CS/SB 206 full text · Session Watch

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 206 By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Harrell 581-01914-26 2026206c1

1 A bill to be entitled

2 An act relating to students with autism spectrum

3 disorder; amending s. 1004.85, F.S.; requiring certain

4 program participants at educator preparation

5 institutes to complete the autism micro-credential;

6 requiring each educator preparation institute to offer

7 training on teaching students with certain

8 disabilities; creating s. 1009.636, F.S.; providing

9 legislative findings; creating the Autism Educator

10 Loan Forgiveness Program; providing eligibility

11 requirements; providing criteria for loan repayment

12 assistance; providing requirements for teachers to

13 receive an annual payment; requiring the State Board

14 of Education to adopt rules; amending s. 1012.22,

15 F.S.; revising salary supplements a district school

16 board must provide; revising which district school

17 board duties collective bargaining may not preclude;

18 amending s. 1012.551, F.S.; revising core curricula

19 for teacher preparation programs; requiring a teacher

20 preparation program to include the autism micro

21 credential; amending s. 1012.552, F.S.; providing that

22 the Coaching for Educator Readiness and Teaching

23 Certification Program must include completion of the

24 autism micro-credential; amending s. 1012.585, F.S.;

25 revising requirements for the renewal of a

26 professional certificate; amending s. 1012.586, F.S.;

27 providing that personnel certified in exceptional

28 student education who complete the Autism Spectrum

29 Disorder Endorsement are eligible for a stipend;

30 amending s. 1012.98, F.S.; requiring a professional

31 learning system to provide at least one autism

32 specific professional development opportunity;

33 providing requirements for the professional

34 development; providing an effective date.

36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

38 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section

39 1004.85, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (9) is

40 added to that section, to read:

41 1004.85 Postsecondary educator preparation institutes.—

42 (3) Educator preparation institutes approved pursuant to

43 this section may offer competency-based certification programs

44 specifically designed for noneducation major baccalaureate

45 degree holders to enable program participants to meet the

46 educator certification requirements of s. 1012.56. An educator

47 preparation institute choosing to offer a competency-based

48 certification program pursuant to the provisions of this section

49 must implement a program developed by the institute and approved

50 by the department for this purpose. Approved programs shall be

51 available for use by other approved educator preparation

52 institutes.

53 (b) Each program participant must:

54 1. Meet certification requirements pursuant to s.

55 1012.56(1) by obtaining a statement of status of eligibility in

56 the certification subject area of the educational plan and meet

57 the requirements of s. 1012.56(2)(a)-(f) before participating in

58 field experiences.

59 2. Demonstrate competency and participate in field

60 experiences that are appropriate to his or her educational plan

61 prepared under paragraph (a). Beginning with candidates entering

62 an educator preparation institute in the 2022-2023 school year,

63 a candidate for certification in a coverage area identified

64 pursuant to s. 1012.585(3)(f) must successfully complete all

65 competencies for a reading endorsement, including completion of

66 the endorsement practicum through the candidate’s field

67 experience, in order to graduate from the program.

68 3. Before completion of the program, fully demonstrate his

69 or her ability to teach the subject area for which he or she is

70 seeking certification by documenting a positive impact on

71 student learning growth in a prekindergarten through grade 12

72 setting and, except as provided in s. 1012.56(7)(a)3., achieving

73 a passing score on the professional education competency

74 examination, the basic skills examination, and the subject area

75 examination for the subject area certification which is required

76 by state board rule.

77 4. For each participant who is certified in exceptional

78 student education, complete the autism micro-credential created

79 pursuant to s. 1004.551(1)(f).

80 (9) By August 1, 2027, as a condition for continued program

81 approval, each educator preparation institute must offer

82 instruction and training on evidence-based practices for

83 teaching students with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome,

84 other developmental disabilities, and emotional or behavioral

85 disabilities, consistent with the uniform core curricula

86 developed by the department.

