
 1173  with increased autonomy and authority to operate his or her
 1174  school, as well as other schools, in a way that produces
 1175  significant improvements in student achievement and school
 1176  management while complying with constitutional requirements. The
 1177  State Board of Education may, upon approval of a principal
 1178  autonomy proposal, enter into a performance contract with the
 1179  district school board for participation in the program.
 1180         (3) EXEMPTION FROM LAWS.—
 1181         (b) A participating school or a school operated by a
 1182  principal pursuant to subsection (5) shall comply with the
 1183  provisions of chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the state board
 1184  that implement those provisions, pertaining to the following:
 1185         1. Those laws relating to the election and compensation of
 1186  district school board members, the election or appointment and
 1187  compensation of district school superintendents, public meetings
 1188  and public records requirements, financial disclosure, and
 1189  conflicts of interest.
 1190         2. Those laws relating to the student assessment program
 1191  and school grading system, including chapter 1008.
 1192         3. Those laws relating to the provision of services to
 1193  students with disabilities.
 1194         4. Those laws relating to civil rights, including s.
 1195  1000.05, relating to discrimination.
 1196         5. Those laws relating to student health, safety, and
 1197  welfare.
 1198         6. Section 1001.42(4)(f), relating to the uniform opening
 1199  date for public schools.
 1200         7. Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except
 1201  that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is
 1202  the average at the school level for a participating school.
 1203         8. Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to
 1204  compensation and salary schedules.
 1205         9. Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions for
 1206  annual contracts for instructional personnel. This subparagraph
 1207  does not apply to at-will employees.
 1208         10. Section 1012.335, relating to annual or instructional
 1209  multiyear contracts for instructional personnel hired on or
 1210  after July 1, 2011. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will
 1211  employees.
 1212         11. Section 1012.34, relating to personnel evaluation
 1213  procedures and criteria.
 1214         12. Those laws pertaining to educational facilities,
 1215  including chapter 1013, except that s. 1013.20, relating to
 1216  covered walkways for relocatables, is eligible for exemption.
 1217         13. Those laws pertaining to participating school
 1218  districts, including this section and ss. 1011.69(2) and
 1219  1012.28(8).
 1220         Section 29. Subsection (4) of section 1011.69, Florida
 1221  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (5) is added to that
 1222  section, to read:
 1223         1011.69 Equity in School-Level Funding Act.—
 1224         (4) After providing Title I, Part A, Basic funds to schools
 1225  above the 75 percent poverty threshold, which may include high
 1226  schools above the 50 percent threshold as permitted by federal
 1227  law, school districts shall provide any remaining Title I, Part
 1228  A, Basic funds directly to all eligible schools as provided in
 1229  this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, an eligible
 1230  school is a school that is eligible to receive Title I funds,
 1231  including a charter school. The threshold for identifying
 1232  eligible schools may not exceed the threshold established by a
 1233  school district for the 2016-2017 school year or the statewide
 1234  percentage of economically disadvantaged students, as determined
 1235  annually.
 1236         (a) Prior to the allocation of Title I funds to eligible
 1237  schools, a school district may withhold funds only as follows:
 1238         1. One percent for parent involvement, in addition to the
 1239  one percent the district must reserve under federal law for
 1240  allocations to eligible schools for parent involvement;
 1241         2. A necessary and reasonable amount for administration
 1242  which includes the district’s indirect cost rate, not to exceed
 1243  a total of 10 percent;
 1244         3. A reasonable and necessary amount to provide:
 1245         a. Homeless programs;
 1246         b. Delinquent and neglected programs;
 1247         c. Prekindergarten programs and activities;
 1248         d. Private school equitable services; and
 1249         e. Transportation for foster care children to their school
 1250  of origin or choice programs;
 1251         4. Up to 5 percent to provide financial incentives and
 1252  rewards to teachers who serve students in eligible schools,
 1253  including charter schools, identified for comprehensive support
 1254  and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement
 1255  activities, for the purpose of attracting and retaining
 1256  qualified and effective teachers, including teachers of any
 1257  subject or grade level for whom a measurement under s.
 1258  1012.34(7) or a state-approved Alternative Student Growth Model
 1259  is unavailable; and
 1260         5.4. A necessary and reasonable amount, not to exceed 1
 1261  percent, for eligible schools, including charter schools, to
 1262  provide educational services in accordance with the approved
 1263  Title I plan. Such educational services may include the
 1264  provision of STEM curricula, instructional materials, and
 1265  related learning technologies that support academic achievement
 1266  in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in Title I
 1267  schools, including, but not limited to, technologies related to
 1268  drones, coding, animation, artificial intelligence,
 1269  cybersecurity, data science, the engineering design process,
 1270  mobile development, and robotics. Funds may be reserved under
 1271  this subparagraph only to the extent that all required
 1272  reservations under federal law have been met and that such
 1273  reservation does not reduce school-level allocations below the
 1274  levels required under federal law.
 1275         (b) All remaining Title I funds shall be distributed to all
 1276  eligible schools in accordance with federal law and regulation.
 1277  An eligible school may use funds under this subsection to
 1278  participate in discretionary educational services provided by
 1279  the school district. Any funds provided by an eligible school to
 1280  participate in discretionary educational services provided by
 1281  the school district are not subject to the requirements of this
 1282  subsection.
 1283         (c) Any funds carried forward by the school district are
 1284  not subject to the requirements of this subsection.
 1285         (5) The Department of Education shall make funds from Title
 1286  I, Title II, and Title III programs available to local education
 1287  agencies for the full period of availability provided in federal
 1288  law.
 1289         Section 30. Paragraphs (c), (e), and (h) of subsection (2)
 1290  of section 1011.71, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1291         1011.71 District school tax.—
 1292         (2) In addition to the maximum millage levy as provided in
 1293  subsection (1), each school board may levy not more than 1.5
 1294  mills against the taxable value for school purposes for charter
 1295  schools pursuant to s. 1013.62(1) and (3) and for district
 1296  schools to fund:
 1297         (c) The purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of school buses
 1298  or other motor vehicles regularly used for the transportation of
 1299  prekindergarten disability program and K-12 public school
 1300  students to and from school or to and from school activities,
 1301  and owned, operated, rented, contracted, or leased by any
 1302  district school board.
 1303         (e) Payments for educational plants, ancillary plants, and
 1304  auxiliary facilities and sites due under a lease-purchase
 1305  agreement entered into by a district school board pursuant to s.
 1306  1003.02(1)(f) or s. 1013.15(2), not exceeding, in the aggregate,
 1307  an amount equal to three-fourths of the proceeds from the
 1308  millage levied by a district school board pursuant to this
 1309  subsection. The three-fourths limit is waived for lease-purchase
 1310  agreements entered into before June 30, 2009, by a district
 1311  school board pursuant to this paragraph. If payments under
 1312  lease-purchase agreements in the aggregate, including lease
 1313  purchase agreements entered into before June 30, 2009, exceed
 1314  three-fourths of the proceeds from the millage levied pursuant
 1315  to this subsection, the district school board may not withhold
 1316  the administrative fees authorized by s. 1002.33(20) from any
 1317  charter school operating in the school district.
 1318         (h) Payment of costs of leasing relocatable educational
 1319  plants, ancillary plants, and auxiliary facilities, of renting
 1320  or leasing educational plants, ancillary plants, and auxiliary
 1321  facilities and sites pursuant to s. 1013.15(2), or of renting or
 1322  leasing buildings or space within existing buildings pursuant to
 1323  s. 1013.15(4).
 1324         Section 31. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and paragraph
 1325  (a) of subsection (3) of section 1012.22, Florida Statutes, are
 1326  amended to read:
 1327         1012.22 Public school personnel; powers and duties of the
 1328  district school board.—The district school board shall:
 1329         (1) Designate positions to be filled, prescribe
 1330  qualifications for those positions, and provide for the
 1331  appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal
 1332  of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this
 1333  chapter:
 1334         (c) Compensation and salary schedules.—
 1335         1. Definitions.—As used in this paragraph:
 1336         a. “Adjustment” means an addition to the base salary
 1337  schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employee’s
 1338  permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under
 1339  s. 121.021(22).
 1340         b. “Grandfathered salary schedule” means the salary
 1341  schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before
 1342  July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 4.
 1343         c. “Instructional personnel” means instructional personnel
 1344  as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute
 1345  teachers.
 1346         d. “Performance salary schedule” means the salary schedule
 1347  or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to
 1348  subparagraph 5.
 1349         e. “Salary schedule” means the schedule or schedules used
 1350  to provide the base salary for district school board personnel.
 1351         f. “School administrator” means a school administrator as
 1352  defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c).
 1353         g. “Supplement” means an annual addition to the base salary
 1354  for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the
 1355  employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the
 1356  supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employee’s
 1357  continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation
 1358  under s. 121.021(22).
 1359         2. Cost-of-living adjustment.—A district school board may
 1360  provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment:
 1361         a. Does not discriminate among comparable classes of
 1362  employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are
 1363  compensated.
 1364         b. Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment
 1365  provided to instructional personnel rated as effective.
 1366         3. Advanced degrees.—A district school board may use
 1367  advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional
 1368  personnel or school administrators if the advanced degree is
 1369  held in the individual’s area of certification, a field related
 1370  to their teaching assignment, or a related field of study. For
 1371  the purposes of the salary schedule, an advanced degree may
 1372  include a master’s degree or higher in the area of certification
 1373  or teaching assignment, or an advanced degree in another field
 1374  with a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours related to the area
 1375  of certification or teaching assignment.
 1376         4. Grandfathered salary schedule.—
 1377         a. The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule
 1378  or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all
 1379  school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional
 1380  personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed
 1381  on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 4.
 1382  5. Instructional personnel on continuing contract or
 1383  professional service contract may opt into the performance
 1384  salary schedule if the employee relinquishes such contract and
 1385  agrees to be employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335.
 1386  Such an employee shall be placed on the performance salary
 1387  schedule and may not return to continuing contract or
 1388  professional service contract status. Any employee who opts into
 1389  the performance salary schedule may not return to the
 1390  grandfathered salary schedule.
 1391         b. In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for
 1392  instructional personnel, a district school board must base a
 1393  portion of each employee’s compensation upon performance
 1394  demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated
 1395  pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators
 1396  based upon district-determined factors, including, but not
 1397  limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics,
 1398  critical shortage areas, and level of job performance
 1399  difficulties.
 1400         5. Performance salary schedule.—By July 1, 2014, the
 1401  district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule
 1402  that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional
 1403  personnel and school administrators based upon performance
 1404  determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1,
 1405  2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered
 1406  salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be
 1407  compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once
 1408  they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for
 1409  this purpose.
 1410         a. Base salary.—The base salary shall be established as
 1411  follows:
 1412         (I) The base salary for instructional personnel or school
 1413  administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule
 1414  shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including
 1415  adjustments only.
