6A-5.081. Approval of School Leadership Programs

This rule sets forth the requirements and implementation of the approval process for each type of school leadership program offered by a Florida postsecondary institution or public school district, charter school, or charter management organization.

(1) Definitions. For the purposes of this rule, the following definitions apply.

(a) “Academic year” means the period of time during which program candidates attend or complete a state-approved school leader preparation program. This includes summer term, fall term and spring term.

(b) “Competencies and Skills Required for Certification in Educational Leadership in Florida” mean those practices described in Rule 6A-4.00821, F.A.C., which is incorporated herein by reference (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16031). A copy of Rule 6A-4.00821, F.A.C., may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 124, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

(c) “Competency-based” means that participants in school leader preparation programs must demonstrate the skill sets and knowledge bases outlined in the Florida Educational Leadership Standards.

(d) “Continued approval” means that subsequent to an initial approval, a school leadership program has been granted the authority to operate for a five-year period. The basis for continued approval is outlined in the documents entitled Florida Department of Education Continued Program Approval Standards for Level I Educational Leadership Programs, Form EL CAS-2023; and Florida Department of Education Continued Program Approval Standards for Level II School Principal Programs, Form SP CAS-2023.

(e) “eIPEP” or “electronic Institutional Program Evaluation Plan” means a Department-maintained web-based tool that serves as a data repository, data collection and reporting tool for both program performance data as well as a repository of continued approval goals and strategies for state-approved school leadership programs.

(f) “Field experiences” mean activities conducted in a variety of prekindergarten through grade 12 settings that are designed to give the program candidate the ability to practice and demonstrate competence in the expectations of effective school administrators outlined in the Florida Educational Leadership Standards.

(g) “Florida Educational Leadership Standards” mean those practices described in subsection 6A-5.080(2), F.A.C., which is incorporated herein by reference (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16032). A copy of Rule 6A-5.080, F.A.C., may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 124, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

(h) “Initial approval” means that a new school leadership program has been granted the authority to operate for a five-year period. The basis for initial approval is outlined in the documents entitled Florida Department of Education Initial Program Approval Standards for Level I Educational Leadership Programs, Form EL IAS-2023; and Florida Department of Education Initial Program Approval Standards for Level II School Principal Programs, Form SP IAS-2023.

(i) “Institutional Program Evaluation Plan” or “IPEP” means the annual plan developed by each approved Level I or Level II program to describe its review and analysis of program candidate and program completer data and how the results will impact continuous program improvements as part of its continued approval process.

(j) “Instructional expertise” means documented successful demonstration of the standards for effective educators outlined in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) and a documented track record of achieving student gains. Acceptable documentation of instructional expertise must include a rating of “effective” or higher on the “Performance of Students” and “Instructional Practice” sections of the candidate’s two most recent performance evaluations per Section 1012.34, F.S. For candidates who are not employed by a Florida public school district, a provider may accept alternative equivalent documentation demonstrating two years of effective instruction with a record of student learning gains.

(k) “Leadership potential” means the critical skills and dispositions that a candidate must demonstrate prior to entering the program. At a minimum, these qualifications must include an analysis of the candidate’s relentless focus on improving student achievement in their own classrooms and contributing to the demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues.

(l) “Level I educational leadership program” (Level I program) means a program eligible to be offered by a post-secondary institution, school district, charter school, or charter management organization that leads to certification in educational leadership for the purpose of preparing individuals to serve as school administrators.

(m) “Level II school principal program” (Level II program) means a program eligible to be offered by a school district, charter school, or charter management organization that builds upon Level I program training and leads to certification as a school principal.

(n) “Partner” means to develop and maintain a collaborative professional relationship with agreed upon goals and outcomes. Partnerships must include evidence that the institution, school district(s), charter school(s), or charter management organization(s) work together to:

1. Determine program admission standards, and identify and select candidates,

2. Provide job-embedded field experiences for program candidates; and,

3. Identify strategies for continuous improvement of the program based upon a review of the performance of program candidates and the performance of program completers using aggregate data from performance evaluations.

(o) “Placement rate” means the number of program completers reported annually by each program to the Department who are identified by the Department’s Staff Information System, as prescribed in Section 1008.385(2), F.S., as employed in a full-time or part-time school administrator position in a Florida public school district, including charter schools, within three years of program completion. If a program provides documentation of a program completer’s death or disability, the number of program completers included in the calculation will be adjusted.

(p) “Program admission standards” mean the minimum requirements an applicant must meet to be considered for entry into an educational leadership preparation program. The program admission standards for all programs must define (1) candidate grade point average (GPA) requirements, (2) candidate professional qualifications, to include minimum “instructional expertise” and “leadership potential” standards, and (3) candidate selection processes used to determine admission status.

