FL H1537

Designates September 11 as "9/11 Heroes' Day" with mandatory observance in public schools, requiring at least 45 minutes of instruction on 9/11 history for middle and high school civics/government students beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, and adds the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders—including Japanese internment—as a new required instructional topic in K-12 schools.

Adds the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an accepted assessment alongside the SAT and ACT for grade 11 districtwide testing, Bright Futures Scholarship eligibility, and high school graduation concordant scores, with the State Board of Education to establish concordant CLT scores by rule.

Allows Bright Futures applicants to meet volunteer/paid work hour requirements through any combination of volunteer service and paid work (e.g., 100 combined hours for Academic Scholars, 100 combined hours for Medallion Scholars), with paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, counting toward eligibility.

Creates a Year-Round School Pilot Program for 4 school years beginning 2024-2025, with the Commissioner selecting 5 demographically diverse school districts to implement single-track or multi-track schedules in at least one elementary school each, followed by a report with adoption recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.

Overhauls the state's professional learning system (renamed from "professional development"), establishing rigorous criteria requiring active learning, collaboration, coaching, measurable outcomes, and sustained duration; routine informational meetings are excluded from earning inservice points, and the Department must create a high-quality professional learning marketplace and centralized webpage.

Expands educator certification pathways, including a new temporary certificate for candidates in approved preparation programs with 60+ college credits, extending statements of eligibility from 3 to 5 years, and authorizing charter school governing boards to issue adjunct teaching certificates valid for full-time positions for up to 3 years.

Strengthens Commission for Independent Education oversight by requiring annual accountability reports (graduation, retention, and placement rates by program) beginning June 30, 2024, granting investigative authority over institutions, authorizing enrollment restrictions based on performance, and imposing fines up to $500 for failure to submit required data.

Revises charter school capital outlay funding so that beginning 2023-2024, if state per-student funding falls below CPI-adjusted 2018-2019 levels, charter schools receive supplemental funding from discretionary millage revenue, with eligibility tied to specific academic performance thresholds (no two consecutive "F" grades or three consecutive grades below "C").

Requires teacher preparation programs to incorporate evidence-based grading practices, early identification of students in mental health crisis, and technology/distance learning strategies, while mandating K-12 teachers complete continuing education on identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.

Appropriates $1 million for bleeding control kits in public schools and $5.8 million for competitive procurement of a statewide instructional and library materials transparency tool, both as nonrecurring General Revenue funds for FY 2023-2024, with most provisions effective July 1, 2023.