 1416         (II) Instructional personnel or school administrators new
 1417  to the district, returning to the district after a break in
 1418  service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for
 1419  the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of
 1420  instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed
 1421  on the performance salary schedule.
 1422         b. Salary adjustments.—Salary adjustments for highly
 1423  effective or effective performance shall be established as
 1424  follows:
 1425         (I) The annual salary adjustment under the performance
 1426  salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must
 1427  be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary
 1428  adjustment available to an employee of the same classification
 1429  through any other salary schedule adopted by the district.
 1430         (II) The annual salary adjustment under the performance
 1431  salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal
 1432  to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual
 1433  adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same
 1434  classification.
 1435         (III) A salary schedule may shall not provide an annual
 1436  salary adjustment for an employee who receives a rating other
 1437  than highly effective or effective for the year.
 1438         c. Salary supplements.—In addition to the salary
 1439  adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary
 1440  supplements for activities that must include, but are not
 1441  limited to:
 1442         (I) Assignment to a Title I eligible school.
 1443         (II) Assignment to a school that earned a grade of “F” or
 1444  three consecutive grades of “D” pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that
 1445  the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following
 1446  improved performance in that school.
 1447         (III) Certification and teaching in critical teacher
 1448  shortage areas. Statewide critical teacher shortage areas shall
 1449  be identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07.
 1450  However, the district school board may identify other areas of
 1451  critical shortage within the school district for purposes of
 1452  this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the
 1453  state board which do not apply within the school district.
 1454         (IV) Assignment of additional academic responsibilities.
 1455  
 1456  If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school
 1457  board’s ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the
 1458  performance salary schedule may shall not be reduced on the
 1459  basis of total cost or the value of individual awards in a
 1460  manner that is proportionally greater than reductions to any
 1461  other salary schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation
 1462  for longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who
 1463  are on any other salary schedule must be included in calculating
 1464  the salary adjustments required by sub-subparagraph b.
 1465         (3)(a) Collective bargaining.—Notwithstanding provisions of
 1466  chapter 447 related to district school board collective
 1467  bargaining, collective bargaining may not preclude a district
 1468  school board from carrying out its constitutional and statutory
 1469  duties related to the following:
 1470         1. Providing incentives to effective and highly effective
 1471  teachers.
 1472         2. Implementing intervention and support strategies under
 1473  s. 1008.33 to address the causes of low student performance and
 1474  improve student academic performance and attendance.
 1475         3. Implementing student discipline provisions required by
 1476  law, including a review of a student’s abilities, past
 1477  performance, behavior, and needs.
 1478         4. Implementing school safety plans and requirements.
 1479         5. Implementing staff and student recognition programs.
 1480         6. Distributing correspondence to parents, teachers, and
 1481  community members related to the daily operation of schools and
 1482  the district.
 1483         7. Providing any required notice or copies of information
 1484  related to the district school board or district operations
 1485  which is readily available on the school district’s website.
 1486         8. The school district’s calendar.
 1487         9. Providing salary supplements pursuant to sub-sub
 1488  subparagraph (1)(c)5.c.(III).
 1489         Section 32. Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection
 1490  (1) of section 1012.335, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
 1491  paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is
 1492  added to that subsection, paragraphs (d) and (e) are added to
 1493  subsection (2) of that section, and subsections (3) and (4) of
 1494  that section are amended, to read:
 1495         1012.335 Contracts with instructional personnel hired on or
 1496  after July 1, 2011.—
 1497         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
 1498         (b) “Instructional multiyear contract, beginning July 1,
 1499  2026, means an employment contract for a period not to exceed 3
 1500  years which the district school board may choose to award upon
 1501  completion of a probationary contract and at least one annual
 1502  contract.
 1503         (2) EMPLOYMENT.—
 1504         (d) An instructional multiyear contract may be awarded,
 1505  beginning July 1, 2026, only if the employee:
 1506         1. Holds an active professional certificate or temporary
 1507  certificate issued pursuant to s. 1012.56 and rules of the State
 1508  Board of Education;
 1509         2. Has been recommended by the district school
 1510  superintendent for the instructional multiyear contract based
 1511  upon the individual’s evaluation under s. 1012.34 and approved
 1512  by the district school board; and
 1513         3. Has not received an annual performance evaluation rating
 1514  of unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34.
 1515         (e) An employee awarded an instructional multiyear contract
 1516  who receives an annual performance evaluation rating of
 1517  unsatisfactory or needs improvement under s. 1012.34 must be
 1518  returned to an annual contract in the following school year.
 1519  Such evaluation rating must be included with the evaluation
 1520  ratings under subsequent annual contracts for determinations of
 1521  just cause under s. 1012.33.
 1522         (3) VIOLATION OF ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR
 1523  CONTRACT.—Instructional personnel who accept a written offer
 1524  from the district school board and who leave their positions
 1525  without prior release from the district school board are subject
 1526  to the jurisdiction of the Education Practices Commission.
 1527         (4) SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL ON
 1528  ANNUAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIYEAR CONTRACT.—Any instructional
 1529  personnel with an annual or instructional multiyear contract may
 1530  be suspended or dismissed at any time during the term of the
 1531  contract for just cause as provided in subsection (5). The
 1532  district school board shall notify the employee in writing
 1533  whenever charges are made and may suspend such person without
 1534  pay. However, if the charges are not sustained, the employee
 1535  must shall be immediately reinstated and his or her back pay
 1536  must shall be paid. If the employee wishes to contest the
 1537  charges, he or she must, within 15 days after receipt of the
 1538  written notice, submit a written request for a hearing to the
 1539  district school board. A direct hearing must shall be conducted
 1540  by the district school board or a subcommittee thereof within 60
 1541  days after receipt of the written appeal. The hearing must shall
 1542  be conducted in accordance with ss. 120.569 and 120.57. A
 1543  majority vote of the membership of the district school board
 1544  shall be required to sustain the district school
 1545  superintendent’s recommendation. The district school board’s
 1546  determination is final as to the sufficiency or insufficiency of
 1547  the grounds for suspension without pay or dismissal. Any such
 1548  decision adverse to the employee may be appealed by the employee
 1549  pursuant to s. 120.68.
 1550         Section 33. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) and
 1551  paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 1012.34, Florida
 1552  Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (c) is added to subsection
 1553  (7) of that section, to read:
 1554         1012.34 Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria.—
 1555         (1) EVALUATION SYSTEM APPROVAL AND REPORTING.—
 1556         (a) For the purpose of increasing student academic
 1557  performance by improving the quality of instructional,
 1558  administrative, and supervisory services in the public schools
 1559  of this the state, the district school superintendent shall
 1560  establish procedures for evaluating the performance of duties
 1561  and responsibilities of all instructional, administrative, and
 1562  supervisory personnel employed by the school district. The
 1563  procedures and requirements in subsection (3) must be
 1564  established by the district school superintendent and approved
 1565  by the district school board, must set the standards of service
 1566  to be offered to the public within the meaning of s. 447.209,
 1567  and are not subject to collective bargaining. The district
 1568  school superintendent shall provide instructional personnel the
 1569  opportunity to review their class rosters for accuracy and to
 1570  correct any mistakes. The district school superintendent shall
 1571  report accurate class rosters for the purpose of calculating
 1572  district and statewide student performance and annually report
 1573  the evaluation results of instructional personnel and school
 1574  administrators to the Department of Education in addition to the
 1575  information required under subsection (5).
 1576         (b) The district school superintendent shall submit the
 1577  district instructional personnel and school administrator
 1578  evaluation systems to the department whenever the evaluation
 1579  systems in subsection (2) are amended department must approve
 1580  each school district’s instructional personnel and school
 1581  administrator evaluation systems. The department shall monitor
 1582  each district’s implementation of its instructional personnel
 1583  and school administrator evaluation systems for compliance with
 1584  the requirements of this section.
 1585         (3) EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.—Instructional
 1586  personnel and school administrator performance evaluations must
 1587  be based upon the performance of students assigned to their
 1588  classrooms or schools, as provided in this section. Pursuant to
 1589  this section, a school district’s performance evaluation system
 1590  is not limited to basing unsatisfactory performance of
 1591  instructional personnel and school administrators solely upon
 1592  student performance, but may include other criteria to evaluate
 1593  instructional personnel and school administrators’ performance,
 1594  or any combination of student performance and other criteria.
 1595  Evaluation procedures and criteria must comply with, but are not
 1596  limited to, the following:
 1597         (a) A performance evaluation must be conducted for each
 1598  employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher,
 1599  as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding substitute teachers,
 1600  who is newly hired by the district school board must be observed
 1601  and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching in
 1602  the school district. The performance evaluation must be based
 1603  upon sound educational principles and contemporary research in
 1604  effective educational practices. The evaluation criteria must
 1605  include:
 1606         1. Performance of students.—At least one-half one-third of
 1607  a performance evaluation must be based upon data and indicators
 1608  of student performance, as determined by each school district.
 1609  This portion of the evaluation must include growth or
 1610  achievement data of the teacher’s students or, for a school
 1611  administrator, the students attending the school over the course
 1612  of at least 3 years. If less than 3 years of data are available,
 1613  the years for which data are available must be used. The
 1614  proportion of growth or achievement data may be determined by
 1615  instructional assignment.
 1616         2. Instructional practice.—For instructional personnel, at
 1617  least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based upon
 1618  instructional practice. Evaluation criteria used when annually
 1619  observing classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a),
 1620  excluding substitute teachers, must include indicators based
 1621  upon each of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices adopted
 1622  by the State Board of Education. For instructional personnel who
 1623  are not classroom teachers, evaluation criteria must be based
 1624  upon indicators of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices
 1625  and may include specific job expectations related to student
 1626  support. This section does not preclude a school administrator
 1627  from visiting and observing classroom teachers throughout the
 1628  school year for purposes of providing mentorship, training,
 1629  instructional feedback, or professional learning.
 1630         3. Instructional leadership.—For school administrators, at
 1631  least one-third of the performance evaluation must be based on
 1632  instructional leadership. Evaluation criteria for instructional
 1633  leadership must include indicators based upon each of the
 1634  leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education
 1635  under s. 1012.986, including performance measures related to the
 1636  effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the
 1637  administrator’s appropriate use of evaluation criteria and
 1638  procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly
 1639  effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentage of
 1640  instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or
 1641  effective level, and other leadership practices that result in
 1642  student learning growth. The system may include a means to give
 1643  parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide
 1644  input into the administrator’s performance evaluation.
 1645         4. Other indicators of performance.—For instructional
 1646  personnel and school administrators, the remainder of a
 1647  performance evaluation may include, but is not limited to,
 1648  professional and job responsibilities as recommended by the
 1649  State Board of Education or identified by the district school
 1650  board and, for instructional personnel, peer reviews,
 1651  objectively reliable survey information from students and
 1652  parents based on teaching practices that are consistently
 1653  associated with higher student achievement, and other valid and
 1654  reliable measures of instructional practice.
 1655         (7) MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE.—
 1656         (c)The measurement of student learning growth under
 1657  paragraph (a) may not be the sole determinant for any incentive
 1658  pay for instructional personnel or school administrators.
