Notice of Proposed Rule

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
State Board of Education
RULE NO: RULE TITLE
6A-4.006: General and Professional Preparation
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the rule amendments is to include professional education requirements via the course analysis option provided in Section 1012.56(5)(f), Florida Statutes, that more closely align to the updated requirements in other certification options or pathways for teacher preparation. The effect will be a rule that is current and includes the most critical competencies, knowledge, and skills for teachers in providing quality instruction to improve student achievement.
SUMMARY: The additional pathways for certification professional preparation such as district alternative certification, educator preparation institutes, and traditional college programs have updated competency requirements in the areas of classroom management, reading, assessment and use of student data to improve learning, etc. The rule has to be amended in order to align with current provisions.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
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.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE TIME, DATE AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
TIME AND DATE: June 20, 2006, 8:30 a.m.
PLACE: Orlando, Florida (For exact location please contact Lynn Abbott, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, #1514, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400; (850)245-9661
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Beverly Gregory, Chief, Bureau of Educator Certification, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 201, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

(Rule 6A-4.006 is substantially rewritten, see the Florida Administrative Code for current text.)

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, FAC., shall be considered to have met the general preparation course requirements.

(2) Professional preparation.

(a) Courses for the professional preparation and education competence requirement pursuant to the college course certification option in Section 1012.56(5)(f), Florida Statutes, 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.

(b) Practical experience in teaching. Practical experience in teaching may be satisfied by one of the following methods:

1. One year of full-time teaching experience in an elementary or secondary school as specified in Rule 6A-4.002, FAC., or

2. Six semester hours earned in a college student teaching or supervised internship completed in an elementary or secondary school.

(c) Additional requirements in teaching reading and professional education for grades kindergarten through grade six and for exceptional education students are included in the separate certification subject specialization State Board Rules.

(d) All the professional education requirements for preschool and prekindergarten – grade three subject coverages in lieu of the requirements in paragraph (2)(a) of this rule are included in the separate certification subject specialization State Board Rules.

(e) The requirements of paragraph (2)(a) of this rule are not applicable and shall not be required for school social worker or speech-language impaired certification.

(3) Professional preparation for agriculture (grades 6-12).

(a) Courses for professional preparation and education competence requirement pursuant to the college course certification option in Section 1012.56(5)(f), Florida Statutes, for agriculture are fifteen (15) semester hours with credit in the following professional agricultural education areas:

1. Curriculum development and educational assessment in agriculture,

2. Instructional strategies of teaching agriculture,

3. Program planning in agricultural education,

4. An agriscience teacher induction course which includes:

a. basic principles and philosophy of agricultural education, and

b. strategies for classroom management.

(b) The practical teaching experience requirement may be satisfied as specified in paragraph (2)(b) of this rule.

Specific Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History - Amended 4-20-64, 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, ________.


NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Pam Stewart, Deputy Chancellor, K-12 Educator Quality, Department of Education
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Chancellor Cheri Pierson-Yecke, K-12 Public Schools
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: 5/5/2006
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: April 7, 2006