(q) “Program candidate” means an individual who has been admitted into and is currently enrolled in, but has not yet completed Level I or Level II program approved under this rule.

(r) “Provider” means an entity that is authorized to offer a Level I or Level II program, as defined in this rule.

(s) “Program completer” means an individual who has satisfied all Level I or Level II program requirements approved under this rule.

(t) “School leadership positions” mean the administrative personnel positions that are defined in Section 1012.01(3)(c), F.S.

(2) Requirements and processes for initial request and approval of Level I and Level II programs.

(a) Requirements for approval of Level I programs:

1. Providers shall employ faculty who are qualified to teach courses required in the program. Faculty and staff who supervise field experiences shall document annual onsite participation in activities in prekindergarten through grade 12 school settings.

2. A postsecondary institutional program shall provide evidence of its partnership with at least one school district as approved under this rule.

3. A postsecondary institutional program may include a modified version of its approved program to individuals who hold a master’s or higher degree, provided the instittution has a means to document that the completer of the modified program has met all program requirements.

4. Providers shall describe the qualifications used for admission and admit only candidates that demonstrate instructional expertise and leadership potential as approved under this rule.

5. Providers shall describe how competency-based training is aligned to the Florida Educational Leadership Standards.

6. Providers shall describe how training shall be aligned to the personnel evaluation criteria under Section 1012.34, F.S.

7. Providers shall only endorse as program completers candidates who demonstrate all of the Florida Educational Leadership Standards at the initial certification level and earn passing scores on all portions of the Florida Educational Leadership Examination required in Section 1012.56, F.S.

8. Except for postsecondary institutions, a provider shall offer its approved Level I program only to its employees who hold a master’s degree from an accredited or approved institution as described in Rule 6A-4.003, F.A.C. Programs may provide for admission of candidates without this degree, provided that the provider includes a process of formally notifying such candidates that they are not eligible to complete the program without official documentation of the master’s degree.

(b) Processes for submission of a Level I program for initial approval:

1. The president or chief executive officer of a Florida post-secondary institution, a charter school or charter management organization or a public school district superintendent who seeks approval to offer a Level I program, shall submit a written request which is further described in the documents, Florida Department of Education Request to Submit Form-Educational Leadership, Form RTS-EL 2023 within thirty (30) business days prior to January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15. The Department will inform the institution or district superintendent in writing of the receipt of a fully completed request within five (5) business days.

2. Upon written verification by the Department of a fully completed request, the provider shall submit to the Department an electronic application, which is further described in the documents, Florida Department of Education Initial Program Approval Standards for Level I Educational Leadership Programs, Form EL IAS-2023 by January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.

3. The Department shall conduct a review of the electronic application submitted in support of the request for initial approval within ninety (90) days of receipt of the application. The Department shall notify the provider in writing of the following:

a. Receipt of the electronic application.

b. Missing or deficient elements and provide a period of ten (10) business days for the program to submit supplemental information or documentation to address the deficit(s).

c. Approval or denial of approval for each program included in the request. A denial of approval shall identify the reason(s) for the denial and the deficiencies. A program that receives a denial of approval may reapply for initial approval.

(c) Requirements for approval of Level II programs:

1. With the exception of former military officers that qualify for admittance under Section 1012.55(1)(e)l., F.S., a provider shall only admit candidates who hold a valid Florida Educator’s Certificate in the area of educational leadership, education administration, or administration and supervision pursuant to requirements of Rule 6A-4.0083, F.A.C., and who are employed in a public school within the district in a school leadership position through which the candidate can fully demonstrate the competencies associated with the Florida Educational Leadership Standards.

2. The provider shall only admit candidates who have earned a highly effective or effective evaluation rating under Section 1012.34, F.S.,

3. The provider shall describe how it provides individualized instruction using a customized learning plan for each candidate, and the competency-based training that is aligned to its school administrator evaluation criteria under Section 1012.34, F.S., and the William Cecil Golden Professional Learning Program for School Leaders under Section 1012.986, F.S.

4. The provider shall ensure individuals who are designated as program completers have satisfactorily performed instructional leadership responsibilities as measured by the school district’s school administrator evaluation system under Section 1012.34, F.S., for persons employed by the school district or by the charter school or charter management organization.