 1659         Section 34. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
 1660  1012.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1661         1012.39 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of
 1662  adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and
 1663  career specialists; students performing clinical field
 1664  experience.—
 1665         (1) Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and
 1666  1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary,
 1667  each district school board shall establish the minimal
 1668  qualifications for:
 1669         (c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career
 1670  programs. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed
 1671  teachers of career and technical education courses for program
 1672  clusters that are recognized in the state and are based
 1673  primarily on successful occupational experience rather than
 1674  academic training. The qualifications for such teachers must
 1675  require:
 1676         1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same
 1677  manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to
 1678  conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
 1679  requirement.
 1680         2. Documentation of education and successful occupational
 1681  experience, including documentation of:
 1682         a. A high school diploma or the equivalent.
 1683         b. Completion of a minimum level, established by the
 1684  district school board, 3 years of full-time successful
 1685  occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time
 1686  experience in the teaching specialization area. The district
 1687  school board may establish alternative qualifications for
 1688  teachers with an industry certification in the career area in
 1689  which they teach.
 1690         c. For full-time teachers, completion of professional
 1691  education training in teaching methods, course construction,
 1692  lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs
 1693  students. This training may be completed through coursework from
 1694  an accredited or approved institution or an approved district
 1695  teacher education program, or the local school district
 1696  inservice master plan.
 1697         d. Documentation of industry certification when state or
 1698  national industry certifications are available and applicable.
 1699         Section 35. Paragraphs (a), (b), (d), and (e) of subsection
 1700  (2) of section 1012.555, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1701         1012.555 Teacher Apprenticeship Program.—
 1702         (2)(a) An individual must meet the following minimum
 1703  eligibility requirements to participate in the apprenticeship
 1704  program:
 1705         1. Be enrolled in or have completed Have received an
 1706  associate degree program at from an accredited postsecondary
 1707  institution.
 1708         2. Have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 in
 1709  that degree program.
 1710         3. Have successfully passed a background screening as
 1711  provided in s. 1012.32.
 1712         4. Have received a temporary apprenticeship certificate as
 1713  provided in s. 1012.56(7)(d).
 1714         (b) As a condition of participating in the program, an
 1715  apprentice teacher must commit to spending at least the first 2
 1716  years in the classroom of a mentor teacher using team teaching
 1717  strategies identified in s. 1003.03(4)(b) s. 1003.03(5)(b) and
 1718  fulfilling the on-the-job training component of the registered
 1719  apprenticeship and its associated standards.
 1720         (d) An apprentice teacher must be appointed by the district
 1721  school board or work in the district as an education
 1722  paraprofessional and must be paid in accordance with s. 446.032
 1723  and rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
 1724         (e) An apprentice teacher may change schools or districts
 1725  after the first year of his or her apprenticeship if the
 1726  receiving hiring school or district has agreed to fund the
 1727  remaining year of the apprenticeship.
 1728         Section 36. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2), subsections
 1729  (3) and (7), and paragraph (a) of subsection (8) of section
 1730  1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1731         1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
 1732         (2) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—To be eligible to seek
 1733  certification, a person must:
 1734         (g) Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge pursuant to
 1735  subsection (3), if the person serves as a classroom teacher as
 1736  defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a).
 1737         (3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
 1738  demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
 1739         (a) Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge
 1740  examination required by state board rule;
 1741         (b) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching
 1742  certificate issued by another state;
 1743         (c) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the
 1744  National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national
 1745  educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of
 1746  Education;
 1747         (d) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time
 1748  or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution,
 1749  state university, or private college or university that awards
 1750  an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution
 1751  or an institution of higher education identified by the
 1752  Department of Education as having a quality program;
 1753         (e) Achievement of passing scores, identified in state
 1754  board rule, on national or international examinations that test
 1755  comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical
 1756  writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not
 1757  limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative
 1758  reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination and the
 1759  SAT, ACT, and Classic Learning Test. Passing scores identified
 1760  in state board rule must be at approximately the same level of
 1761  rigor as is required to pass the general knowledge examinations;
 1762  or
 1763         (f) Documentation of receipt of a master’s or higher degree
 1764  from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that
 1765  the Department of Education has identified as having a quality
 1766  program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher.
 1767  
 1768  A school district that employs an individual who does not
 1769  achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge
 1770  examination must provide information regarding the availability
 1771  of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to
 1772  assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information
 1773  must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test
 1774  information guides, school district test preparation resources,
 1775  and preparation courses offered by state universities and
 1776  Florida College System institutions. The requirement of mastery
 1777  of general knowledge shall be waived for an individual who has
 1778  been provided 3 years of supports and instruction and who has
 1779  been rated effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 for
 1780  each of the last 3 years.
 1781         (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
 1782         (a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional
 1783  certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant
 1784  who fulfills one of the following:
 1785         1. Meets all the applicable requirements outlined in
 1786  subsection (2).
 1787         2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through
 1788  12:
 1789         a. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)
 1790  (h).
 1791         b. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of
 1792  science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
 1793         c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the
 1794  advanced degree.
 1795         d. Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s
 1796  performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on
 1797  student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized
 1798  assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International
 1799  Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate
 1800  examination.
 1801         e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional
 1802  education competency examination required by state board rule.
 1803         3. Meets the applicable requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)
 1804  (h) and completes a professional learning certification program
 1805  approved by the department pursuant to paragraph (8)(c) or an
 1806  educator preparation institute approved by the department
 1807  pursuant to s. 1004.85. An applicant who completes one of these
 1808  programs and is rated highly effective as determined by his or
 1809  her performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 is not required to
 1810  take or achieve a passing score on the professional education
 1811  competency examination in order to be awarded a professional
 1812  certificate.
 1813         (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
 1814  any applicant who:
 1815         1. Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs
 1816  (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content requirements
 1817  specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject
 1818  area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an
 1819  accredited degree or a degree approved by the Department of
 1820  Education at the level required for the subject area
 1821  specialization in state board rule;
 1822         2. For a subject area specialization for which the state
 1823  board otherwise requires a bachelor’s degree, documents 48
 1824  months of active-duty military service with an honorable
 1825  discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements
 1826  outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (d)-(f); completes the
 1827  subject area content requirements specified in state board rule
 1828  or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to
 1829  subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college credits
 1830  with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0
 1831  scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions of
 1832  higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher
 1833  learning identified by the Department of Education as having a
 1834  quality program resulting in a bachelor’s degree or higher; or
 1835         3. Is enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation
 1836  program under s. 1004.04; is actively completing the required
 1837  program field experience or internship at a public school;
 1838  completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b),
 1839  and (d)-(f); completes the subject area content requirements
 1840  specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject
 1841  area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5); and documents
 1842  completion of 60 college credits with a minimum cumulative grade
 1843  point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as provided by one or more
 1844  accredited institutions of higher learning or a nonaccredited
 1845  institution of higher learning identified by the Department of
 1846  Education as having a quality program resulting in a bachelor’s
 1847  degree or higher.
 1848         (c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year
 1849  temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional
 1850  certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor’s
 1851  degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for
 1852  completion of a master’s degree program in speech-language
 1853  impairment.
 1854         (d) The department shall issue a temporary apprenticeship
 1855  certificate to any applicant who:
 1856         1. Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and
 1857  (d)-(f).
 1858         2. Completes the subject area content requirements
 1859  specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject
 1860  area knowledge as provided in subsection (5).
 1861         (e) A person who is issued a temporary certificate under
 1862  paragraph (b) must be assigned a teacher mentor for a minimum of
 1863  2 school years after commencing employment. Each teacher mentor
 1864  selected by the school district, charter school, or charter
 1865  management organization must:
 1866         1. Hold a valid professional certificate issued pursuant to
 1867  this section;
 1868         2. Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in
 1869  prekindergarten through grade 12; and
 1870         3. Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on
 1871  the prior year’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34.
 1872         (f)1. A temporary certificate is valid for 5 school fiscal
 1873  years, is limited to a one-time issuance, and is nonrenewable.
 1874         2. A temporary apprenticeship certificate issued under
 1875  paragraph (d) is valid for 5 school years, may be issued only
 1876  once, and is nonrenewable.
 1877         (g) A certificateholder may request that her or his
 1878  certificate be placed in an inactive status. A certificate that
 1879  has been inactive may be reactivated upon application to the
 1880  department. The department shall prescribe, by rule,
 1881  professional learning requirements as a condition of
 1882  reactivating a certificate that has been inactive for more than
 1883  1 year.
 1884         (h) A school district or a regional education consortium
 1885  may issue temporary certificates, based on the requirements in
 1886  paragraph (b). School districts and regional education consortia
 1887  must report the number of such certificates issued, and any
 1888  additional information to the department, based on reporting
 1889  requirements adopted by the State Board of Education.
 1890  
 1891  At least 1 year before an individual’s department-issued
 1892  temporary certificate is set to expire, the department shall
 1893  electronically notify the individual of the date on which his or
 1894  her certificate will expire and provide a list of each method by
 1895  which the qualifications for a professional certificate can be
 1896  completed.
 1897         (8) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.—
 1898         (a) The Department of Education shall develop and each
 1899  school district, charter school, and charter management
 1900  organization may provide a cohesive competency-based
 1901  professional learning certification program by which
 1902  instructional staff may satisfy the mastery of professional
 1903  preparation and education competence requirements specified in
 1904  subsection (6) and rules of the State Board of Education.
 1905  Participants must hold a state-issued temporary certificate. A
 1906  school district, charter school, or charter management
 1907  organization that implements the program shall provide a
 1908  competency-based certification program developed by the
 1909  Department of Education or developed by the district, charter
 1910  school, or charter management organization and approved by the
 1911  Department of Education. These entities may collaborate with
 1912  other supporting agencies or educational entities for
 1913  implementation. The program shall include the following:
 1914         1. A teacher mentorship and induction component.
 1915         a. Each individual selected by the district, charter
 1916  school, or charter management organization as a mentor:
 1917         (I) Must hold a valid professional certificate issued
 1918  pursuant to this section;
 1919         (II) Must have earned at least 3 years of teaching
 1920  experience in prekindergarten through grade 12;
 1921         (III) Must have completed training in clinical supervision
 1922  and participate in ongoing mentor training provided through the
 1923  coordinated system of professional learning under s. 1012.98(4);
 1924         (IV) Must have earned an effective or highly effective
 1925  rating on the prior year’s performance evaluation; and
 1926         (V) May be a peer evaluator under the district’s evaluation
 1927  system approved under s. 1012.34.
 1928         b. The teacher mentorship and induction component must, at
 1929  a minimum, provide routine opportunities for mentoring and
 1930  induction activities, including ongoing professional learning as
 1931  described in s. 1012.98 targeted to a teacher’s needs,
 1932  opportunities for a teacher to observe other teachers, co
 1933  teaching experiences, and reflection and follow-up followup
 1934  discussions. Professional learning must meet the criteria
 1935  established in s. 1012.98(3). Mentorship and induction
 1936  activities must be provided for an applicant’s first year in the
 1937  program and may be provided until the applicant attains his or
 1938  her professional certificate in accordance with this section.
