(1) There is established the William Cecil Golden Professional Learning Program for School Leaders to provide high-quality standards and sustained support for educational leaders. For purposes of this section, the term “educational leader” means teacher leaders, assistant principals, principals, or school district leaders. The program shall consist of a collaborative network of school districts, state-approved educational leadership programs, regional consortia, charter management organizations, and state and national professional leadership organizations to respond to educational leadership needs throughout the state. The network shall support the human-resource learning needs of educational leaders using the framework of leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education. The goal of the network leadership program is to:

(a) Provide resources to support and enhance the roles of educational leaders.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 1012.986

  • Instructional personnel: means any K-12 staff member whose function includes the provision of direct instructional services to students. See Florida Statutes 1012.01
(b) Maintain a clearinghouse and disseminate data-supported information related to the continued enhancement of student achievement and learning, civic education, coaching and mentoring, mental health awareness, technology in education, distance learning, and school safety based on educational research and best practices.
(c) Increase the quality and capacity of educational leadership learning programs.
(d) Support evidence-based leadership practices through dissemination and modeling at the preservice and inservice levels for educational leaders.
(e) Support the professional growth of instructional personnel who provide reading instruction and interventions by training school administrators on classroom observation, instructional coaching, and teacher evaluation practices aligned to evidence-based reading instruction and intervention strategies.
(2) The Department of Education shall coordinate through the network identified in subsection (1) to offer the program components through multiple delivery systems, including:

(a) Approved school district training programs.
(b) Interactive technology-based instruction.
(c) Regional consortium service organizations pursuant to s. 1001.451.
(d) State, regional, university, or local educational leadership academies.
(e) Educational leadership coaching and mentoring.
(3) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this section.