87 Section 2. Section 1009.636, Florida Statutes, is created

88 to read:

89 1009.636 Autism educator loan forgiveness program.—

90 (1) The Legislature finds that an adequate supply of

91 special education teachers is critical to provide students who

92 have a neurodevelopmental disability, such as autism spectrum

93 disorder, with individualized education to foster essential

94 social-emotional skills, provide positive interventions, and

95 build life skills for independence. The Autism Educator Loan

96 Forgiveness Program is created to recruit and retain qualified

97 individuals to serve as special education teachers for students

98 with autism spectrum disorder.

99 (2) To be eligible, an individual must:

100 (a)1. Have earned a master’s or higher degree in special

101 education or exceptional student education from an accredited

102 institution and have an active student loan balance from

103 completion of that degree, and hold a temporary or professional

104 certificate; or

105 2. Have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from an

106 accredited institution and have an active student loan balance

107 from completion of that degree, hold a temporary or professional

108 certificate, and hold the Autism Spectrum Disorder Endorsement

109 or Severe or Profound Disabilities Endorsement; and

110 (b) Serve as the primary teacher in a public school

111 classroom in which a majority of the students have autism

112 spectrum disorder.

113 (3) Eligible participants may receive up to $17,500 in

114 total student loan repayment assistance over 5 years, disbursed

115 in annual payments not to exceed $3,500 per year. Payments must

116 be made directly to the lender servicing the participant’s

117 student loan.

118 (4) In order for the department to release each annual

119 payment, a teacher must:

120 (a) Have completed a full year of service pursuant to

121 paragraph (2)(b).

122 (b) Have received a rating of effective or highly effective

123 pursuant to s. 1012.34.

124 (c) Not have had any disciplinary action taken by the

125 school district or by the department against the teacher’s

126 certificate.

127 (5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to

128 administer this section.

129 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and paragraph

130 (a) of subsection (3) of section 1012.22, Florida Statutes, are

131 amended to read:

132 1012.22 Public school personnel; powers and duties of the

133 district school board.—The district school board shall:

134 (1) Designate positions to be filled, prescribe

135 qualifications for those positions, and provide for the

136 appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal

137 of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this

138 chapter:

139 (c) Compensation and salary schedules.—

140 1. Definitions.—As used in this paragraph:

141 a. “Adjustment” means an addition to the base salary

142 schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employee’s

143 permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under

144 s. 121.021(22).

145 b. “Grandfathered salary schedule” means the salary

146 schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before

147 July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 4.

148 c. “Instructional personnel” means instructional personnel

149 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute

150 teachers.

151 d. “Performance salary schedule” means the salary schedule

152 or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to

153 subparagraph 5.

154 e. “Salary schedule” means the schedule or schedules used

155 to provide the base salary for district school board personnel.

156 f. “School administrator” means a school administrator as

157 defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c).

158 g. “Supplement” means an annual addition to the base salary

159 for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the

160 employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the

161 supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employee’s

162 continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation

163 under s. 121.021(22).

164 2. Cost-of-living adjustment.—A district school board may

165 provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment:

166 a. Does not discriminate among comparable classes of

167 employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are

168 compensated.

169 b. Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment

170 provided to instructional personnel rated as effective.

171 3. Advanced degrees.—A district school board may use

172 advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional

173 personnel or school administrators if the advanced degree is

174 held in the individual’s area of certification.

175 4. Grandfathered salary schedule.—

176 a. The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule

177 or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all

178 school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional

179 personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed

180 on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 5.

181 Instructional personnel on continuing contract or professional

182 service contract may opt into the performance salary schedule if

183 the employee relinquishes such contract and agrees to be

184 employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. Such an

185 employee shall be placed on the performance salary schedule and

186 may not return to continuing contract or professional service

187 contract status. Any employee who opts into the performance

188 salary schedule may not return to the grandfathered salary

189 schedule.