 1939         2. An assessment of teaching performance aligned to the
 1940  district’s, charter school’s, or charter management
 1941  organization’s system for personnel evaluation under s. 1012.34
 1942  which provides for:
 1943         a. An initial evaluation of each educator’s competencies to
 1944  determine an appropriate individualized professional learning
 1945  plan.
 1946         b. A summative evaluation to assure successful completion
 1947  of the program.
 1948         3. Professional education preparation content knowledge,
 1949  which must be included in the mentoring and induction activities
 1950  under subparagraph 1., that includes, but is not limited to, the
 1951  following:
 1952         a. The state academic standards provided under s. 1003.41,
 1953  including scientifically researched and evidence-based reading
 1954  instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading,
 1955  content literacy, and mathematical practices, for each subject
 1956  identified on the temporary certificate. Reading instructional
 1957  strategies for foundational skills shall include phonics
 1958  instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary
 1959  instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional
 1960  strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of
 1961  reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading.
 1962  Instructional strategies may include visual information and
 1963  strategies which improve background and experiential knowledge,
 1964  add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to
 1965  support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word
 1966  reading.
 1967         b. The educator-accomplished practices approved by the
 1968  state board.
 1969         4. Required achievement of passing scores on the subject
 1970  area and professional education competency examination required
 1971  by State Board of Education rule. Mastery of general knowledge
 1972  must be demonstrated as described in subsection (3).
 1973         5. Beginning with candidates entering a program in the
 1974  2022-2023 school year, a candidate for certification in a
 1975  coverage area identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s.
 1976  1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all competencies for a
 1977  reading endorsement, including completion of the endorsement
 1978  practicum.
 1979         Section 37. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2), subsection
 1980  (3), and paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section 1012.585,
 1981  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1982         1012.585 Process for renewal of professional certificates.—
 1983         (2)(a) All professional certificates, except a nonrenewable
 1984  professional certificate, are shall be renewable for successive
 1985  periods not to exceed 10 5 years after the date of submission of
 1986  documentation of completion of the requirements for renewal
 1987  provided in subsection (3). Only one renewal may be granted
 1988  during each 5-year or 10-year validity period of a professional
 1989  certificate.
 1990         1.An applicant who is rated highly effective, pursuant to
 1991  s. 1012.34, in the first 4 years of the 5-year validity period
 1992  of his or her professional certificate is eligible for a
 1993  professional certificate valid for 10 years. An applicant must
 1994  be issued at least one 5-year professional certificate to be
 1995  eligible for a 10-year professional certificate. An applicant
 1996  who does not meet the requirement of this subparagraph is
 1997  eligible only to renew his or her 5-year professional
 1998  certificate.
 1999         2. An applicant who is rated effective or highly effective,
 2000  pursuant to s. 1012.34, for the first 9 years of the 10-year
 2001  validity period of his or her professional certificate is
 2002  eligible to renew a professional certificate valid for 10 years.
 2003  An applicant issued a 10-year professional certificate who does
 2004  not meet the requirement of this subparagraph is eligible only
 2005  for renewal of a professional certificate valid for 5 years.
 2006         (3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the
 2007  following requirements must be met:
 2008         (a) The applicant must:
 2009         1. Earn a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice
 2010  points or a combination thereof for a certificate valid for 5
 2011  years. The district school board may reduce the requirements by
 2012  1 college credit or 20 inservice points for an applicant rated
 2013  highly effective, pursuant to s. 1012.34, in at least 3 of the 5
 2014  years of the 5-year validity period of his or her initial
 2015  professional certificate.
 2016         2. Earn a minimum of 9 college credits or 180 inservice
 2017  points or a combination thereof for a professional certificate
 2018  valid for 10 years. A minimum of 5 college credits or 100
 2019  inservice points or a combination thereof must be earned within
 2020  the first 5 years of a professional certificate valid for 10
 2021  years.
 2022         (b) For each area of specialization to be retained on a
 2023  certificate, the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required
 2024  credit hours or equivalent inservice points in the
 2025  specialization area. Education in “clinical educator” training
 2026  pursuant to s. 1004.04(5)(b); participation in mentorship and
 2027  induction activities, including as a mentor, pursuant to s.
 2028  1012.56(8)(a); and credits or points that provide training in
 2029  the area of scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading
 2030  literacy grounded in the science of reading, including explicit,
 2031  systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction,
 2032  developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory
 2033  intervention strategies, and computational skills acquisition,
 2034  exceptional student education, normal child development, and the
 2035  disorders of development may be applied toward any
 2036  specialization area. Credits or points that provide training in
 2037  the areas of drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, strategies in
 2038  teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or
 2039  dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the
 2040  educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to
 2041  ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 may be applied toward any
 2042  specialization area, except specialization areas identified by
 2043  State Board of Education rule that include reading instruction
 2044  or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade
 2045  6. Each district school board shall include in its inservice
 2046  master plan the ability for teachers to receive inservice points
 2047  for supporting students in extracurricular career and technical
 2048  education activities, such as career and technical student
 2049  organization activities outside of regular school hours and
 2050  training related to supervising students participating in a
 2051  career and technical student organization. Credits or points
 2052  earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward
 2053  the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points may also
 2054  be earned by participation in professional growth components
 2055  approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant
 2056  to s. 1012.98 in the district’s approved master plan for
 2057  inservice educational training; however, such points may not be
 2058  used to satisfy the specialization requirements of this
 2059  paragraph.
 2060         (c)(b) In lieu of college course credit or inservice
 2061  points, the applicant may renew a subject area specialization by
 2062  passage of a state board approved Florida-developed subject area
 2063  examination or, if a Florida subject area examination has not
 2064  been developed, a standardized examination specified in state
 2065  board rule.
 2066         (d)(c) If an applicant wishes to retain more than two
 2067  specialization areas on the certificate, the applicant must
 2068  shall be permitted two successive validity periods for renewal
 2069  of all specialization areas, but must earn no fewer than 6
 2070  college course credit hours or the equivalent inservice points
 2071  in any one validity period.
 2072         (e)(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for
 2073  the expanded use of training for renewal of the professional
 2074  certificate for educators who are required to complete training
 2075  in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students
 2076  with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading as
 2077  follows:
 2078         1. A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use
 2079  college credits or inservice points earned through training in
 2080  teaching students of limited English proficiency or students
 2081  with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading in
 2082  excess of 6 semester hours during one certificate-validity
 2083  period toward renewal of the professional certificate during the
 2084  subsequent validity periods.
 2085         2. A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use
 2086  college credits or inservice points earned through training in
 2087  teaching students of limited English proficiency or students
 2088  with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading toward
 2089  renewal of the teacher’s first professional certificate. Such
 2090  training must not have been included within the degree program,
 2091  and the teacher’s temporary and professional certificates must
 2092  be issued for consecutive school years.
 2093         (f)(e) Beginning July 1, 2014, an applicant for renewal of
 2094  a professional certificate must earn a minimum of one college
 2095  credit or the equivalent inservice points in the area of
 2096  instruction for teaching students with disabilities. The
 2097  requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours
 2098  required by the department for continuing education or inservice
 2099  training.
 2100         (g)(f) An applicant for renewal of a professional
 2101  certificate in any area of certification identified by State
 2102  Board of Education rule that includes reading instruction or
 2103  intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 6,
 2104  with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter,
 2105  must earn a minimum of 2 college credits or the equivalent
 2106  inservice points in evidence-based instruction and interventions
 2107  grounded in the science of reading specifically designed for
 2108  students with characteristics of dyslexia, including the use of
 2109  explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading
 2110  instruction, developing phonological and phonemic awareness,
 2111  decoding, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies.
 2112  Such training must be provided by teacher preparation programs
 2113  under s. 1004.04 or s. 1004.85 or approved school district
 2114  professional learning systems under s. 1012.98. The requirements
 2115  in this paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the
 2116  department for continuing education or inservice training.
 2117         (h)(g) An applicant for renewal of a professional
 2118  certificate in educational leadership from a Level I program
 2119  under s. 1012.562(2) or Level II program under s. 1012.562(3),
 2120  with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2025, or thereafter,
 2121  must earn a minimum of 1 college credit or 20 inservice points
 2122  in Florida’s educational leadership standards, as established in
 2123  rule by the State Board of Education. The requirement in this
 2124  paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the
 2125  department for continuing education or inservice training.
 2126         (i)(h) A teacher may earn inservice points only once during
 2127  each 5-year validity period for any mandatory training topic
 2128  that is not linked to student learning or professional growth.
 2129         (5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow
 2130  the reinstatement of expired professional certificates. The
 2131  department may reinstate an expired professional certificate if
 2132  the certificateholder:
 2133         (b) Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5
 2134  years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired
 2135  certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a
 2136  combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(b)
 2137  (3)(a) to include the credit required under paragraph (3)(f)
 2138  (3)(e).
 2139  
 2140  The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by
 2141  subject area examinations or college credits completed for
 2142  issuance of the certificate that has expired.
 2143         Section 38. Section 1013.19, Florida Statutes, is amended
 2144  to read:
 2145         1013.19 Purchase, conveyance, or encumbrance of property
 2146  interests above surface of land; joint-occupancy structures.—For
 2147  the purpose of implementing jointly financed construction
 2148  project agreements, or for the construction of combined
 2149  occupancy structures, any board may purchase, own, convey, sell,
 2150  lease, or encumber airspace or any other interests in property
 2151  above the surface of the land, provided the lease of airspace
 2152  for nonpublic use is for such reasonable rent, length of term,
 2153  and conditions as the board in its discretion may determine. All
 2154  proceeds from such sale or lease shall be used by a the board of
 2155  trustees for a Florida College System institution or state
 2156  university or boards receiving the proceeds solely for fixed
 2157  capital outlay purposes. These purposes may include the
 2158  renovation or remodeling of existing facilities owned by the
 2159  board or the construction of new facilities; however, for a
 2160  Florida College System institution board or university board,
 2161  such new facility must be authorized by the Legislature. It is
 2162  declared that the use of such rental by the board for public
 2163  purposes in accordance with its statutory authority is a public
 2164  use. Airspace or any other interest in property held by the
 2165  Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund or the
 2166  State Board of Education may not be divested or conveyed without
 2167  approval of the respective board. Any building, including any
 2168  building or facility component that is common to both nonpublic
 2169  and educational portions thereof, constructed in airspace that
 2170  is sold or leased for nonpublic use pursuant to this section is
 2171  subject to all applicable state, county, and municipal
 2172  regulations pertaining to land use, zoning, construction of
 2173  buildings, fire protection, health, and safety to the same
 2174  extent and in the same manner as such regulations would be
 2175  applicable to the construction of a building for nonpublic use
 2176  on the appurtenant land beneath the subject airspace. Any
 2177  educational facility constructed or leased as a part of a joint
 2178  occupancy facility is subject to all rules and requirements of
 2179  the respective boards or departments having jurisdiction over
 2180  educational facilities. Any contract executed by a university
 2181  board of trustees pursuant to this section is subject to the
 2182  provisions of s. 1010.62.
