1. Rule 6A-4.006 General and Professional Preparation
    2. Rule 6A-4.002 General Requirements
    3. Rule 6A-4.006 General and Professional Preparation.
    4. 6A-4.002 General Provisions.

Paper Number K-12 2006-1003
August 2006
Technical Assistance Paper Revised Rule Requirements
Professional Preparation Course Analysis Pathway
Rule 6A-4.006 General and Professional Preparation
 
Text of New Rule (see attached)
 
Implementation Notes:
The rule revisions reflect substantial changes in the certification
requirements. The changes streamline the course requirements and make
the analysis pathway consistent with the other pathways by incorporating
the most critical competencies for new teachers such as classroom
management, reading, student assessment, and using data to improve
student achievement.
The new professional preparation course analysis requirements are
effective for an initial certification application received on or after July 27,
2006, the effective date of the revised rule. The change in the use of only
one year of acceptable teaching experience in lieu of earned college credit
for professional preparation requirements in Rule 6A-4.002 is also
applicable in the evaluation of professional preparation for an applicant that
submits an initial application for certification on or after July 27, 2006.
Rule 6A-4.002 General Requirements
 
Text of New Rule (see attached)
 
Implementation Notes:
The revisions add a clarification relating to certificates issued by national
certification agencies such as the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS) and the American Board for Certification of Teacher
Excellence (ABCTE). For consideration of the national certificate for
satisfaction of Florida certification requirements, the valid national certificate
must be issued in a subject comparable to a certification subject issued in
Florida and must require the same degree level of training as the Florida
certification area.
The use of teaching experience in lieu of earned college credit for satisfying
a requirement in professional preparation is limited to one year of teaching
experience for one three semester course requirement. This change
parallels the reduction from two years to one year of teaching experience
that may be used to satisfy the practical teaching experience requirement
(PTER) in professional preparation.
Technical citation changes are made.

Rule 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 (2)(a) of this rule are
included in the separate certification subject specialization State Board Rules.
(e) The requirements of (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 the 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 (2)(b)
of this rule.
6A-4.002 General Provisions.
(1) Educator’s certificates.
(j) Certificates from national certification organizations. Certificates issued by national
certification organizations approved in Florida Statute or by the State Board of Education
shall:
1. Be issued in a subject comparable to a Florida certification subject,
2. Require the same or higher degree level of training required for certification in that
subject in Florida, and
3. Official documentation of the national certificate shall be a photocopy of the front and
back of the original certificate.
(k) (j) Alteration of certificates. The alteration of any certificate with the intent to mislead
or defraud shall be sufficient grounds for revocation of the certificate. It shall be
incumbent upon the certificate holder to establish evidence of the absence of intent to
mislead or defraud.
(5) Teaching experience.
(b) Utilization of teaching experience. A year of full-time teaching experience may be
accepted in lieu of three (3) semester hours of college credit. A maximum of three (3)
years of teaching experience may be used in lieu of nine (9) semester hours of college
credit. Not more than one (1) year of teaching experience may be used in lieu of three
semester hours of college credit toward satisfying requirements in professional
preparation. Not more than two (2) years of teaching experience may be used in lieu of
six (6) semester hours of college credit toward satisfying requirements in professional
preparation or a specialization area. When teaching experience is used to satisfy a
course requirement in a specialization area or to satisfy a subject special methods
course requirement in professional preparation, the teaching experience shall be
comparable to the course requirement acquired in the subject or field and at the
appropriate instructional level to which it is applied.
(c) Limitations on the use of teaching experience. Teaching experience shall not be
accepted in lieu of college credit to satisfy the following certification requirements:
1. Renewal or reinstatement of a professional certificate,
2. Reissuance of a temporary certificate,
3. Satisfaction of a graduate credit requirement,

4. Satisfaction of an entire certification subject.
6) Noncitizens. A noncitizen may be issued an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility
or a certificate as specified below:
(a) An Official Statement of Status of Eligibility shall be issued when the applicant meets
requirements specified in Section 1012.56 (1) 231.17(1)(b), Florida Statutes.

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