(d) Processes for submission of a Level II program for initial approval:

1. The president or chief executive officer of a charter school or charter management organization or a public school district superintendent who seeks approval to offer a Level II program, shall submit a written request which is further described in the document, Florida Department of Education Request to Submit Form-Level II School Principal Program, Form RTS-SP 2023, within thirty (30) business days prior to January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15. The Department will inform the president or chief executive officer or district superintendent in writing of the receipt of a fully completed request within five (5) business days.

2. Upon written verification by the Department of a fully completed request, the provider shall submit to the Department an electronic application, which is further described in the document, Florida Department of Education Initial Program Approval Standards for Level II School Principal Programs, Form SP IAS-2023, by January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.

3. The Department shall conduct a review of the electronic application submitted in support of the request for initial approval within ninety (90) days of receipt of the application. The Department shall notify the provider in writing of the following:

a. Receipt of the electronic application.

b. Missing or deficient elements and provide a period of ten (10) business days for the program to submit supplemental information or documentation to address the deficit(s).

c. Approval or denial of approval for each program included in the request. A denial of approval shall identify the reason(s) for the denial and the deficiencies. A program that receives a denial of approval may reapply for initial approval.

(3) Requirements and processes for continued approval of Level I and Level II programs.

(a) Reporting processes for continued approval are as follows:

1. Each provider shall annually submit program candidate and completer data to the Department’s secure management information system.

2. By November 15 of each year, each provider shall submit via the Department’s eIPEP platform located at https://www.florida-eipep.org/, a program evaluation plan in accordance with Florida Department of Education Continued Program Approval Standards, Form EL CAS-2023 for Level I programs; or Form SP CAS-2023 for Level II programs.

3. During the final year of the program approval period, the Department shall conduct a continued approval site visit that will include a review of each approved program. The purpose of the site visit shall be to review evidence of the program’s implementation of the continued approval standards described in the document, Florida Department of Education Continued Program Approval Standards, Form EL CAS-2023 or Form SP CAS-2023. The site visit shall also include a review of the annual program evaluation plans described in subparagraph (3)(a)2. of this rule. At the end of the site visit, a summative rating score shall be calculated based on criteria outlined in the forms: Form EL CAS-2023 for Level I programs or Form SP CAS-2023 for Level II programs.

4. A program that has three (3) consecutive years within the continued approval period with no completers shall not receive a continued approval site visit, or a summative rating score.

(b) At the end of the continued approval period, the Department shall examine the summary findings with summative rating score from the site visit review. The Commissioner shall grant continued approval or denial of approval for each state-approved Level I or Level II program based on the continued approval summative rating scale and shall notify provider in writing of the decision. The continued approval summative rating scale is as follows:

1. Full Approval with Distinction rating: the program has earned “Acceptable” for all indicators of Standards 1, 2 and 3.

2. Full Approval rating: the program has earned “Acceptable” for each indicator of Standard 3, and indicators 1.2 and 1.3 of Standard 1, and no score of “Unacceptable” in any indicator of Standards 1 and 2.

3. Denial of Approval rating: the program has earned “Needs Improvement” for one or more indicators of Standard 3, or indicators 1.2 and 1.3 of Standard 1, or “Unacceptable” on any indicator of Standards 1, 2 and 3. A program that receives a denial of approval rating may reapply for initial approval as specified in subsection (2) of this rule.

(4) Pursuant to Section 1012.562(2)(c), F.S., a Level I program must guarantee the high quality of personnel who complete the program for the first two (2) years after program completion or the person’s initial certification as a school leader, whichever occurs first. If a person who completed the program is evaluated in a school leadership position at less than highly effective or effective under Section 1012.34, F.S., and the person’s employer requests additional training, the Level I program must provide additional training at no cost to the person or his or her employer.

(5) The following forms are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. Copies may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 124, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

(a) Florida Department of Education Initial Program Approval Standards for Level I Educational Leadership Programs, Form EL IAS-2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16033), effective November 2023.

(b) Florida Department of Education Initial Program Approval Standards for Level II School Principal Programs, Form SP IAS-2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16034), effective November 2023.

(c) Florida Department of Education Continued Program Approval Standards for Level I Educational Leadership Programs, Form EL CAS-2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16035), November 2023.

(d) Florida Department of Education Continued Program Approval Standards for Level II School Principal Programs, Form SP CAS-2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16036), effective November 2023.

(e) Florida Department of Education Request to Submit Form-Level I Educational Leadership Program, Form RTS-EL 2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16037), effective November 2023.

(f) Florida Department of Education Request to Submit Form-Level II School Principal Program, Form RTS-SP 2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16038), effective November 2023.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.562, 1012.986 FS. Law Implemented 1012.56, 1012.562, 1012.986 FS. History–New 6-20-07, Amended 12-20-16, 11-28-18, 11-21-23.