 2183         Section 39. Section 1013.35, Florida Statutes, is amended
 2184  to read:
 2185         1013.35 School district educational facilities plan;
 2186  definitions; preparation, adoption, and amendment; long-term
 2187  work programs.—
 2188         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
 2189         (a) “Adopted educational facilities plan” means the
 2190  comprehensive planning document that is adopted annually by the
 2191  district school board as provided in subsection (2) and that
 2192  contains the educational plant survey.
 2193         (b) “District facilities work program” means the 5-year
 2194  listing of capital outlay projects adopted by the district
 2195  school board as provided in subparagraph (2)(a)2. and paragraph
 2196  (2)(b) as part of the district educational facilities plan,
 2197  which is required in order to:
 2198         1. Properly maintain the educational plant and ancillary
 2199  facilities of the district.
 2200         2. Provide an adequate number of satisfactory student
 2201  stations for the projected student enrollment of the district in
 2202  K-12 programs.
 2203         (c) “Tentative educational facilities plan” means the
 2204  comprehensive planning document prepared annually by the
 2205  district school board and submitted to the Office of Educational
 2206  Facilities and the affected general-purpose local governments.
 2207         (2)PREPARATION OF TENTATIVE DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL
 2208  FACILITIES PLAN.—
 2209         (a) Annually, before prior to the adoption of the district
 2210  school budget, each district school board shall prepare a
 2211  tentative district educational facilities plan that includes
 2212  long-range planning for facilities needs over 5-year, 10-year,
 2213  and 20-year periods. The plan must be developed in coordination
 2214  with the general-purpose local governments and be consistent
 2215  with the local government comprehensive plans. The school
 2216  board’s plan for provision of new schools must meet the needs of
 2217  all growing communities in the district, ranging from small
 2218  rural communities to large urban cities. The plan must include:
 2219         1. Projected student populations apportioned geographically
 2220  at the local level. The projections must be based on information
 2221  produced by the demographic, revenue, and education estimating
 2222  conferences pursuant to s. 216.136, where available, as modified
 2223  by the district based on development data and agreement with the
 2224  local governments and the Office of Educational Facilities. The
 2225  projections must be apportioned geographically with assistance
 2226  from the local governments using local development trend data
 2227  and the school district student enrollment data.
 2228         2. An inventory of existing school facilities. Any
 2229  anticipated expansions or closures of existing school sites over
 2230  the 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year periods must be identified. The
 2231  inventory must include an assessment of areas proximate to
 2232  existing schools and identification of the need for improvements
 2233  to infrastructure, safety, including safe access routes, and
 2234  conditions in the community. The plan must also provide a
 2235  listing of major repairs and renovation projects anticipated
 2236  over the period of the plan.
 2237         3. Projections of facilities space needs, which may not
 2238  exceed the norm space and occupant design criteria established
 2239  in the State Requirements for Educational Facilities.
 2240         4. Information on leased, loaned, and donated space and
 2241  relocatables used for conducting the district’s instructional
 2242  programs.
 2243         5. The general location of public schools proposed to be
 2244  constructed over the 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year time periods,
 2245  including a listing of the proposed schools’ site acreage needs
 2246  and anticipated capacity and maps showing the general locations.
 2247  The school board’s identification of general locations of future
 2248  school sites must be based on the school siting requirements of
 2249  s. 163.3177(6)(a) and policies in the comprehensive plan which
 2250  provide guidance for appropriate locations for school sites.
 2251         6. The identification of options deemed reasonable and
 2252  approved by the school board which reduce the need for
 2253  additional permanent student stations. Such options may include,
 2254  but need not be limited to:
 2255         a. Acceptable capacity;
 2256         b. Redistricting;
 2257         c. Busing;
 2258         d. Year-round schools;
 2259         e. Charter schools;
 2260         f. Magnet schools; and
 2261         g. Public-private partnerships.
 2262         7. The criteria and method, jointly determined by the local
 2263  government and the school board, for determining the impact of
 2264  proposed development to public school capacity.
 2265         (b) The plan must also include a financially feasible
 2266  district facilities work program for a 5-year period. The work
 2267  program must include:
 2268         1. A schedule of major repair and renovation projects
 2269  necessary to maintain the educational facilities and ancillary
 2270  facilities of the district.
 2271         2. A schedule of capital outlay projects necessary to
 2272  ensure the availability of satisfactory student stations for the
 2273  projected student enrollment in K-12 programs. This schedule
 2274  shall consider:
 2275         a. The locations, capacities, and planned utilization rates
 2276  of current educational facilities of the district. The capacity
 2277  of existing satisfactory facilities, as reported in the Florida
 2278  Inventory of School Houses must be compared to the capital
 2279  outlay full-time-equivalent student enrollment as determined by
 2280  the department, including all enrollment used in the calculation
 2281  of the distribution formula in s. 1013.64.
 2282         b. The proposed locations of planned facilities, whether
 2283  those locations are consistent with the comprehensive plans of
 2284  all affected local governments, and recommendations for
 2285  infrastructure and other improvements to land adjacent to
 2286  existing facilities. The provisions of ss. 1013.33(6), (7), and
 2287  (8) and 1013.36 must be addressed for new facilities planned
 2288  within the first 3 years of the work plan, as appropriate.
 2289         c. Plans for the use and location of relocatable
 2290  facilities, leased facilities, and charter school facilities.
 2291         d. Plans for multitrack scheduling, grade level
 2292  organization, block scheduling, or other alternatives that
 2293  reduce the need for additional permanent student stations.
 2294         e. Information concerning average class size and
 2295  utilization rate by grade level within the district which will
 2296  result if the tentative district facilities work program is
 2297  fully implemented.
 2298         f. The number and percentage of district students planned
 2299  to be educated in relocatable facilities during each year of the
 2300  tentative district facilities work program. For determining
 2301  future needs, student capacity may not be assigned to any
 2302  relocatable classroom that is scheduled for elimination or
 2303  replacement with a permanent educational facility in the current
 2304  year of the adopted district educational facilities plan and in
 2305  the district facilities work program adopted under this section.
 2306  Those relocatable classrooms clearly identified and scheduled
 2307  for replacement in a school-board-adopted, financially feasible,
 2308  5-year district facilities work program shall be counted at zero
 2309  capacity at the time the work program is adopted and approved by
 2310  the school board. However, if the district facilities work
 2311  program is changed and the relocatable classrooms are not
 2312  replaced as scheduled in the work program, the classrooms must
 2313  be reentered into the system and be counted at actual capacity.
 2314  Relocatable classrooms may not be perpetually added to the work
 2315  program or continually extended for purposes of circumventing
 2316  this section. All relocatable classrooms not identified and
 2317  scheduled for replacement, including those owned, lease
 2318  purchased, or leased by the school district, must be counted at
 2319  actual student capacity. The district educational facilities
 2320  plan must identify the number of relocatable student stations
 2321  scheduled for replacement during the 5-year survey period and
 2322  the total dollar amount needed for that replacement.
 2323         g. Plans for the closure of any school, including plans for
 2324  disposition of the facility or usage of facility space, and
 2325  anticipated revenues.
 2326         h.Projects for which capital outlay and debt service funds
 2327  accruing under s. 9(d), Art. XII of the State Constitution are
 2328  to be used shall be identified separately in priority order on a
 2329  project priority list within the district facilities work
 2330  program.
 2331         3. The projected cost for each project identified in the
 2332  district facilities work program. For proposed projects for new
 2333  student stations, a schedule shall be prepared comparing the
 2334  planned cost and square footage for each new student station, by
 2335  elementary, middle, and high school levels, to the low, average,
 2336  and high cost of facilities constructed throughout the state
 2337  during the most recent fiscal year for which data is available
 2338  from the Department of Education.
 2339         4. A schedule of estimated capital outlay revenues from
 2340  each currently approved source which is estimated to be
 2341  available for expenditure on the projects included in the
 2342  district facilities work program.
 2343         5. A schedule indicating which projects included in the
 2344  district facilities work program will be funded from current
 2345  revenues projected in subparagraph 4.
 2346         6. A schedule of options for the generation of additional
 2347  revenues by the district for expenditure on projects identified
 2348  in the district facilities work program which are not funded
 2349  under subparagraph 5. Additional anticipated revenues may
 2350  include Classrooms First funds.
 2351         (c) To the extent available, the tentative district
 2352  educational facilities plan shall be based on information
 2353  produced by the demographic, revenue, and education estimating
 2354  conferences pursuant to s. 216.136.
 2355         (2)(d) Provision must shall be made for public comment
 2356  concerning the tentative district educational facilities plan.
 2357         (e) The district school board shall coordinate with each
 2358  affected local government to ensure consistency between the
 2359  tentative district educational facilities plan and the local
 2360  government comprehensive plans of the affected local governments
 2361  during the development of the tentative district educational
 2362  facilities plan.
 2363         (3)(f) Not less than once every 5 years, the district
 2364  school board shall have an audit conducted of the district’s
 2365  educational planning and construction activities. An operational
 2366  audit conducted by the Auditor General pursuant to s. 11.45
 2367  satisfies this requirement.
 2368         (4)(3)SUBMITTAL OF TENTATIVE DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL
 2369  FACILITIES PLAN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—The district school board
 2370  shall submit a copy of its tentative district educational
 2371  facilities plan to all affected local governments before prior
 2372  to adoption by the board. The affected local governments may
 2373  shall review the tentative district educational facilities plan
 2374  and comment to the district school board on the consistency of
 2375  the plan with the local comprehensive plan, whether a
 2376  comprehensive plan amendment will be necessary for any proposed
 2377  educational facility, and whether the local government supports
 2378  a necessary comprehensive plan amendment. If the local
 2379  government does not support a comprehensive plan amendment for a
 2380  proposed educational facility, the matter must shall be resolved
 2381  pursuant to the interlocal agreement when required by ss.
 2382  163.3177(6)(h), 163.31777, and 1013.33(2). The process for the
 2383  submittal and review must shall be detailed in the interlocal
 2384  agreement when required pursuant to ss. 163.3177(6)(h),
 2385  163.31777, and 1013.33(2).
 2386         (5)(4)ADOPTED DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN.
 2387  Annually, the district school board shall consider and adopt the
 2388  tentative district educational facilities plan completed
 2389  pursuant to subsection (2). Upon giving proper notice to the
 2390  public and local governments and opportunity for public comment,
 2391  the district school board may amend the plan to revise the
 2392  priority of projects, to add or delete projects, to reflect the
 2393  impact of change orders, or to reflect the approval of new
 2394  revenue sources which may become available. The adopted district
 2395  educational facilities plan must shall:
 2396         (a) Be a complete, balanced, and financially feasible
 2397  capital outlay financial plan for the district.
