Fla. Stat. § 1012.551 — Florida Code / Title XLVIII / Chapter 1012 / Part III / Section 1012.551
1012.551 Teacher preparation core principles, standards, and content.
Status: in_force

(1) Beginning August 1, 2027, each teacher preparation program approved pursuant to ss. 1004.04, 1004.85, and 1012.552 must provide uniform core curricula courses aligned with the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices that establish the foundational standards and expectations for evidence-based instruction and professional responsibility. The State Board of Education shall establish in rule the uniform core curricula.

(2) The uniform core curricula for each state-approved teacher preparation program must meet, at a minimum, the following standards: (a) May not distort significant historical events or include curriculum or instruction that teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities. (b) Must afford candidates the opportunity to think critically, achieve mastery of academic program content, learn instructional strategies, and demonstrate competence. (c) Must use state-approved academic standards to guide instruction. (d) Must provide training on the use of evidence-based instructional materials included on the state-adopted instructional materials list pursuant to s. 1006.28, materials evaluated and identified pursuant to s. 1001.215(4), materials developed pursuant to s. 1006.39, and materials posted online by the department, including when and how to use intervention materials. (e) Must include scientifically researched and evidence-based reading instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading which improve reading performance for all students, including explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text comprehension and multisensory intervention strategies. The primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional strategies for foundational skills may not employ the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. Instructional strategies may include visual information and strategies that improve background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word reading. (f) Must include content literacy and mathematics practices. (g) Must include strategies for differentiated instruction to meet student needs, including English language learners and students with disabilities, while maintaining grade-level expectations. (h) Must include strategies and practices to support effective, evidence-based assessment and grading practices aligned to the state’s academic standards. (i) Must require the completion of a mastery-based clinical experience in classroom settings to provide direct application of program content and instruction and mastery of the components of teaching as outlined in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. These clinical experiences must allow candidates to demonstrate mastery of curriculum and pedagogy through observable performance evaluations aligned with instructional personnel evaluation systems approved pursuant to s. 1012.34. Mastery must be assessed through in-classroom performance, with candidate feedback provided for growth and refinement, rather than solely through written assignments or project-based assessments. Clinical experience may only be provided by individuals who meet the requirements of s. 1012.56(7).

(3) Each state-approved teacher preparation program using the uniform core curricula developed pursuant to this section, must require each teacher candidate to complete: (a) One introduction to education course that allows teacher candidates to demonstrate competency in the cognitive science of learning principles, including cognitive load theory, working memory, and long-term memory; retrieval practice; attention and selective attention; social science of motivation and persistence; background knowledge; and production effect. (b) One classroom management and high-impact teaching strategies course that allows teacher candidates to demonstrate competency of instructional strategies based on Florida Educator Accomplished Practices.

History: s. 4, ch. 2025-107.