The Florida Senate

231.24  Process for renewal of professional certificates.--

(1)(a)  School districts in this state shall renew state-issued professional certificates as follows:

1.  Each school district shall renew state-issued professional certificates for individuals who hold a professional certificate by this state and are employed by that district pursuant to criteria established in subsections (2), (3), and (4) and requirements specified in rules of the State Board of Education.

2.  The employing school district may charge the individual an application fee not to exceed the amount charged by the Department of Education for such services, including associated late renewal fees. Each school board shall transmit monthly to the department $20 for each renewed certificate to cover the costs for maintenance and operation of the statewide certification database and for costs incurred in printing and mailing such renewed certificates. As defined in current rules of the State Board of Education, the department shall contribute a portion of such fee for purposes of funding the Educator Recovery Network established in s. 231.263. The department shall deposit all funds into the Educational Certification Trust Fund for use as specified in s. 231.30.

(b)  The department shall renew state-issued professional certificates for individuals who are not employed by a school board of this state pursuant to criteria established in subsections (2), (3), and (4) and requirements specified in rules of the State Board of Education.

(2)  All professional certificates, except a nonrenewable professional certificate, shall be renewable for successive periods not to exceed 5 years after the date of submission of documentation of completion of the requirements for renewal provided in subsection (3). Only one renewal may be granted during each 5-year validity period of a professional certificate, except that a teacher with national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is deemed to meet state renewal requirements for the life of the teacher's national certificate. However, if the renewal application form is not received by the department or by the employing school district before the expiration of the professional certificate, the application form, application fee, and a late fee must be submitted before July 1 of the year following expiration of the certificate in order to renew the professional certificate. The state board shall adopt rules to allow a 1-year extension of the validity period of a professional certificate in the event of serious illness, injury, or other extraordinary extenuating circumstances of the applicant. The department shall grant such 1-year extension upon written request by the applicant or by the superintendent of the local school district or the governing authority of a developmental research school, state-supported school, or nonpublic school that employs the applicant.

(3)  For the renewal of a professional certificate, the following requirements must be met:

(a)  The applicant must earn a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice points or a combination thereof. For each area of specialization to be retained on a certificate, the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required credit hours or equivalent inservice points in the specialization area. Education in "clinical educator" training pursuant to s. 240.529(5)(b) and credits or points that provide training in the area of exceptional student education, normal child development, and the disorders of development may be applied toward any specialization area. Credits or points that provide training in the areas of drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, strategies in teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to ss. 229.591(3) and 229.592 may be applied toward any specialization area. Credits or points earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points may also be earned by participation in professional growth components approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant to s. 236.0811 in the district's approved master plan for inservice educational training, including, but not limited to, serving as a trainer in an approved teacher training activity, serving on an instructional materials committee or a state board or commission that deals with educational issues, or serving on an advisory council created pursuant to s. 229.58.

(b)  In lieu of college course credit or inservice points, the applicant may renew a specialization area by passage of a state board approved subject area test, by completion of the national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in that specialization area, or by completion of a department approved summer work program in a business or industry directly related to an area of specialization listed on the certificate. The state board shall adopt rules providing for the approval procedure.

(c)  If an applicant wishes to retain more than two specialization areas on the certificate, the applicant shall be permitted two successive validity periods for renewal of all specialization areas, but must earn no fewer than 6 college course credit hours or the equivalent in any one validity period.

(d)  The state board shall approve rules for the expanded use of training for renewal of the professional certificate for educators who are required to complete training in teaching students of limited English proficiency as follows:

1.  A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use college credits or inservice points completed in English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages training in excess of 6 semester hours during one certificate-validity period toward renewal of the professional certificate during the subsequent validity periods.

2.  A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use college credits or inservice points completed in English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages training toward renewal of the teacher's first professional certificate. Such training must not have been included within the degree program, and the teacher's temporary and professional certificates must be issued for consecutive school years.

(4)  When any person who holds a valid temporary certificate or professional certificate is called into or volunteers for actual wartime service or required peacetime military service training, the certificate shall be renewed for a period of time equal to the time spent in military service if the person makes proper application and presents substantiating evidence to the department or the employing school district regarding such military service.

(5)  The state board shall adopt rules to allow the reinstatement of expired professional certificates. The department may reinstate an expired professional certificate within 3 years after the date of expiration if the certificateholder:

(a)  Submits an application for reinstatement of the expired certificate.

(b)  Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(a).

(c)  During the 5 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the certificate, achieves a passing score on the subject area test for each subject to be shown on the reinstated certificate.

The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by subject area tests or college credits completed for issuance of the certificate that has expired.

History.--s. 524, ch. 19355, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892(128); s. 1, ch. 20909, 1941; s. 4, ch. 26894, 1951; s. 7, ch. 59-371; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 4, ch. 78-423; s. 11, ch. 80-190; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 30, ch. 82-242; s. 3, ch. 83-265; s. 3, ch. 84-272; ss. 4, 5, 15, ch. 86-156; s. 1, ch. 90-285; s. 16, ch. 90-288; s. 2, ch. 91-182; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 1, ch. 92-106; s. 145, ch. 94-209; s. 33, ch. 94-232; s. 1535, ch. 95-147; s. 6, ch. 95-236; s. 2, ch. 97-4; s. 2, ch. 98-163; s. 4, ch. 98-309; s. 32, ch. 99-398.