190 b. In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for

191 instructional personnel, a district school board must base a

192 portion of each employee’s compensation upon performance

193 demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated

194 pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators

195 based upon district-determined factors, including, but not

196 limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics,

197 high-demand teacher needs areas, and level of job performance

198 difficulties.

199 5. Performance salary schedule.—By July 1, 2014, the

200 district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule

201 that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional

202 personnel and school administrators based upon performance

203 determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1,

204 2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered

205 salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be

206 compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once

207 they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for

208 this purpose.

209 a. Base salary.—The base salary shall be established as

210 follows:

211 (I) The base salary for instructional personnel or school

212 administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule

213 shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including

214 adjustments only.

215 (II) Instructional personnel or school administrators new

216 to the district, returning to the district after a break in

217 service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for

218 the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of

219 instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed

220 on the performance salary schedule.

221 b. Salary adjustments.—Salary adjustments for highly

222 effective or effective performance shall be established as

223 follows:

224 (I) The annual salary adjustment under the performance

225 salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must

226 be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary

227 adjustment available to an employee of the same classification

228 through any other salary schedule adopted by the district.

229 (II) The annual salary adjustment under the performance

230 salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal

231 to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual

232 adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same

233 classification.

234 (III) A salary schedule shall not provide an annual salary

235 adjustment for an employee who receives a rating other than

236 highly effective or effective for the year.

237 c. Salary supplements.—In addition to the salary

238 adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary

239 supplements for activities that must include, but are not

240 limited to:

241 (I) Assignment to a Title I eligible school.

242 (II) Assignment to a school that earned a grade of “F” or

243 three consecutive grades of “D” pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that

244 the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following

245 improved performance in that school.

246 (III) Certification and teaching in high-demand teacher

247 needs areas. Statewide high-demand teacher needs areas shall be

248 identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07.

249 However, the district school board may identify other areas of

250 high-demand needs within the school district for purposes of

251 this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the

252 state board which do not apply within the school district.

253 (IV) Assignment of additional academic responsibilities.

254 (V) Completion of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Endorsement.

256 If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school

257 board’s ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the

258 performance salary schedule shall not be reduced on the basis of

259 total cost or the value of individual awards in a manner that is

260 proportionally greater than reductions to any other salary

261 schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation for

262 longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who are

263 on any other salary schedule must be included in calculating the

264 salary adjustments required by sub-subparagraph b.

265 (3)(a) Collective bargaining.—Notwithstanding provisions of

266 chapter 447 related to district school board collective

267 bargaining, collective bargaining may not preclude a district

268 school board from carrying out its constitutional and statutory

269 duties related to the following:

270 1. Providing incentives to effective and highly effective

271 teachers.

272 2. Implementing intervention and support strategies under

273 s. 1008.33 to address the causes of low student performance and

274 improve student academic performance and attendance.

275 3. Implementing student discipline provisions required by

276 law, including a review of a student’s abilities, past

277 performance, behavior, and needs.

278 4. Implementing school safety plans and requirements.

279 5. Implementing staff and student recognition programs.

280 6. Distributing correspondence to parents, teachers, and

281 community members related to the daily operation of schools and

282 the district.

283 7. Providing any required notice or copies of information

284 related to the district school board or district operations

285 which is readily available on the school district’s website.

286 8. The school district’s calendar.

287 9. Providing incentives to exceptional student education

288 teachers who complete the Autism Spectrum Disorder Endorsement,

289 in addition to any stipend funded in the General Appropriations

290 Act for completion of the endorsement, and who serve as the

291 primary teacher in a classroom in which a majority of the

292 students have autism spectrum disorder.

293 Section 4. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section

294 1012.551, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (4) is

295 added to that section to read:

296 1012.551 Teacher preparation core principles, standards,

297 and content.—

298 (2) The uniform core curricula for each state-approved

299 teacher preparation program must meet, at a minimum, the

300 following standards:

301 (g) Must include strategies for differentiated instruction

302 to meet student needs, including English language learners and

303 students with disabilities, while maintaining grade-level

304 expectations. The strategies must also include specific training

305 aligned with evidence-based practices for supporting students

306 with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, other

307 developmental disabilities, and emotional or behavioral

308 disabilities applicable across all levels of support.

