Florida

The purpose of this document is to capture state-by-state information of policy and guidelines related to the science of reading / evidence-based reading instruction to be presented on The Reading League Compass, a website of reliable and reputable guidance and resources for targeted stakeholder groups.

Local control?

Yes

Has your state passed legislation and/or non-legislated rule changes related to the science of reading?

Yes. Florida House Bill (HB) 7039 requires the following:

• All reading instruction must be grounded in the science of reading.
• Credit or points for literacy/or evidence-based instruction and interventions must be grounded in the science of reading when renewing a professional certificate.
• Teacher candidates must receive instructional strategies grounded in the science of reading.

In addition, HB 7039 prohibits the use of three-cuing to teach word reading or as a basis for teaching word reading.

Does your state have an approved curriculum list?

Yes. Florida has adopted a mandatory list of high-quality English Language Arts (ELA) materials.

In addition, HB 7039 requires FLDOE to provide a list of state examined and approved comprehensive reading and intervention programs.

Was evidence-aligned reading instruction a consideration for the curriculum review?

Yes. In 2017, section(s). 101.215, Florida Statutes (F.S.) was amended to require that the Just Read, Florida! Office work with the Florida Center for Reading Research to identify scientifically researched and evidence-based reading instructional and intervention programs.

Link for the Policies and Procedures Specifications for the Florida Instructional Materials Adoption:

Please describe any other instructional-materials work related to the science of reading with links, where applicable

Each district in Florida must submit a Comprehensive Evidence-based Reading Plan (C.E.R.P.) annually that details evidence levels as determined by the 2015 Every Students Succeeds Act (E.S.S.A.) for all assessments, materials and practices

Does your state mandate or provide guidance on early screening?

Yes. Florida requires all children birth to 5 who participate in the School Readiness Program to receive an annual developmental screening via the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ: SE-2). This is done through agencies such as Child Find and Head Start/Early Head Start

In addition, all Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs are required (by s. 1002.68, F.S.) to use the statewide standardized screening and progress monitoring program known as Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (F.A.S.T.) Star Early Literacy. FAST Star early Literacy assessments assess student achievement of the performance standards.

Does your state have policy or guidance related to MTSS that incorporates information on the science of reading and/or evidence-based literacy practices?

Yes. The Florida Department of Education and the University of South Florida partnered to create the Florida Problem Solving/Response to Intervention Project, which indicates that schools must develop a plan for and implement evidence-based strategies to attain MTSS goals

Does your state have policy or guidance related to instruction and/or professional development

Yes. Florida HB 7039 requires the following: all reading instruction must be grounded in the science of reading.

House Bill 7039 also requires that training for reading coaches, classroom teachers and school administrators be based on the science of reading and meet the following requirements:

• Include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary instructional strategy for word reading.
• Instructional strategies included in the training 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 which 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.

HB 7039 also requires contracted training for teaching foundational skills to be based on the science of reading and meet the following requirements:

• Include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary instructional strategy for word reading.
• Instructional strategies included in the training 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 which 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.

Each district in Florida must submit a Comprehensive Evidence-based Reading Plan (CERP) annually in which they indicate their plan for professional development of the B.E.S.T. Standards for ELA that is grounded in the science of reading. In addition, districts are required in their CERP to indicate how they have provided administrators regular professional learning sessions on the science of reading and evidence-based literacy instruction.

Does your state have state-developed guidance documents or training courses related to the science of reading?

Yes. FDOE has developed the following guidance document on the science of reading: ScienceReadK-5ELARubric.pdf (fldoe.org)

Link for professional learning materials based on the science of reading: Professional Learning for B.E.S.T. ELA Standards Implementation (fldoe.org)

FDOE is developing a 5-hour science of reading course for educators to access

FDOE is working with UF Lastinger Center to develop and provide access to an online repository of digital science of reading materials and resources.

Please describe any grant work that names the science of reading and/or evidence-aligned instruction including links, where applicable

Florida offers the High-Impact Reading Interventions and Targeted Supports (H.I.I.T.S.) grant. The purpose of this funding is to provide supplemental support to promote high-quality reading strategies and literacy professional development based in the science of reading.

Florida also offers the Reading Tutoring for K-3 Students grant. The purpose of this funding is to support direct student tutoring in reading to focus on closing achievement gaps and accelerating student reading achievement. The tutoring would include programs that deploy trained tutors to classrooms across the state to support students with reading. Tutoring programs will engage research-based practices and implement literacy rich schedules for identified students that would benefit from these additional supports. The goal is to provide targeted individual or small group tutoring and other student level instruction and support to improve grade level reading by the end of third grade. The Applicants must attend training provided by the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) and utilize the tutoring training materials and resources to train recruited tutors to ensure evidence-based comprehensive resources are utilized to effectively train and support tutors.

Florida also offers the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant (CLSD), the purpose of which is to award subgrants to local education agencies to build capacity of knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Florida also utilizes the GAA funded Science of Reading Literacy and Tutoring grant.

Do you have policy or guidance regarding how to leverage evidence-based practices to support secondary students?

Yes. Regional Literacy Institutes are provided to secondary teachers annually during the summer in addition to the Summer Institute, provided by Just Read, Florida!. Florida has also developed 6-12 Literacy Practice Profiles, which allows for common language around the best instructional practices. In addition, the mandatory annual Comprehensive Evidence-based Reading Plan that each district must submit requires listing of Professional Learning in “B.E.S.T. ELA standards and evidence-based reading programs” for all grade levels.

Does your state have licensure or program approval criteria to ensure Educator Preparation Programs are aligned to the science of reading?

Yes. Florida State House Bill 7039 requires that all teacher prep programs train teachers in science of reading practices.

Do you have a “contact us” website that we can share publicly on TRL Compass?

Use the interactive state map to find descriptions of state-level policy adoption, guidance, and practices related to the science of reading. State policy may include legislation incorporating training or practices related to the science of reading or state education agency guidance regarding policy, professional development, curricula, instruction, or assessment.

Filter by specific topic area(s) to find state-specific work: 

The Reading League expresses gratitude to our collaborators and associates within the state education agencies for sharing their state-specific data. This data will undergo semi-annual updates, contingent upon the availability and resources of the respective state agencies. For any inquiries, clarifications, or updates, please reach out to compass@thereadingleague.org.