6A-5.065. The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices

(1) Purpose and Foundational Principles.

(a) Purpose. The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices are set forth in rule as Florida’s core standards for effective educators. The Accomplished Practices form the foundation for the state’s teacher preparation programs, educator certification requirements and school district instructional personnel appraisal systems.

(b) Foundational Principles. The Accomplished Practices are based upon and further describe four (4) essential principles:

1. The effective educator creates a culture of high expectations for all students by promoting the importance of education and each student’s capacity for academic achievement.

2. The effective educator demonstrates deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject taught.

3. The effective educator exemplifies the standards of the profession.

4. The effective educator acknowledges that all persons are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, and provides instruction that is consistent with the principles of individual freedom as outlined in Section 1003.42(3), F.S.

(2) The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Each effective educator applies the foundational principles through six (6) Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Each of the practices is clearly defined to promote a common language and statewide understanding of the expectations for the quality of instruction and professional responsibility.

(a) Quality of Instruction.

1. Instructional Design and Lesson Planning. Applying concepts from human development and learning theories, the effective educator consistently:

a. Aligns instruction with state-adopted standards taking into consideration varying aspects of rigor and complexity;

b. Sequences lessons and concepts to ensure coherence and required prior knowledge;

c. Designs instruction for students to achieve mastery;

d. Selects appropriate formative assessments to monitor learning;

e. Uses diagnostic student data to plan lessons;

f. Develops learning experiences that require students to demonstrate a variety of applicable skills and competencies; and

g. Provides classroom instruction to students in prekindergarten through grade 12 that is age and developmentally appropriate and aligned to the state academic standards as outlined in Rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C., and is consistent with s. 1001.42(8)(c)3., F.S.

2. The Learning Environment. To maintain a student-centered learning environment that is safe, organized, equitable, flexible, inclusive, and collaborative, the effective educator consistently:

a. Organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, and attention;

b. Manages individual and class behaviors through a well-planned management system;

c. Conveys high expectations to all students;

d. Respects students’ cultural linguistic and family background;

e. Models clear, acceptable oral and written communication skills;

f. Maintains a climate of openness, inquiry, fairness and support;

g. Integrates current information and communication technologies;

h. Adapts the learning environment to accommodate the differing needs and diversity of students while ensuring that the learning environment is consistent with s. 1000.071, F.S.;

i. Utilizes current and emerging assistive technologies that enable students to participate in high-quality communication interactions and achieve their educational goals; and,

j. Creates a classroom environment where students are able to demonstrate resiliency as outlined in Rule 6A-1.094124, F.A.C.

3. Instructional Delivery and Facilitation. The effective educator consistently utilizes a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject taught to:

a. Deliver engaging and challenging lessons;

b. Deepen and enrich students’ understanding through content area literacy strategies, verbalization of thought, and application of the subject matter;

c. Identify gaps in students’ subject matter knowledge;

d. Modify instruction to respond to preconceptions or misconceptions;

e. Relate and integrate the subject matter with other disciplines and life experiences;

f. Employ questioning that promotes critical thinking;

g. Apply varied instructional strategies and resources, including appropriate technology, to provide comprehensible instruction, and to teach for student understanding;

h. Differentiate instruction based on an assessment of student learning needs and recognition of individual differences in students;

i. Support, encourage, and provide immediate and specific feedback to students to promote student achievement; and,

j. Utilize student feedback to monitor instructional needs and to adjust instruction.

4. Assessment. The effective educator consistently:

a. Analyzes and applies data from multiple assessments and measures to diagnose students’ learning needs, informs instruction based on those needs, and drives the learning process;

b. Designs and aligns formative and summative assessments that match learning objectives and lead to mastery;

c. Uses a variety of assessment tools to monitor student progress, achievement and learning gains;

d. Modifies assessments and testing conditions to accommodate learning styles and varying levels of knowledge;

e. Shares the importance and outcomes of student assessment data with the student and the student’s parent/caregiver(s); and,

f. Applies technology to organize and integrate assessment information.

(b) Continuous Improvement, Responsibility and Ethics.

1. Continuous Professional Improvement. The effective educator consistently:

a. Designs purposeful professional goals to strengthen the effectiveness of instruction based on students’ needs;

b. Examines and uses data-informed research to improve instruction and student achievement;

c. Uses a variety of data, independently, and in collaboration with colleagues, to evaluate learning outcomes, adjust planning and continuously improve the effectiveness of the lessons;

d. Collaborates with the home, school and larger communities to foster communication and to support student learning and continuous improvement;

e. Engages in targeted professional growth opportunities and reflective practices; and,

f. Implements knowledge and skills learned in professional development in the teaching and learning process.

2. Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct. Understanding that educators are held to a high moral standard in a community, the effective educator fulfills the expected obligations to students, the public and the education profession and adheres to:

a. Guidelines for student welfare adopted pursuant to Section 1001.42(8), F.S., including the requirement to refrain from discouraging or prohibiting parental notification of and involvement in critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, unless a reasonably prudent person would believe that disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect as defined in Section 39.01, F.S.

b. The rights of students and parents enumerated in Sections 1002.20 and 1014.04, F.S.; and,

c. The Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession of Florida, pursuant to Rule 6A-10.081, F.A.C.

Rulemaking Authority 1004.04, 1004.85, 1012.34, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1004.04, 1004.85, 1012.34, 1012.56 FS. History–New 7-2-98, Amended 2-13-11, 11-22-22, 2-21-23, 5-23-23, 8-22-23.