Process for renewal or reinstatement of professional certificates.

(1)(a) District school boards shall renew state-issued professional certificates as follows:

1. Each district school board shall renew state-issued professional certificates for individuals who hold a state-issued professional certificate and are employed by that district pursuant to criteria established in subsections (2), (3), and (4) and rules of the State Board of Education.

2. The employing school district may charge the individual an application fee not to exceed the amount charged by the Department of Education for such services, including associated late renewal fees. Each district school board shall transmit monthly to the department a fee in an amount established by the State Board of Education for each renewed certificate. The fee shall not exceed the actual cost for maintenance and operation of the statewide certification database and for the actual costs incurred in printing and mailing such renewed certificates. As defined in current rules of the state board, the department shall contribute a portion of such fee for purposes of funding the Educator Recovery Network established in s. 1012.798. The department shall deposit all funds into the Educational Certification and Service Trust Fund for use as specified in s. 1012.59.

(b) The department shall renew state-issued professional certificates for individuals who are not employed by a district school board of this state pursuant to criteria established in subsections (2), (3), and (4) and requirements specified in rules of the state board.

(2)(a) All professional certificates, except a nonrenewable professional certificate, shall be renewable for successive periods not to exceed 5 years after the date of submission of documentation of completion of the requirements for renewal provided in subsection (3). Only one renewal may be granted during each 5-year validity period of a professional certificate.

(b) A teacher with national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is deemed to meet state renewal requirements for the life of the teacher’s national certificate in the subject shown on the national certificate. A complete renewal application and fee shall be submitted. The Commissioner of Education shall notify teachers of the renewal application and fee requirements.

(c) If the renewal application form is not received by the department or by the employing school district before the expiration of the professional certificate, the application form, application fee, and a late fee must be submitted before July 1 of the year following expiration of the certificate in order to renew the professional certificate.

(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow a 1-year extension of the validity period of a professional certificate in the event of serious illness, injury, or other extraordinary extenuating circumstances of the applicant. The department shall grant such 1-year extension upon written request by the applicant or by the district school superintendent or the governing authority of a university lab school, state-supported school, or private school that employs the applicant.

(3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the following requirements must be met:

(a) The applicant must earn a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice points or a combination thereof. For each area of specialization to be retained on a certificate, the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required credit hours or equivalent inservice points in the specialization area. Education in “clinical educator” training pursuant to s. 1004.04(5)(b); participation in mentorship and induction activities, including as a mentor, pursuant to s. 1012.56(8)(a); credits or points that provide training in the knowledge and skills required to support students with autism; and credits or points that provide training in the area of scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading literacy grounded in the science of reading, including explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies, and computational skills acquisition, exceptional student education, normal child development, and the disorders of development may be applied toward any specialization area. Credits or points that provide training in the areas of drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, strategies in teaching students having limited proficiency in English, or dropout prevention, or training in areas identified in the educational goals and performance standards adopted pursuant to ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345 may be applied toward any specialization area, except specialization areas identified by State Board of Education rule that include reading instruction or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 6. Each district school board shall include in its inservice master plan the ability for teachers to receive inservice points for supporting students in extracurricular career and technical education activities, such as career and technical student organization activities outside of regular school hours and training related to supervising students participating in a career and technical student organization. Credits or points earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points may also be earned by participation in professional growth components approved by the State Board of Education and specified pursuant to s. 1012.98 in the district’s approved master plan for inservice educational training; however, such points may not be used to satisfy the specialization requirements of this paragraph.

(b) In lieu of college course credit or inservice points, the applicant may renew a subject area specialization by passage of a state board approved Florida-developed subject area examination or, if a Florida subject area examination has not been developed, a standardized examination specified in state board rule.

(c) If an applicant wishes to retain more than two specialization areas on the certificate, the applicant shall be permitted two successive validity periods for renewal of all specialization areas, but must earn no fewer than 6 college course credit hours or the equivalent in any one validity period.

(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the expanded use of training for renewal of the professional certificate for educators who are required to complete training in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading as follows:

1. A teacher who holds a professional certificate may use college credits or inservice points earned through training in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading in excess of 6 semester hours during one certificate-validity period toward renewal of the professional certificate during the subsequent validity periods.

2. A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use college credits or inservice points earned through training in teaching students of limited English proficiency or students with disabilities and training in the teaching of reading toward renewal of the teacher’s first professional certificate. Such training must not have been included within the degree program, and the teacher’s temporary and professional certificates must be issued for consecutive school years.

(e) Beginning July 1, 2014, an applicant for renewal of a professional certificate must earn a minimum of one college credit or the equivalent inservice points in the area of instruction for teaching students with disabilities. The requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the department for continuing education or inservice training.

(f) An applicant for renewal of a professional certificate in any area of certification identified by State Board of Education rule that includes reading instruction or intervention for any students in kindergarten through grade 6, with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, must earn a minimum of 2 college credits or the equivalent inservice points in evidence-based instruction and interventions grounded in the science of reading specifically designed for students with characteristics of dyslexia, including the use of explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, developing phonological and phonemic awareness, decoding, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies. Such training must be provided by teacher preparation programs under s. 1004.04 or s. 1004.85 or approved school district professional learning systems under s. 1012.98. The requirements in this paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the department for continuing education or inservice training.

(g) An applicant for renewal of a professional certificate in educational leadership from a Level I program under s. 1012.562(2) or Level II program under s. 1012.562(3), with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2025, or thereafter, must earn a minimum of 1 college credit or 20 inservice points in Florida’s educational leadership standards, as established in rule by the State Board of Education. The requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours required by the department for continuing education or inservice training.

(h) A teacher may earn inservice points only once during each 5-year validity period for any mandatory training topic that is not linked to student learning or professional growth.

(4) When any person who holds a valid temporary certificate or professional certificate is called into or volunteers for actual wartime service or required peacetime military service training, the certificate shall be renewed for a period of time equal to the time spent in military service if the person makes proper application and presents substantiating evidence to the department or the employing school district regarding such military service.

(5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow the reinstatement of expired professional certificates, including each subject area coverage and endorsement held by the certificateholder at the time of the certificate’s expiration. The department may reinstate an expired professional certificate if the certificateholder:

(a) Submits an application for reinstatement of the expired certificate.

(b) Completes the requirements in s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f).

(c) Documents completion of 6 college credits during the 5 years immediately preceding reinstatement of the expired certificate, completion of 120 inservice points, or a combination thereof, in an area specified in paragraph (3)(a) to include the credit required under paragraph (3)(e).

The requirements of this subsection may not be satisfied by college credits or inservice points completed for issuance of the certificate that has expired.

(6) The State Board of Education may adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section, including, but not limited to, applicant renewal requirements.