These amendments replace the outdated term “vocational” with “career and technical” and align the required content preparation for prospective educators with relevant student standards and educator preparation competencies.  

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    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

    State Board of Education

    RULE NOS.:RULE TITLES:

    6A-4.002General Provisions

    6A-4.003Degrees, Programs, and Credits

    6A-4.006General and Professional Preparation

    6A-4.0321Specialization Requirements for Certification in Middle Grades General Science (Grades 5-9) - Academic Class

    6A-4.044Specialization Requirements for Certification in Local Director of Vocational Education - Vocational Administrative Class

    6A-4.054Specialization Requirements for Certification in Agriculture (Grades 6-12) - Vocational Class

    6A-4.056Specialization Requirements for Certification in Business Education (Grades 6-12) - Vocational Class

    PURPOSE AND EFFECT: These amendments replace the outdated term “vocational” with “career and technical” and align the required content preparation for prospective educators with relevant student standards and educator preparation competencies.

    SUMMARY: Rule 6A-4.002, – Replaces the term “vocational” with “degreed career and technical” as it applies to the classification of Florida educator’s certificates; Rule 6A-4.003, F.A.C. – Replaces “vocational” with “degreed career and technical” as it applies to the classification of Florida educator’s certificates; 6A-4.006, F.A.C. – Eliminates outdated professional preparation postsecondary course credit requirements and replaces “vocational” with “degreed career and technical” as it applies to the classification of Florida educator’s certificates; Rule 6A-4.0321, F.A.C. – Requires prospective teachers to earn credit in associated laboratory experiences with the required science content area courses to satisfy specialization for certification in Middle Grades General Science (Grades 5-9); Rule 6A-4.044, F.A.C. – Modifies the title to “Local Director of Career and Technical Education,” and replaces all other references in the rule to “vocational” with “degreed career and technical” as they apply to the classification of this administrative area; Rule 6A-4.054, F.A.C. – Replaces “vocational” with “degreed career and technical” as it applies to the classification of the Agriculture, Family and Consumer Science, and Marketing (Grades 6-12) subject specialization areas for a Florida educator’s certificates; Rule 6A-4.056, F.A.C. – Replaces “vocational” with “degreed career and technical” as it applies to the classification of the Business Education (Grades 6-12) subject specialization area for a Florida educator’s certificates, and the postsecondary course requirement for credit in Economics is expanded to permit credit in Finance.

    SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION: The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

    The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: These proposed rules are not expected to have any adverse impact on economic growth, business competitiveness or any other factors listed in s. 120.541(2)(a), F.S. The proposed rule revisions do not impose new costs on any stakeholder.

    Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

    RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS.

    LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS.

    A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

    DATE AND TIME: May 20, 2016, 9:00 a.m.

    PLACE: DoubleTree by Hilton, 5780 Major Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32819

    THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: David LaJeunesse, Chief of Educator Certification, 325 W. Gaines St., Suite 201, Tallahassee, FL 32399, (850)245-0431

     

    THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

     

    6A-4.002 General Provisions.

    (1) Educator’s certificates.

    (a) through (e) No change.

    (f) Classification of coverages and endorsements shown on certificates. Each coverage or endorsement shown on a certificate shall be identified as an academic class, administrative class, specialty class, or degreed career and technical vocational class. The classification is specified in the specialization rule for each coverage or endorsement.

    (g) through (4) No change.

    (5) Teaching experience.

    (a) Definition of teaching experience. Teaching experience as used in Florida State Board of Education rules for educator certification purposes shall be defined as full-time teaching, administrative, or supervisory service.

    1. Teaching experience used for academic, administrative, degreed career and technical vocational, and specialty class subjects shall be gained in a public or state supported school as defined in Section 1003.01(2), F.S.; or in a prekindergarten (ages three [3] and four [4]) school which is a public or state supported school or is a contractor for a public school system or in a birth through age two (2) school which is a public or state supported school or is a contractor for a public school system. However, teaching experience in a nonpublic school shall be acceptable provided the applicant held a valid full-time teaching certificate issued by the state department of education in the state where the teaching experience was acquired.

