Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate certificates; reading endorsement pathways.

(1) A school district may process via a Department of Education website certificates for the following applications of public school employees:

(a) Addition of a subject coverage or endorsement to a valid Florida certificate on the basis of the completion of the appropriate subject area testing requirements of s. 1012.56(5)(a) or the completion of the requirements of an approved school district program or the inservice components for an endorsement.

1. To reduce duplication, the department may recommend the consolidation of endorsement areas and requirements to the State Board of Education.

2. At least once every 5 years, the department shall conduct a review of existing subject coverage or endorsement requirements in the elementary, reading, and exceptional student educational areas. The review must include reciprocity requirements for out-of-state certificates and requirements for demonstrating competency in the reading instruction professional learning topics listed in s. 1012.98(5)(b)11. The review must also consider the award of an endorsement to an individual who holds a certificate issued by an internationally recognized organization that establishes standards for providing evidence-based interventions to struggling readers or who completes a postsecondary program that is accredited by such organization. Any such certificate or program must require an individual who completes the certificate or program to demonstrate competence in reading intervention strategies through clinical experience. At the conclusion of each review, the department shall recommend to the state board changes to the subject coverage or endorsement requirements based upon any identified instruction or intervention strategies proven to improve student reading performance. This subparagraph does not authorize the state board to establish any new certification subject coverage.

(b) A reissued certificate to reflect a name change.

(c) A duplicate certificate to replace a lost or damaged certificate.

The employing school district shall charge the employee a fee not to exceed the amount charged by the Department of Education for such services. Each district school board shall retain a portion of the fee as defined in the rules of the State Board of Education. The portion sent to the department shall be used for maintenance of the technology system, the web application, and posting and mailing of the certificate.

(2)(a) By the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, the department shall adopt one or more statewide, competency-based pathways by which instructional personnel may earn a reading endorsement. A pathway adopted by the department must allow a candidate to complete coursework online and demonstrate mastery of each endorsement competency either in person or remotely.

(b) As part of adopting a pathway pursuant to paragraph (a), the department shall review the competencies for the reading endorsement and subject area examinations for educator certificates identified pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f) for alignment with evidence-based instructional and intervention strategies rooted in the science of reading and identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(7) and recommend changes to the State Board of Education. Recommended changes must address identification of the characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia, implementation of evidence-based classroom instruction and interventions, including evidence-based reading instruction and interventions specifically for students with characteristics of dyslexia, and effective progress monitoring. By July 1, 2023, each school district reading endorsement add-on program must be resubmitted for approval by the department consistent with this paragraph.

(c) Beginning July 1, 2024, instructional personnel may not earn a reading endorsement solely by achieving a passing score on the K-12 reading certification subject area assessment.