309 (4) Each state-approved teacher preparation program using

310 the uniform core curricula developed pursuant to this section

311 must include the autism micro-credential created pursuant to s.

312 1004.551(1)(f), which shall count for at least 1 semester hour

313 toward completion of the program.

314 Section 5. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (2) of

315 section 1012.552, Florida Statutes, to read:

316 1012.552 The Coaching for Educator Readiness and Teaching

317 (CERT) Certification Program.—

318 (2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—A CERT program must include all

319 of the following:

320 (g) Required successful completion of the autism micro

321 credential created pursuant to s. 1004.551(1)(f) for a candidate

322 certification in exceptional student education.

323 Section 6. Paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section

324 1012.585, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

325 1012.585 Process for renewal of professional certificates.—

326 (3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the

327 following requirements must be met:

328 (e) Beginning July 1, 2014, an applicant for renewal of a

329 professional certificate must earn a minimum of one college

330 credit or the equivalent inservice points in the area of

331 instruction for teaching students with disabilities. The

332 requirement in this paragraph may not add to the total hours

333 required by the department for continuing education or inservice

334 training. Beginning August 1, 2027:

335 1. Instruction for teaching students with disabilities must

336 include autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, other

337 developmental disabilities, and emotional or behavioral

338 disabilities.

339 2. An applicant certified in exceptional student education

340 must earn the autism micro-credential created pursuant to s.

341 1004.551(1)(f), which must count toward 3 college credits or the

342 equivalent inservice points. Once earned, an applicant is not

343 required to earn the micro-credential for additional renewal

344 periods.

345 Section 7. Subsection (3) is added to section 1012.586,

346 Florida Statutes, to read:

347 1012.586 Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate

348 certificates; reading endorsement pathways.—

349 (3) Personnel certified in exceptional student education

350 who complete the Autism Spectrum Disorder Endorsement are

351 eligible for a stipend as specified in the General

352 Appropriations Act.

353 Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section

354 1012.98, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

355 1012.98 School Community Professional Learning Act.—

356 (5) The Department of Education, school districts, schools,

357 Florida College System institutions, and state universities

358 share the responsibilities described in this section. These

359 responsibilities include the following:

360 (b) Each school district shall develop a professional

361 learning system as specified in subsection (4). The system shall

362 be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher-educators of

363 Florida College System institutions and state universities,

364 business and community representatives, and local education

365 foundations, consortia, and professional organizations. The

366 professional learning system must:

367 1. Be reviewed and approved by the department for

368 compliance with s. 1003.42(3) and this section. Effective March

369 1, 2024, the department shall establish a calendar for the

370 review and approval of all professional learning systems. A

371 professional learning system must be reviewed and approved every

372 5 years. Any substantial revisions to the system must be

373 submitted to the department for review and approval. The

374 department shall establish a format for the review and approval

375 of a professional learning system.

376 2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and

377 instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous,

378 relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools

379 and districts, in developing and refining the professional

380 learning system, shall also review and monitor school discipline

381 data; school environment surveys; assessments of parental

382 satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers, managers,

383 and administrative personnel; and other performance indicators

384 to identify school and student needs that can be met by improved

385 professional performance.

386 3. Provide inservice activities coupled with follow-up

387 ~~followup~~ support appropriate to accomplish district-level and

388 school-level improvement goals and standards. The inservice

389 activities for instructional and school administrative personnel

390 shall focus on analysis of student achievement data; ongoing

391 formal and informal assessments of student achievement;

392 identification and use of enhanced and differentiated

393 instructional strategies that emphasize rigor, relevance, and

394 reading in the content areas; enhancement of subject content

395 expertise; integrated use of classroom technology that enhances

396 teaching and learning; classroom management; parent involvement;

397 and school safety.

