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Educator Recruitment, Development, & Retention

Professional Development in Florida

• Professional Development Systems Florida Statute 1012.98
• Florida Professional Development Evaluation Protocol Standards
• Master Inservice Plan Requirements State Board Rule 6A-5.071
• District Staff Development Directors (PDF, )
• Model Professional Development Programs
• Professional Development Provider Information
• Professional Development Resources on TeachinFlorida.com
• Professional Development Conference Presentations and Resources
• Title II-A, Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Funds

• Add-on Certification Program Manual (PDF, )
• Approved District Add-on Programs

• Transfer of Inservice Credit Form (Word) (PDF)

As Florida educators continually aim for higher student achievement, their professional development plays a significant role in attaining this goal. In our constantly changing world, it is essential that educators keep current with the latest research and innovations if higher student achievement is to be realized.

The 1997 comprehensive study of Staff Development in Florida revealed that on a given non-instructional day, Florida's school districts deliver more than 6000 offerings in professional development for the state's over 135,000 teachers, not including school - generated professional development events.

The 2000 Florida Legislature enacted new legislation to improve the quality of the professional development system for public education. The legislation is in alignment with the definition of high quality professional development outlined in the Federal No Child Left Behind Act and links professional development with student and instructional personnel needs as determined by school improvement plans, annual school reports, student achievement data, and performance appraisal data of teachers and administrators. Professional development activities focus primarily on subject content and teaching methods, classroom management and school safety. For recent years, districts reported inservice offerings as follows:

Student Needs

Professional development in Florida is linked directly to identified student needs. Principals are required to maintain individual professional development plans for instructional personnel which are based on the needs of students in the classrooms to which they are assigned. Consequently, inservice activities are selected and scheduled locally to correspond to specific schools’ student needs.

Professional Development Standards

District professional development activities are guided by the Florida Professional Development Evaluation System. This evaluation model assesses the local planning, delivery, follow-up and evaluation of professional development activities according to standards modeled after the National Staff Development Council standards as well as Florida Statutory requirements. The Florida Professional Development Evaluation System Protocol includes standards which serve to identify and recognize best practices as well as to identify local professional development systems in need of improvement.

Master Plan for Inservice

District professional development systems must include a master plan for inservice activities. The master plan shall be updated and approved by local boards on an annual basis by September 1 of the current year with written verification submitted annually to the Commissioner of Education by October 1.

Section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, sets forth requirements for educational training programs with further requirements stated in State Board Rule 6A-5.071. For example, according to 6A-5.071, inservice points awarded for successful completion of a component shall be assigned as follows: (a) One inservice point shall be equivalent to one clock hour of participation, (b) Points awarded for completion of college credit shall equate to inservice participation as follows: 1. One semester hour shall equal twenty inservice points, 2. One quarter hour shall equal thirteen and one-third inservice points. Other statutory information regarding professional development can also be found in Section 1012.98, Florida Statutes.

To assist districts and teachers in the transfer of inservice points from one Florida district to another, the Department of Education offers a  Transfer of Inservice Form (PDF) (Word) . Though this form can ensure accurate inservice records transfers, district use is not required.

Professional Development Programs

The Bureau of Educator Recruitment and Professional Development sponsors several professional development programs to assist districts in key initiatives affecting teaching and learning.

Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs

Section 1012.575, Florida Statutes, allows district school boards the authority to design Add-On Alternative Teacher Preparation programs to enable persons already certified to prepare to add an additional coverage to their certificates. The purpose of the Add-On Alternative Teacher Preparation Program is to provide school districts the opportunity to develop inservice teacher education programs that meet specific needs of the district and at the same time provide a mechanism whereby a teacher may prepare to add a certification to his/her teaching certificate without having to take college courses.

Each district add-on program is to be reviewed and approved by the Florida Department of Education. A manual for development of add-on programs (PDF) has been developed by the Department and is available to assist districts.

Special Note to Inservice Providers

The Department of Education does not approve or recommend specific inservice programs or courses to satisfy local inservice needs. To inquire about offering particular programs for inservice, providers should contact district staff development directors.  Each school district in Florida, including the four Developmental Research Schools and some private school organizations, have Staff Development Directors (PDF) who supervise and direct their district’s inservice activities for instructional and non-instructional personnel. These directors ensure that local inservice activities are planned and implemented effectively. They are also responsible for their district's professional development systems which must be approved by the Department of Education.

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