6A-6.0907. Inservice Requirements for Personnel of Limited English Proficient Students

(1) Inservice standards for teachers of math, science, social studies, or computer literacy using ESOL instructional strategies who do not hold a valid certificate with ESOL endorsement or coverage:

(a) Any teacher using ESOL strategies to teach math, science, social studies, or computer literacy assigned to instruct limited English proficient students on September 15, 1990, or for the first time in any given school year thereafter shall complete at least sixty points of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit in methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communications and understanding, or testing and evaluation of ESOL by September 15 of the following year, or

(b) Teachers who had appropriate certification as specified in the 1989-90 Course Code Directory as adopted by reference in Rule 6A-1.09441, F.A.C., for the subjects and grades taught and have completed prior to the 1990-91 school year, at least two years of successful teaching using ESOL strategies to teach math, science, social studies or computer literacy to limited English proficient students as verified in writing by the superintendent, shall complete sixty points of inservice training or three semester hours in methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communications and understanding or testing and evaluation of ESOL. The sixty points of inservice training or the three semester hours of college credit shall be completed for the first certificate renewal after July 1, 1990. The school district shall maintain records on how the teacher was evaluated as successful. The experience in a basic subject area ESOL class, acceptable as provided herein, shall have been taught using ESOL strategies.

(c) Inservice points or credit earned in fulfillment of this subsection may be used toward meeting three of the six semester hours renewal requirements for that validity period.

(2) Inservice standards for teachers of math, science, social studies, or computer literacy using home language instructional strategies who do not hold a valid certificate with ESOL endorsement or coverage:

(a) Any teachers using home language strategies to teach math, science, social studies or computer literacy assigned to instruct limited English proficient students on September 15, 1990, or for the first time in any given school year thereafter shall complete at least sixty points of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit in methods of teaching home language, home language curriculum and materials development, or testing and evaluation in the home language by September 15 of the following year, or

(b) Teachers who had appropriate certification as specified in the 1989-90 Course Code Directory as adopted by reference in Rule 6A-1.09411, F.A.C., for the subject and grades taught and have completed, prior to the 1990-91 school year, at least two years of successful teaching of math, science, social studies or computer literacy through the home language strategies, as verified in writing by the superintendent, shall complete sixty points of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit in methods of teaching home language, home language curriculum and materials development, or testing and evaluation in the home language. The sixty points of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit shall be completed for the first certificate renewal after July 1, 1990. The school district shall maintain records on how the teacher was evaluated as being successful. The experience in a basic subject area class acceptable as provided herein shall have been taught using home language strategies.

(c) Inservice points or credit earned in fulfillment of this subsection may be used toward meeting three of the six semester hours renewal requirements for that validity period.

(d) Teachers who are instructing limited English proficient students in math, science, social studies, or computer literacy in the student’s home language on September 15 of any given school year shall have met by September 15 of the subsequent year the following:

1. A passing grade on a language examination designed to determine whether a person has a language proficiency necessary to teach elementary or secondary students in that language. The Florida Department of Education shall develop by October 1, 1990, a list of approved tests. A district which wishes to use an alternative examination shall submit it to the Florida Department of Education for approval prior to its utilization, or

2. A Florida foreign language certification coverage in the language which the teacher will utilize to instruct limited English proficient students.

(3) Inservice standards for teachers of limited English proficient students in subjects other than English, math, science, social studies or computer literacy who did not hold a valid certificate with ESOL endorsement or coverage:

(a) Any teacher assigned to instruct limited English proficient students in subjects other than English, math, science, social studies or computer literacy on September 15, 1990, or for the first time in any given school year thereafter shall complete at least eighteen points of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communications and understanding, or testing and evaluation of ESOL by September 15 of the following year. Inservice training shall be provided during three full planning days or by other means approved in the district’s LEP plan, or

(b) Teachers who had appropriate certification as specified in the 1989-90 Course Code Directory as adopted by reference in Rule 6A-1.09441, F.A.C., for the subject(s) and grades taught and have completed, prior to the 1990-91 school year, at least one year of successful teaching of other subject areas, to limited English proficient students, as verified in writing by the superintendent, shall complete sixty hours of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit in methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communications and understanding, or testing and evaluation of ESOL. The sixty hours of inservice training or three semester hours of college credit shall be completed for the first certificate renewal after July 1, 1990. The school district shall maintain records on how the teacher was evaluated as being successful.