 2398         (b) Set forth the proposed commitments and planned
 2399  expenditures of the district to address the educational
 2400  facilities needs of its students and to adequately provide for
 2401  the maintenance of the educational plant and ancillary
 2402  facilities, including safe access ways from neighborhoods to
 2403  schools.
 2404         (6)(5)EXECUTION OF ADOPTED DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
 2405  PLAN.—The first year of the adopted district educational
 2406  facilities plan constitutes shall constitute the capital outlay
 2407  budget required in s. 1013.61. The adopted district educational
 2408  facilities plan shall include the information required in
 2409  subparagraphs (2)(b)1., 2., and 3., based upon projects actually
 2410  funded in the plan.
 2411         Section 40. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1013.41,
 2412  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 2413         1013.41 SMART schools; Classrooms First; legislative
 2414  purpose.—
 2415         (3) SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN.—It is the
 2416  purpose of the Legislature to create s. 1013.35, requiring each
 2417  school district annually to adopt an educational facilities plan
 2418  that provides an integrated long-range facilities plan,
 2419  including the survey of projected needs and the 5-year work
 2420  program. The purpose of the educational facilities plan is to
 2421  keep the district school board, local governments, and the
 2422  public fully informed as to whether the district is using sound
 2423  policies and practices that meet the essential needs of students
 2424  and that warrant public confidence in district operations. The
 2425  educational facilities plan will be monitored by the Office of
 2426  Educational Facilities, which will also apply performance
 2427  standards pursuant to s. 1013.04.
 2428         (4) OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.—It is the purpose of
 2429  the Legislature to require the Office of Educational Facilities
 2430  to assist school districts in building SMART schools utilizing
 2431  functional and frugal practices. The Office of Educational
 2432  Facilities shall must review district facilities work programs
 2433  and projects and identify opportunities to maximize design and
 2434  construction savings; develop school district facilities work
 2435  program performance standards; and provide for review and
 2436  recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and the State
 2437  Board of Education.
 2438         Section 41. Subsection (4) of section 1013.45, Florida
 2439  Statutes, is amended to read:
 2440         1013.45 Educational facilities contracting and construction
 2441  techniques for school districts and Florida College System
 2442  institutions.—
 2443         (4) Except as otherwise provided in this section and s.
 2444  481.229, the services of a registered architect must be used by
 2445  Florida College System institution and state university boards
 2446  of trustees for the development of plans for the erection,
 2447  enlargement, or alteration of any educational facility. The
 2448  services of a registered architect are not required for a minor
 2449  renovation project for which the construction cost is less than
 2450  $50,000 or for the placement or hookup of relocatable
 2451  educational facilities that conform to standards adopted under
 2452  s. 1013.37. However, boards must provide compliance with
 2453  building code requirements and ensure that these structures are
 2454  adequately anchored for wind resistance as required by law. A
 2455  district school board shall reuse existing construction
 2456  documents or design criteria packages if such reuse is feasible
 2457  and practical. If a school district’s 5-year educational
 2458  facilities work plan includes the construction of two or more
 2459  new schools for students in the same grade group and program,
 2460  such as elementary, middle, or high school, the district school
 2461  board must require that prototype design and construction be
 2462  used for the construction of these schools. Notwithstanding s.
 2463  287.055, a board may purchase the architectural services for the
 2464  design of educational or ancillary facilities under an existing
 2465  contract agreement for professional services held by a district
 2466  school board in the State of Florida, provided that the purchase
 2467  is to the economic advantage of the purchasing board, the
 2468  services conform to the standards prescribed by rules of the
 2469  State Board of Education, and such reuse is not without notice
 2470  to, and permission from, the architect of record whose plans or
 2471  design criteria are being reused. Plans must be reviewed for
 2472  compliance with the State Requirements for Educational
 2473  Facilities. Rules adopted under this section must establish
 2474  uniform prequalification, selection, bidding, and negotiation
 2475  procedures applicable to construction management contracts and
 2476  the design-build process. This section does not supersede any
 2477  small, woman-owned, or minority-owned business enterprise
 2478  preference program adopted by a board. Except as otherwise
 2479  provided in this section, the negotiation procedures applicable
 2480  to construction management contracts and the design-build
 2481  process must conform to the requirements of s. 287.055. A board
 2482  may not modify any rules regarding construction management
 2483  contracts or the design-build process.
 2484         Section 42. Section 1013.451, Florida Statutes, is
 2485  repealed.
 2486         Section 43. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
 2487  1013.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2488         1013.62 Charter schools capital outlay funding.—
 2489         (3) If the school board levies the discretionary millage
 2490  authorized in s. 1011.71(2), the department shall use the
 2491  following calculation methodology to determine the amount of
 2492  revenue that a school district must distribute to each eligible
 2493  charter school:
 2494         (a) Reduce the total discretionary millage revenue by the
 2495  school district’s annual debt service obligation incurred as of
 2496  March 1, 2017, which has not been subsequently retired, and any
 2497  amount of participation requirement pursuant to s.
 2498  1013.64(2)(a)7. s. 1013.64(2)(a)8. that is being satisfied by
 2499  revenues raised by the discretionary millage.
 2500  
 2501  By October 1 of each year, each school district shall certify to
 2502  the department the amount of debt service and participation
 2503  requirement that complies with the requirement of paragraph (a)
 2504  and can be reduced from the total discretionary millage revenue.
 2505  The Auditor General shall verify compliance with the
 2506  requirements of paragraph (a) and s. 1011.71(2)(e) during
 2507  scheduled operational audits of school districts.
 2508         Section 44. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1), paragraph (a)
 2509  of subsection (2), paragraph (d) of subsection (3), paragraph
 2510  (b) of subsection (5), and paragraphs (b) through (e) of
 2511  subsection (6) of section 1013.64, Florida Statutes, are amended
 2512  to read:
 2513         1013.64 Funds for comprehensive educational plant needs;
 2514  construction cost maximums for school district capital
 2515  projects.—Allocations from the Public Education Capital Outlay
 2516  and Debt Service Trust Fund to the various boards for capital
 2517  outlay projects shall be determined as follows:
 2518         (1)
 2519         (e) Remodeling projects must shall be based on the
 2520  recommendations of a survey pursuant to s. 1013.31, or, for
 2521  district school boards, as indicated by the relative need as
 2522  determined by the Florida Inventory of School Houses and the
 2523  capital outlay full-time equivalent enrollment in the district.
 2524         (2)(a) The department shall establish, as a part of the
 2525  Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund, a
 2526  separate account, in an amount determined by the Legislature, to
 2527  be known as the “Special Facility Construction Account.” The
 2528  Special Facility Construction Account shall be used to provide
 2529  necessary construction funds to school districts which have
 2530  urgent construction needs but which lack sufficient resources at
 2531  present, and cannot reasonably anticipate sufficient resources
 2532  within the period of the next 3 years, for these purposes from
 2533  currently authorized sources of capital outlay revenue. A school
 2534  district requesting funding from the Special Facility
 2535  Construction Account shall submit one specific construction
 2536  project, not to exceed one complete educational plant, to the
 2537  Special Facility Construction Committee. A district may not
 2538  receive funding for more than one approved project in any 3-year
 2539  period or while any portion of the district’s participation
 2540  requirement is outstanding. The first year of the 3-year period
 2541  shall be the first year a district receives an appropriation.
 2542  The department shall encourage a construction program that
 2543  reduces the average size of schools in the district. The request
 2544  must meet the following criteria to be considered by the
 2545  committee:
 2546         1. The project must be deemed a critical need and must be
 2547  recommended for funding by the Special Facility Construction
 2548  Committee. Before developing construction plans for the proposed
 2549  facility, the district school board must request a
 2550  preapplication review by the Special Facility Construction
 2551  Committee or a project review subcommittee convened by the chair
 2552  of the committee to include two representatives of the
 2553  department and two staff members from school districts not
 2554  eligible to participate in the program. A school district may
 2555  request a preapplication review at any time; however, if the
 2556  district school board seeks inclusion in the department’s next
 2557  annual capital outlay legislative budget request, the
 2558  preapplication review request must be made before February 1.
 2559  Within 90 days after receiving the preapplication review
 2560  request, the committee or subcommittee must meet in the school
 2561  district to review the project proposal and existing facilities.
 2562  To determine whether the proposed project is a critical need,
 2563  the committee or subcommittee shall consider, at a minimum, the
 2564  capacity of all existing facilities within the district as
 2565  determined by the Florida Inventory of School Houses; the
 2566  district’s pattern of student growth; the district’s existing
 2567  and projected capital outlay full-time equivalent student
 2568  enrollment as determined by the demographic, revenue, and
 2569  education estimating conferences established in s. 216.136; the
 2570  district’s existing satisfactory student stations; the use of
 2571  all existing district property and facilities; grade level
 2572  configurations; and any other information that may affect the
 2573  need for the proposed project.
 2574         2.  The construction project must be recommended in the
 2575  most recent survey or survey amendment cooperatively prepared by
 2576  the district school board and the department, and approved by
 2577  the department under the rules of the State Board of Education.
 2578  If a district school board employs a consultant in the
 2579  preparation of a survey or survey amendment, the consultant may
 2580  not be employed by or receive compensation from a third party
 2581  that designs or constructs a project recommended by the survey.
 2582         3. The construction project must appear on the district’s
 2583  approved project priority list under the rules of the State
 2584  Board of Education.
 2585         4. The district must have selected and had approved a site
 2586  for the construction project in compliance with s. 1013.36 and
 2587  the rules of the State Board of Education.
 2588         5. The district shall have developed a district school
 2589  board adopted list of facilities that do not exceed the norm for
 2590  net square feet occupancy requirements under the State
 2591  Requirements for Educational Facilities, using all possible
 2592  programmatic combinations for multiple use of space to obtain
 2593  maximum daily use of all spaces within the facility under
 2594  consideration.
 2595         6. Upon construction, the total cost per student station,
 2596  including change orders, must not exceed the cost per student
 2597  station as provided in subsection (6) unless approved by the
 2598  Special Facility Construction Committee. At the discretion of
 2599  the committee, costs that exceed the cost per student station
 2600  for special facilities may include legal and administrative
 2601  fees, the cost of site improvements or related offsite
 2602  improvements, the cost of complying with public shelter and
 2603  hurricane hardening requirements, cost overruns created by a
 2604  disaster as defined in s. 252.34(2), costs of security
 2605  enhancements approved by the school safety specialist, and
 2606  unforeseeable circumstances beyond the district’s control.
 2607         7. There shall be an agreement signed by the district
 2608  school board stating that it will advertise for bids within 30
 2609  days of receipt of its encumbrance authorization from the
 2610  department.