    2. Teaching experience used for degreed career and technical vocational class subjects shall be gained in an elementary or secondary school as specified in subparagraph (5)(a)1. of this rule, in a public or state supported vocational or technical school, or in an accredited community or junior college as described in Rule 6A-4.003, F.A.C.

    (b) through (6) No change.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.10(5)(b), 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–New 4-10-64, Amended 4-8-68, 4-11-70, 10-18-71, 3-19-72, 12-18-72, 6-17-73, 4-19-74, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Amended 6-22-76, 6-27-77, 12-26-77, 4-27-78, 7-1-79, 7-2-79, 6-26-80, 7-28-81, 1-3-82, 5-11-82, 6-22-83, 3-28-84, 1-31-85, 3-13-85, Joint Administrative Objection Filed – See FAR Vol. 12, No. 11, March 14, 1986, Formerly 6A-4.02, Amended 12-25-86, 10-18-88, 10-10-89, 4-15-91, 11-10-92, 5-30-94, 11-13-96, 10-15-01, 12-27-04, 7-27-06, Joint Administrative Procedures Committee objection resolved by Chapter 86-156, Laws of Florida, Florida Administrative Register Vol. 35, No. 27, July 10, 2009, Amended 1-1-14, 12-31-14, 10-26-15,_______.

     

    6A-4.003 Degrees, Programs, and Credits.

    Degrees, programs, and credits shall be determined acceptable for educator certification purposes based on the following:

    (1) through (3) No change.

    (4) Accreditation and acceptance of teacher education programs for specific certification purposes.

    (a) through (b) No change.

    (c) Teacher education programs in states other than Florida. A teacher education program at the bachelor’s or higher degree level shall fulfill the general and professional preparation requirements and the specialization requirements for a certification an academic class subject area or a degreed vocational class subject in accordance with the following provisions:

    1. through 3. No change.

    4. The program curriculum shall have included preservice field experiences and an internship or practicum appropriate to the certification subject area in a prekindergarten through grade 12 setting under the supervision of qualified educators; and,

    5.4. When a master’s or higher degree is required for Florida certification in a subject, the program must have been completed at the same or higher degree level.

    Documentation of teacher education programs from institutions within the United States or its territories shall be an official transcript. Documentation of teacher education programs from institutions outside the United States shall be an original credential evaluation report prepared by an accredited institution as specified in paragraphs (1)(a) or (b) of this rule, or by a credential evaluation agency approved by the Department as specified in subsection (6) of this rule. An original credential evaluation report must include a summary of the equivalent United States postsecondary degree level and academic program awarded and, upon request, must also include a detailed breakdown of all courses into descriptive titles with equivalent United States postsecondary semester hours and grades.

    (5) through (6) No change.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–New 4-20-64, Amended 3-26-66, 4-8-68, 7-7-68, 4-11-70, 1-17-72, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Amended 6-22-76, 11-9-76, 10-12-77, 7-1-79, 1-3-82, 4-30-85, Formerly 6A-4.03, Amended 12-25-86, 9-12-89, 4-15-91, 11-25-97, 10-15-01, 3-22-05, 1-1-14,______.

     

    6A-4.006 General and Professional Preparation.

    (1) General preparation. A bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited or approved institution as described in Rule 6A-4.003, F.A.C., shall be considered to have met the general preparation course requirements.

    (2) Professional preparation.