(c) Inservice points or credit earned in fulfillment of this subsection may be used toward meeting three of six semester hours renewal requirement for that validity period.

(4) Implementation schedule for this rule.

(a) Principles of Implementation.

1. Except as set forth in this subsection, any teacher required to have an endorsement or training pursuant to this rule shall complete such training within one year of his or her initial assignment.

2. Exceptions to subsection (4) of this rule.

a. A beginning teacher shall complete the inservice requirements within two years of initial assignment.

b. A teacher required to have an ESOL endorsement on a certificate pursuant to this rule shall complete course work required for such endorsement within three calendar years of his or her initial assignment.

(b) Interim measures. In recognition that this rule will require large numbers of teachers to be trained for the first time and that this poses a burden for school districts, the following interim measures will be in effect until 1993-94, except as specified herein:

1. During the 1990-91 school year, the following steps shall be taken to provide for a phase-in of the requirements of this rule:

a. Each school district shall conduct a survey of its limited English proficient students and based on the survey shall determine the number of teachers by school who need to be trained under this rule. Such survey will be completed by February, 1991.

b. Each school district shall establish a program to assure that all ESOL basic teachers needing training shall initiate training by the beginning of the 1991-92 school year and shall complete such training by the beginning of the 1994-95 school year.

c. Each school district shall project the number of ESOL subject matter teachers and home language basic subject matter teachers needed by the district and shall initiate a program which will assure that the grouping of teachers with the largest number shall begin training by the beginning of the 1991-92 school year and complete such training by the beginning of the 1993-94 school year and that the grouping of teachers with the lesser number shall begin training by the beginning of the 1991-92 school year and complete such training by the beginning of the 1994-95 school year.

d. Each school district shall also develop and implement a training and informational program for administrators, including principals, concerning this rule and the educational needs of limited English proficient students.

2. Beginning in the 1991-92 school year those teachers requiring inservice training pursuant to rule shall complete such training within a school year. Each year thereafter those teachers who have not already completed the training shall complete the requisite training.

3. Those teachers who must complete specified credit or inservice points for certification renewal pursuant to this rule shall complete such training by the following time periods: Those whose validity period ends prior to July 1, 1993, shall complete requirements by June 1992; those whose validity period ends July 1, 1994, shall complete requirements by June 1993; those whose validity period ends July 1, 1995, shall complete requirements by June 1994.

(5) Inservice training program standards. Programs set forth herein which enable teachers to meet requirements through inservice points shall meet the following standards:

(a) The inservice time shall be divided between contact time and supervised practicum.

(b) The inservice training time allotted for methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages, ESOL curriculum and materials development, cross-cultural communications and understanding, and testing and evaluation of ESOL as set forth in subsections (1) and (3) of this rule shall be appropriately divided, or

(c) The inservice training time allotted for methods of teaching home language, home language curriculum and materials development, and testing and evaluation in the home language as set forth in subsection (2) of this rule shall be appropriately divided.

(d) A set of performance competencies with post-tests shall be developed by each district in their master inservice plan for all the inservice training provided in fulfillment of this rule.

(e) Trainers of home language teachers, where possible, shall be persons who speak the targeted home language.

(f) Each inservice program developed to meet the requirements of this rule shall be approved by the Florida Department of Education and shall be monitored at least once every three years to assure that the standards set forth herein are met.

(g) Up to sixty inservice points or three semester hours earned in meeting the requirements as specified in subsections (1), (2) or (3), F.A.C. of this rule may be used by a teacher for certificate renewal.

(h) Each district shall retain records for each teacher and aide that successfully completed the inservice requirements.

(6) Each school district shall develop and implement an inservice program for teacher aides who work with limited English proficient students.

(7) Each school district shall develop and implement the inservice requirements contained in this rule in the district’s master inservice plan.

(8) Each district shall develop and implement training components, in addition to the requirements in this rule, needed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the program(s) provided to limited English proficient students.

(9) The Department of Education shall provide technical assistance, including technological assistance where feasible, to school districts in the implementation of the inservice training.

(10) During the 1992-93 school year, the Department of Education shall conduct an evaluation of the system of inservice provided in this rule, and shall make recommendations for revising the system based on analysis of student outcome measures.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02 FS. Law Implemented 1003.56 FS., as amended by Chapter 2002-387, Laws of Florida. History–New 10-30-90.