398 4. Provide inservice activities and support targeted to the

399 individual needs of new teachers participating in the

400 professional learning certification and education competency

401 program under s. 1012.56(8)(a).

402 5. Include a professional learning catalog for inservice

403 activities, pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education,

404 for all district employees from all fund sources. The catalog

405 must be updated annually by September 1, must be based on input

406 from teachers and district and school instructional leaders, and

407 must use the latest available student achievement data and

408 research to enhance rigor and relevance in the classroom. Each

409 district inservice catalog must be aligned to and support the

410 school-based inservice catalog and school improvement plans

411 pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). Each district inservice catalog must

412 provide a description of the training that middle grades

413 instructional personnel and school administrators receive on the

414 district’s code of student conduct adopted pursuant to s.

415 1006.07; integrated digital instruction and competency-based

416 instruction and CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry

417 certifications; classroom management; student behavior and

418 interaction; extended learning opportunities for students; and

419 instructional leadership. District plans must be approved by the

420 district school board annually in order to ensure compliance

421 with subsection (1) and to allow for dissemination of research

422 based best practices to other districts. District school boards

423 shall submit verification of their approval to the Commissioner

424 of Education no later than October 1, annually. Each school

425 principal may establish and maintain an individual professional

426 learning plan for each instructional employee assigned to the

427 school as a seamless component to the school improvement plans

428 developed pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional

429 learning plan must be related to specific performance data for

430 the students to whom the teacher is assigned, define the

431 inservice objectives and specific measurable improvements

432 expected in student performance as a result of the inservice

433 activity, and include an evaluation component that determines

434 the effectiveness of the professional learning plan.

435 6. Include inservice activities for school administrative

436 personnel, aligned to the state’s educational leadership

437 standards, which address updated skills necessary for

438 instructional leadership and effective school management

439 pursuant to s. 1012.986.

440 7. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and

441 state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and

442 evaluation of local professional learning programs.

443 8. Provide for delivery of professional learning by

444 distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to

445 reach more educators at lower costs.

446 9. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and

447 effectiveness of professional learning programs in order to

448 eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand

449 effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such

450 activities on the performance of participating educators and

451 their students’ achievement and behavior.

452 10. For all grades, emphasize:

453 a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and

454 instruction.

455 b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to

456 the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41.

457 c. Use of small learning communities; problem-solving,

458 inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students;

459 strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based

460 instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based

461 instruction.

463 Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall include

464 in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a

465 description of the specific strategies used by the school to

466 implement each item listed in this subparagraph.

467 11. Provide training to reading coaches, classroom

468 teachers, and school administrators in effective methods of

469 identifying characteristics of conditions such as dyslexia and

470 other causes of diminished phonological processing skills;

471 incorporating instructional techniques into the general

472 education setting which are proven to improve reading

473 performance for all students; and using predictive and other

474 data to make instructional decisions based on individual student

475 needs. The training must help teachers integrate phonemic

476 awareness; phonics, word study, and spelling; reading fluency;

477 vocabulary, including academic vocabulary; and text

478 comprehension strategies into an explicit, systematic, and

479 sequential approach to reading instruction, including

480 multisensory intervention strategies. Such training for teaching

481 foundational skills must be based on the science of reading and

482 include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the

483 primary instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional

484 strategies included in the training may not employ the three

485 cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for

486 teaching word reading. Such instructional strategies may include

487 visual information and strategies which improve background and

488 experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language

489 and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to

490 teach word reading. Each district must provide all elementary

491 grades instructional personnel access to training sufficient to

492 meet the requirements of s. 1012.585(3)(f).

493 12. Provide at least one autism-specific professional

494 development opportunity annually for instructional personnel and

495 school-based administrators. The professional development must

496 be developed and delivered in coordination with the district’s

497 assigned Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and must

498 include evidence-based practices for supporting students with

499 autism spectrum disorder across all levels of need, including

500 academic instruction, behavioral supports, communication

501 strategies, and inclusive practices.

502 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.