    (a) For applications received before January 1, 2016, courses for the professional preparation and education competence requirement pursuant to the college course certification option in Section 1012.56(6)(f), F.S., are fifteen (15) semester hours with credit in the following professional education areas:

    1. Classroom management including safe learning environments;

    2. Human development and learning;

    3. Educational assessment to include the content measured by state achievement tests and the interpretation and utilization of data to improve student achievement;

    4. Effective instructional strategies including the needs of diverse learners;

    5. For the middle (Grades 5-9) and secondary (Grades 6-12) level subject coverages and the K-12 level subject coverages: art, music, dance, computer science, health, foreign languages, and humanities, curriculum and special methods of teaching the subject; and,

    6. For middle (Grades 5-9) and secondary (Grades 6-12) level subject coverages, foundations of research-based practices in teaching reading-competency two of the State Board approved reading endorsement competencies.

    (a)(b) For applications received beginning January 1, 2016, professional preparation courses pursuant to Section 1012.56(6)(f), F.S., are a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours with credit in the following professional education areas:

    1. through 4. No change.

    5. For certificate subject coverages classified by rule as academic or degreed career and technical vocational, applications of research-based instructional practices in reading; and,

    6. through (d) No change.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History-New 4-20-64, Amended 4-8-68, 7-7-68, 4-11-69, 6-17-73, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Amended 10-12-76, 7-1-79, 11-5-84, Formerly 6A-4.06, Amended 9-12-89, 5-30-94, 7-17-00, 10-15-01, 7-27-06, Joint Administrative Procedures Committee objection resolved by Chapter 86-156, Laws of Florida, Florida Administrative Register Vol. 35, No. 27, July 10, 2009, Amended 12-31-14,_______.

     

    6A-4.0321 Specialization Requirements for Certification in Middle Grades General Science (Grades 5-9) – Academic Class.

    (1) Plan One. A bachelor’s or higher degree with an undergraduate or graduate major in general science or middle grades general science; or

    (2) Plan Two. A bachelor’s or higher degree with eighteen (18) semester hours in science with associated laboratory experiences to include credit in the areas specified below:

    (a) Biological science;

    (b) Chemistry or physics; and,

    (c) Earth-space science or earth science.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–New 9-1-92, Amended 7-17-00,______.

     

    6A-4.044 Specialization Requirements for Certification in Local Director of Career and Technical Vocational Education – Career and Technical Vocational Administrative Class.

    (1) A master’s or higher degree or the advanced occupational level of training;

    (2) Verification of completion of three (3) years of teaching experience in career and technical vocational education as specified in paragraph 6A-4.002(5)(a), F.A.C.;

    (3) A valid professional certificate with certification in a nondegreed or degreed career and technical vocational class coverage; and,

    (4) Thirty (30) semester hours of graduate or upper level credit in administration and supervision to include the following:

    (a) Three (3) semester hours in organization, administration and management of career and technical vocational programs;

    (b) through (c) No change.

    (d) Three (3) semester hours in supervision and development of the career and technical vocational education staff; and,

    (e) No change.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–New 4-20-64, Amended 4-8-68, 4-19-74, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Amended 7-1-79, 6-27-85, Formerly 6A-4.44, Amended 10-10-89,_____.

     

    6A-4.054 Specialization Requirements for Certification in Agriculture (Grades 6-12) – Degreed Career and Technical Vocational Class.

    (1) Plan One. A bachelor’s or higher degree with an undergraduate or graduate major in agriculture or agriculture education; or

    (2) No change.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–New 10-10-89, Amended 7-17-00,______.

     

    6A-4.056 Specialization Requirements for Certification in Business Education (Grades 6-12) – Degreed Career and Technical Vocational Class.

    (1) Plan One. A bachelor’s or higher degree with an undergraduate or graduate major in business education or business administration; or

    (2) Plan Two. A bachelor’s or higher degree with thirty (30) semester hours in business education or business administration to include credit in the areas specified below:

    (a) Accounting;

    (b) Economics or Finance;

    (c) Computer Science;

    (d) Business communication or composition above the freshman level; and,

    (e) Business law.

    Rulemaking Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–New 10-10-89, Amended 7-17-00,_____.

     

    NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Hershel Lyons, Chancellor, K-12 Public Schools

    NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Pam Stewart, Commissioner, Department of Education

    DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: March 21, 2016

    DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: January 8, 2016