1. MEMORANDUM

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
SALLY BRADSHAW
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
MEMORANDUM
TO
:
Interested Parties
FROM
: John
L.
Winn
DATE
:
April 28, 2003
JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
SUBJECT
:
Workshops on New Educator Certification Examinations
The Department of Education is pleased to announce two regional briefing meetings.
These
sessions will address passing scores for certain educator certification examinations and the
establishment of a testing f
ee for the General Knowledge Test.
The Department will provide
information and seek additional input from all interested parties relevant to the recommended
passing scores and the testing fee.
Passing scores are being recommended for one revised educator certification examination,
Professional Education, and two new examinations, Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum and
Physical Education K-12. The Professional Education Test has been revised extensively to align
it with the Educator Accomplished Practices.
The Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum test
covers four content areas:
English, general science, mathematics, and social science.
The
existing separate tests for Middle Grades English 5-9, Middle Grades General Science 5-9,
Middle Grades Mathematics 5-9, and Middle Grades Social Science 5-9 will continue to be
administered.
The Physical Education K-12 exam replaces the Physical Education K-8 and
Physical Education 6-12 exams, effective July 1, 2003.
We are continuing implementation of the major recommendations in “The Review of Educator
Certification Report” of January 2000. The Legislative directives that implemented the report
were enacted in Spring 2000. They include streamlining the certification structure and processes
and reducing the number of subject coverages. In February 2003, the State Board of Education
adopted the competencies and skills for the revised test and the two new certification tests.
JOHN L. WINN
Deputy Commissioner
Accountability, Research, and Measurement
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 1548 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 201-7407 • www.fldoe.org

Workshops on New Educator Certification Examinations
April 28, 2003
Page Two
These tests will be available in July 2003. The next step is for the Board to establish
transitional passing scores for these examinations.
The Department expresses appreciation and sincere thanks to the many individuals
throughout the state who participated in the various test development, validation, and
standard setting activities for the implementation of these new examinations. All of this
work was necessary to achieve the State’s goals of having a streamlined certification
model and rigorous certification examinations aligned with the Sunshine State Standards
for students.
Florida Statute 1012.59 authorizes the State to charge fees for the certification
examinations.
Currently, a fee of $25.00 is charged for each registration for a subject
area examination, and $25.00 is charged for each registration for the Professional
Education Test.
A similar fee is being proposed for each registration for the General
Knowledge Test.
The briefing meetings have been scheduled for the times and locations shown below.
Please share this information with other interested individuals.
April 30, 2003
Room 403 Turlington Building
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
325 W. Gaines Street
Tallahassee,
FL
April 30, 2003
Board Room
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
?
Broward County School Board
600
SE
3
rd
Avenue
Fort
Lauderdale,
FL
If you are unable to attend, please send your written comments to:
Kathy
Fearon
Florida
Department
of
Education
414
Turlington
Building
325 W. Gaines Street
Tallahassee,
FL
32399
Fax
(850)
487-8431
Thank you for you interest and assistance.
JLW:kf:sm

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