 2611         7.8. For construction projects for which Special Facilities
 2612  Construction Account funding is sought before the 2019-2020
 2613  fiscal year, the district shall, at the time of the request and
 2614  for a continuing period necessary to meet the district’s
 2615  participation requirement, levy the maximum millage against its
 2616  nonexempt assessed property value as allowed in s. 1011.71(2) or
 2617  shall raise an equivalent amount of revenue from the school
 2618  capital outlay surtax authorized under s. 212.055(6). Beginning
 2619  with construction projects for which Special Facilities
 2620  Construction Account funding is sought in the 2019-2020 fiscal
 2621  year, the district shall, for a minimum of 3 years before
 2622  submitting the request and for a continuing period necessary to
 2623  meet its participation requirement, levy the maximum millage
 2624  against the district’s nonexempt assessed property value as
 2625  authorized under s. 1011.71(2) or shall raise an equivalent
 2626  amount of revenue from the school capital outlay surtax
 2627  authorized under s. 212.055(6). Any district with a new or
 2628  active project, funded under the provisions of this subsection,
 2629  shall be required to budget no more than the value of 1 mill per
 2630  year to the project until the district’s participation
 2631  requirement relating to the local discretionary capital
 2632  improvement millage or the equivalent amount of revenue from the
 2633  school capital outlay surtax is satisfied.
 2634         8.9. If a contract has not been signed 90 days after the
 2635  advertising of bids, the funding for the specific project shall
 2636  revert to the Special Facility New Construction Account to be
 2637  reallocated to other projects on the list. However, an
 2638  additional 90 days may be granted by the commissioner.
 2639         9.10. The department shall certify the inability of the
 2640  district to fund the survey-recommended project over a
 2641  continuous 3-year period using projected capital outlay revenue
 2642  derived from s. 9(d), Art. XII of the State Constitution, as
 2643  amended, paragraph (3)(a) of this section, and s. 1011.71(2).
 2644         10.11. The district shall have on file with the department
 2645  an adopted resolution acknowledging its commitment to satisfy
 2646  its participation requirement, which is equivalent to all
 2647  unencumbered and future revenue acquired from s. 9(d), Art. XII
 2648  of the State Constitution, as amended, paragraph (3)(a) of this
 2649  section, and s. 1011.71(2), in the year of the initial
 2650  appropriation and for the 2 years immediately following the
 2651  initial appropriation.
 2652         11.12. Phase I plans must be approved by the district
 2653  school board as being in compliance with the building and life
 2654  safety codes before June 1 of the year the application is made.
 2655         (3)
 2656         (d) Funds accruing to a district school board from the
 2657  provisions of this section shall be expended on needed projects
 2658  as shown by survey or surveys under the rules of the State Board
 2659  of Education.
 2660         (5) District school boards shall identify each fund source
 2661  and the use of each proportionate to the project cost, as
 2662  identified in the bid document, to assure compliance with this
 2663  section. The data shall be submitted to the department, which
 2664  shall track this information as submitted by the boards. PECO
 2665  funds shall not be expended as indicated in the following:
 2666         (b) PECO funds shall not be used for the construction of
 2667  football fields, bleachers, site lighting for athletic
 2668  facilities, tennis courts, stadiums, racquetball courts, or any
 2669  other competition-type facilities not required for physical
 2670  education curriculum. Regional or intradistrict football
 2671  stadiums may be constructed with these funds provided a minimum
 2672  of two high schools and two middle schools are assigned to the
 2673  facility and the stadiums are survey recommended. Sophisticated
 2674  auditoria shall be limited to magnet performing arts schools,
 2675  with all other schools using basic lighting and sound systems as
 2676  determined by rule. Local funds shall be used for enhancement of
 2677  athletic and performing arts facilities.
 2678         (6)
 2679         (b)1. A district school board may not use funds from the
 2680  following sources: Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt
 2681  Service Trust Fund; School District and Community College
 2682  District Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund; Classrooms
 2683  First Program funds provided in s. 1013.68; nonvoted 1.5-mill
 2684  levy of ad valorem property taxes provided in s. 1011.71(2);
 2685  Classrooms for Kids Program funds provided in s. 1013.735;
 2686  District Effort Recognition Program funds provided in s.
 2687  1013.736; or High Growth District Capital Outlay Assistance
 2688  Grant Program funds provided in s. 1013.738 to pay for any
 2689  portion of the cost of any new construction of educational plant
 2690  space with a total cost per student station, including change
 2691  orders, which exceeds:
 2692         a. $17,952 for an elementary school;
 2693         b. $19,386 for a middle school; or
 2694         c. $25,181 for a high school,
 2695  
 2696  (January 2006) as adjusted annually to reflect increases or
 2697  decreases in the Consumer Price Index. The department, in
 2698  conjunction with the Office of Economic and Demographic
 2699  Research, shall estimate review and adjust the cost per student
 2700  station limits to reflect actual construction costs by January
 2701  1, 2020, and annually thereafter. The adjusted cost per student
 2702  station shall be used by the department for computation of the
 2703  statewide average costs per student station for each
 2704  instructional level pursuant to paragraph (d). The department
 2705  may shall also collaborate with the Office of Economic and
 2706  Demographic Research to select an industry-recognized
 2707  construction index to reflect annual changes in the cost per
 2708  student station replace the Consumer Price Index by January 1,
 2709  2020, adjusted annually to reflect changes in the construction
 2710  index.
 2711         2. District school boards School districts shall maintain
 2712  accurate documentation related to the costs of all new
 2713  construction of educational plant space reported to the
 2714  Department of Education pursuant to paragraph (c) (d). The
 2715  Auditor General shall review the documentation maintained by the
 2716  school districts and verify compliance with the limits under
 2717  this paragraph during its scheduled operational audits of the
 2718  school district.
 2719         3. Except for educational facilities and sites subject to a
 2720  lease-purchase agreement entered pursuant to s. 1011.71(2)(e) or
 2721  funded solely through local impact fees, in addition to the
 2722  funding sources listed in subparagraph 1., a district school
 2723  board may not use funds from any sources for new construction of
 2724  educational plant space with a total cost per student station,
 2725  including change orders, which equals more than the current
 2726  adjusted amounts provided in sub-subparagraphs 1.a.-c. However,
 2727  if a contract has been executed for architectural and design
 2728  services or for construction management services before July 1,
 2729  2017, a district school board may use funds from any source for
 2730  the new construction of educational plant space and such funds
 2731  are exempt from the total cost per student station requirements.
 2732         4. A district school board must not use funds from the
 2733  Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund or
 2734  the School District and Community College District Capital
 2735  Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund for any new construction of
 2736  an ancillary plant that exceeds 70 percent of the average cost
 2737  per square foot of new construction for all schools.
 2738         (c) Except as otherwise provided, new construction for
 2739  which a contract has been executed for architectural and design
 2740  services or for construction management services by a district
 2741  school board on or after July 1, 2017, may not exceed the cost
 2742  per student station as provided in paragraph (b).
 2743         (d) The department shall:
 2744         1. Compute for each calendar year the statewide average
 2745  construction costs for facilities serving each instructional
 2746  level, for relocatable educational facilities, for
 2747  administrative facilities, and for other ancillary and auxiliary
 2748  facilities. The department shall compute the statewide average
 2749  costs per student station for each instructional level.
 2750         2. Annually review the actual completed construction costs
 2751  of educational facilities in each school district. For any
 2752  school district in which the total actual cost per student
 2753  station, including change orders, exceeds the statewide limits
 2754  established in paragraph (b), the school district shall report
 2755  to the department the actual cost per student station and the
 2756  reason for the school district’s inability to adhere to the
 2757  limits established in paragraph (b). The department shall
 2758  collect all such reports and shall provide these reports to the
 2759  Auditor General for verification purposes.
 2760  
 2761  Cost per student station includes contract costs, fees of
 2762  architects and engineers, and the cost of furniture and
 2763  equipment. Cost per student station does not include the cost of
 2764  purchasing or leasing the site for the construction, legal and
 2765  administrative costs, or the cost of related site or offsite
 2766  improvements. Cost per student station also does not include the
 2767  cost for securing entries, checkpoint construction, lighting
 2768  specifically designed for entry point security, security
 2769  cameras, automatic locks and locking devices, electronic
 2770  security systems, fencing designed to prevent intruder entry
 2771  into a building, bullet-proof glass, or other capital
 2772  construction items approved by the school safety specialist to
 2773  ensure building security for new educational, auxiliary, or
 2774  ancillary facilities.
 2775         (e) Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection, an
 2776  unfinished construction project for new construction of
 2777  educational plant space that was started on or before July 1,
 2778  2028, is exempt from the total cost per student station
 2779  requirements established in paragraph (b).
 2780         Section 45. Paragraph (e) of subsection (6) of section
 2781  163.3180, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2782         163.3180 Concurrency.—
 2783         (6)
 2784         (e) A school district that includes relocatable facilities
 2785  in its inventory of student stations shall include the capacity
 2786  of such relocatable facilities as provided in s.
 2787  1013.35(2)(b)2.f., provided the relocatable facilities were
 2788  purchased after 1998 and the relocatable facilities meet the
 2789  standards for long-term use pursuant to s. 1013.20.
 2790         Section 46. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
 2791  1002.68, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2792         1002.68 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
 2793  accountability.—
 2794         (5)(a) If a public school’s or private prekindergarten
 2795  provider’s program assessment composite score for its
 2796  prekindergarten classrooms fails to meet the minimum program
 2797  assessment composite score for contracting adopted in rule by
 2798  the department, the private prekindergarten provider or public
 2799  school may not participate in the Voluntary Prekindergarten
 2800  Education Program beginning in the consecutive program year and
 2801  thereafter until the public school or private prekindergarten
 2802  provider meets the minimum composite score for contracting. A
 2803  public school or private prekindergarten provider may request
 2804  one program assessment per program year in order to requalify
 2805  for participation in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
 2806  Program, provided that the public school or private
 2807  prekindergarten provider is not excluded from participation
 2808  under ss. 1002.55(6), 1002.61(10)(b), 1002.63(9) 1002.63(9)(b),
 2809  or paragraph (5)(b) of this section. If a public school or
 2810  private prekindergarten provider would like an additional
 2811  program assessment completed within the same program year, the
 2812  public school or private prekindergarten provider shall be
 2813  responsible for the cost of the program assessment.
 2814         Section 47. Paragraphs (c) and (e) of subsection (2) of
 2815  section 1003.631, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 2816         1003.631 Schools of Excellence.—The Schools of Excellence
 2817  Program is established to provide administrative flexibility to
 2818  the state’s top schools so that the instructional personnel and
 2819  administrative staff at such schools can continue to serve their
 2820  communities and increase student learning to the best of their
 2821  professional ability.
 2822         (2) ADMINISTRATIVE FLEXIBILITIES.—A School of Excellence
 2823  must be provided the following administrative flexibilities:
 2824         (c) For instructional personnel, the substitution of 1
 2825  school year of employment at a School of Excellence for 20
 2826  inservice points toward the renewal of a professional
 2827  certificate, up to 60 inservice points in a 5-year cycle,
 2828  pursuant to s. 1012.585(3).
 2829         (e) Calculation for compliance with maximum class size
 2830  pursuant to s. 1003.03(4) based on the average number of
 2831  students at the school level.
 2832         Section 48. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) and paragraph
 2833  (b) of subsection (5) of section 1004.04, Florida Statutes, are
 2834  amended to read:
 2835         1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for
 2836  teacher preparation programs.—
 2837         (2) UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA AND CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT.—
 2838         (c) Each candidate must receive instruction and be assessed
 2839  on the uniform core curricula in the candidate’s area or areas
 2840  of program concentration during course work and field
 2841  experiences. Beginning with candidates entering a teacher
 2842  preparation program in the 2022-2023 school year, a candidate
 2843  for certification in a coverage area identified pursuant to s.
 2844  1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all
 2845  competencies for a reading endorsement, including completion of
 2846  the endorsement practicum through the candidate’s field
 2847  experience under subsection (5), in order to graduate from the
 2848  program.
 2849         (5) PRESERVICE FIELD EXPERIENCE.—All postsecondary
 2850  instructors, school district personnel and instructional
 2851  personnel, and school sites preparing instructional personnel
 2852  through preservice field experience courses and internships
 2853  shall meet special requirements. District school boards may pay
 2854  student teachers during their internships.
 2855         (b)1. All school district personnel and instructional
 2856  personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students
 2857  during field experience courses or internships taking place in
 2858  this state in which candidates demonstrate an impact on student
 2859  learning growth must have:
 2860         a. Evidence of “clinical educator” training;
 2861         b. A valid professional certificate issued pursuant to s.
 2862  1012.56;
 2863         c. At least 3 years of teaching experience in
 2864  prekindergarten through grade 12;
 2865         d. Earned an effective or highly effective rating on the
 2866  prior year’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34 or be a
 2867  peer evaluator under the district’s evaluation system approved
 2868  under s. 1012.34; and
 2869         e. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, for all such
 2870  personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students
 2871  during internships in kindergarten through grade 3 or who are
 2872  enrolled in a teacher preparation program for a certificate area
 2873  identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f), a
 2874  certificate or endorsement in reading.
 2875  
 2876  The State Board of Education shall approve the training
 2877  requirements.
 2878         2. All instructional personnel who supervise or direct
 2879  teacher preparation students during field experience courses or
 2880  internships in another state, in which a candidate demonstrates
 2881  his or her impact on student learning growth, through a Florida
 2882  online or distance program must have received “clinical
 2883  educator” training or its equivalent in that state, hold a valid
 2884  professional certificate issued by the state in which the field
 2885  experience takes place, and have at least 3 years of teaching
 2886  experience in prekindergarten through grade 12.
 2887         3. All instructional personnel who supervise or direct
 2888  teacher preparation students during field experience courses or
 2889  internships, in which a candidate demonstrates his or her impact
 2890  on student learning growth, on a United States military base in
 2891  another country through a Florida online or distance program
 2892  must have received “clinical educator” training or its
 2893  equivalent, hold a valid professional certificate issued by the
 2894  United States Department of Defense or a state or territory of
 2895  the United States, and have at least 3 years teaching experience
 2896  in prekindergarten through grade 12.
 2897         Section 49. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
 2898  1004.85, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2899         1004.85 Postsecondary educator preparation institutes.—
 2900         (3) Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to
 2901  this section may offer competency-based certification programs
 2902  specifically designed for noneducation major baccalaureate
 2903  degree holders to enable program participants to meet the
 2904  educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator
 2905  preparation institute choosing to offer a competency-based
 2906  certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section
 2907  must implement a program developed by the institute and approved
 2908  by the department for this purpose. Approved programs shall be
 2909  available for use by other approved educator preparation
 2910  institutes.
 2911         (b) Each program participant must:
 2912         1. Meet certification requirements pursuant to s.
 2913  1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in
 2914  the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet
 2915  the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f) before participating in
 2916  field experiences.
 2917         2. Demonstrate competency and participate in field
 2918  experiences that are appropriate to his or her educational plan
 2919  prepared under paragraph (a). Beginning with candidates entering
 2920  an educator preparation institute in the 2022-2023 school year,
 2921  a candidate for certification in a coverage area identified
 2922  pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f) must
 2923  successfully complete all competencies for a reading
 2924  endorsement, including completion of the endorsement practicum
 2925  through the candidate’s field experience, in order to graduate
 2926  from the program.
 2927         3. Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his
 2928  or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is
 2929  seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on
 2930  student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12
 2931  setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving
 2932  a passing score on the professional education competency
 2933  examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area
 2934  examination for the subject area certification which is required
 2935  by state board rule.
 2936         Section 50. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
 2937  1012.586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2938         1012.586 Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate
 2939  certificates; reading endorsement pathways.—
 2940         (2)
 2941         (b) As part of adopting a pathway pursuant to paragraph
 2942  (a), the department shall review the competencies for the
 2943  reading endorsement and subject area examinations for educator
 2944  certificates identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(g) s.
 2945  1012.585(3)(f) for alignment with evidence-based instructional
 2946  and intervention strategies rooted in the science of reading and
 2947  identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7) and recommend changes to
 2948  the State Board of Education. Recommended changes must address
 2949  identification of the characteristics of conditions such as
 2950  dyslexia, implementation of evidence-based classroom instruction
 2951  and interventions, including evidence-based reading instruction
 2952  and interventions specifically for students with characteristics
 2953  of dyslexia, and effective progress monitoring. By July 1, 2023,
 2954  each school district reading endorsement add-on program must be
 2955  resubmitted for approval by the department consistent with this
 2956  paragraph.
 2957         Section 51. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section
 2958  1012.98, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 2959         1012.98 School Community Professional Learning Act.—
 2960         (5) The Department of Education, school districts, schools,
 2961  Florida College System institutions, and state universities
 2962  share the responsibilities described in this section. These
 2963  responsibilities include the following:
 2964         (b) Each school district shall develop a professional
 2965  learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall
 2966  be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher-educators of
 2967  Florida College System institutions and state universities,
 2968  business and community representatives, and local education
 2969  foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The
 2970  professional learning system must:
 2971         1. Be reviewed and approved by the department for
 2972  compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March
 2973  1, 2024, the department shall establish a calendar for the
 2974  review and approval of all professional learning systems. A
 2975  professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every
 2976  5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must be
 2977  submitted to the department for review and approval. The
 2978  department shall establish a format for the review and approval
 2979  of a professional learning system.
 2980         2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and
 2981  instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous,
 2982  relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools
 2983  and districts, in developing and refining the professional
 2984  learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline
 2985  data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental
 2986  satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers, managers,
 2987  and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators
 2988  to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved
 2989  professional performance.
 2990         3. Provide inservice activities coupled with follow-up
 2991  followup support appropriate to accomplish district-level and
 2992  school-level improvement goals and standards. The inservice
 2993  activities for instructional and school administrative personnel
 2994  shall focus on analysis of student achievement data; ongoing
 2995  formal and informal assessments of student achievement;
 2996  identification and use of enhanced and differentiated
 2997  instructional strategies that emphasize rigor, relevance, and
 2998  reading in the content areas; enhancement of subject content
 2999  expertise; integrated use of classroom technology that enhances
 3000  teaching and learning; classroom management; parent involvement;
 3001  and school safety.
 3002         4. Provide inservice activities and support targeted to the
 3003  individual needs of new teachers participating in the
 3004  professional learning certification and education competency
 3005  program under s. 1012.56(8)(a).
 3006         5. Include a professional learning catalog for inservice
 3007  activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education,
 3008  for all district employees from all fund sources. The catalog
 3009  must be updated annually by September 1, must be based on input
 3010  from teachers and district and school instructional leaders, and
 3011  must use the latest available student achievement data and
 3012  research to enhance rigor and relevance in the classroom. Each
 3013  district inservice catalog must be aligned to and support the
 3014  school-based inservice catalog and school improvement plans
 3015  pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). Each district inservice catalog must
 3016  provide a description of the training that middle grades
 3017  instructional personnel and school administrators receive on the
 3018  district’s code of student conduct adopted pursuant to s.
 3019  1006.07; integrated digital instruction and competency-based
 3020  instruction and CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry
 3021  certifications; classroom management; student behavior and
 3022  interaction; extended learning opportunities for students; and
 3023  instructional leadership. District plans must be approved by the
 3024  district school board annually in order to ensure compliance
 3025  with subsection (1) and to allow for dissemination of research
 3026  based best practices to other districts. District school boards
 3027  shall submit verification of their approval to the Commissioner
 3028  of Education no later than October 1, annually. Each school
 3029  principal may establish and maintain an individual professional
 3030  learning plan for each instructional employee assigned to the
 3031  school as a seamless component to the school improvement plans
 3032  developed pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional
 3033  learning plan must be related to specific performance data for
 3034  the students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the
 3035  inservice objectives and specific measurable improvements
 3036  expected in student performance as a result of the inservice
 3037  activity, and include an evaluation component that determines
 3038  the effectiveness of the professional learning plan.
 3039         6. Include inservice activities for school administrative
 3040  personnel, aligned to the state’s educational leadership
 3041  standards, which address updated skills necessary for
 3042  instructional leadership and effective school management
 3043  pursuant to s. 1012.986.
 3044         7. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and
 3045  state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and
 3046  evaluation of local professional learning programs.
 3047         8. Provide for delivery of professional learning by
 3048  distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to
 3049  reach more educators at lower costs.
 3050         9. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and
 3051  effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to
 3052  eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand
 3053  effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such
 3054  activities on the performance of participating educators and
 3055  their students’ achievement and behavior.
 3056         10. For all grades, emphasize:
 3057         a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and
 3058  instruction.
 3059         b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to
 3060  the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41.
 3061         c. Use of small learning communities; problem-solving,
 3062  inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students;
 3063  strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based
 3064  instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based
 3065  instruction.
 3066  
 3067  Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall include
 3068  in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a
 3069  description of the specific strategies used by the school to
 3070  implement each item listed in this subparagraph.
 3071         11. Provide training to reading coaches, classroom
 3072  teachers, and school administrators in effective methods of
 3073  identifying characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia and
 3074  other causes of diminished phonological processing skills;
 3075  incorporating instructional techniques into the general
 3076  education setting which are proven to improve reading
 3077  performance for all students; and using predictive and other
 3078  data to make instructional decisions based on individual student
 3079  needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic
 3080  awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency;
 3081  vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text
 3082  comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and
 3083  sequential approach to reading instruction, including
 3084  multisensory intervention strategies. Such training for teaching
 3085  foundational skills must be based on the science of reading and
 3086  include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the
 3087  primary instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional
 3088  strategies included in the training may not employ the three
 3089  cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for
 3090  teaching word reading. Such instructional strategies may include
 3091  visual information and strategies which improve background and
 3092  experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language
 3093  and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to
 3094  teach word reading. Each district must provide all elementary
 3095  grades instructional personnel access to training sufficient to
 3096  meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(g) s. 1012.585(3)(f).
 3097         Section 52. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
 3098  act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
 3099  becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 2025.