Florida Character Education Curriculum for Grades 6–12
Last updated: March 2026
Florida requires every public school district to deliver character development instruction — and to prove it. Under Fla. Stat. §1003.42, districts must teach 10 named character qualities across all grade levels. In grades 9–12, the mandate expands to include leadership, interpersonal, organization, and research skills. And since July 2024, FAC 6A-1.094124 requires a minimum of 5 hours of data-driven instruction annually in grades 6–12, covering civic and character education combined with life skills through resiliency education.
Florida frames this work as character education and resiliency education — language rooted in statute and State Board policy. That distinction shapes every purchasing decision. The program a district adopts has to match the terminology and reporting structures Florida actually uses.
And the documentation expectations are not optional. Districts must submit annual Required Instruction Implementation Plans to the Florida Department of Education, documenting how each mandated topic is addressed by grade level, including instructor qualifications and materials used. Schools that rely on isolated assemblies or one-time events may find it difficult to demonstrate the systematic, data-driven instruction the state now expects.
What Florida Officially Calls This Work
Character Education in Florida Required Instruction
Florida Statute §1003.42(2)(t) establishes required instruction for all public school students. Among the mandated topics, the statute requires instruction in character development, including the following qualities:
- Patriotism
- Responsibility
- Citizenship
- Kindness
- Respect for authority, life, liberty, and personal property
- Honesty
- Charity
- Self-control
- Racial, ethnic, and religious tolerance
- Cooperation
For grades 9–12, Florida law adds leadership skills, interpersonal skills, organization skills, and research skills as part of character development instruction. Districts should ensure these topics are addressed within their instructional program and reflected in local planning and documentation.
Resiliency Education Standards and the 11 Resiliency Characteristics
In 2021, the Florida State Board of Education adopted Resiliency Education Standards organized around three core tenets:
- Resiliency — the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt to challenges, and persist through difficulty
- Responsibility — taking ownership of actions and their consequences
- Respect — for self, others, and community
In July 2025, the FLDOE and Resiliency Florida released 44 K–12 teacher resources built around 11 Resiliency Characteristics that further define what districts should be teaching:
- Perseverance
- Grit
- Gratitude
- Responsibility
- Responsible Decision-Making
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Self-Awareness & Self-Management
- Mentorship
- Citizenship
- Honesty
- Empathy
These 11 characteristics connect the three resiliency tenets to specific, teachable competencies. In May 2024, the State Board amended Rule 6A-1.09412 to incorporate Resiliency Education Standards into health and physical education courses, further embedding this framework in the standard curriculum.
Florida districts evaluating curriculum right now are specifically asking whether programs map to the 11 Resiliency Characteristics released in July 2025. It’s become a practical litmus test — if a vendor can’t show that alignment, the conversation tends to stall at the committee level.
Florida Requirements Districts Should Understand
The 5-Hour Minimum Instruction Mandate
FAC 6A-1.094124, effective July 2, 2024, requires every Florida district to provide a minimum of 5 hours of data-driven instruction annually in grades 6–12 covering civic and character education combined with life skills education through resiliency education. The instruction must address:
- Resiliency through adversity
- Empathy, perseverance, grit, and gratitude
- Mental health recognition
- Suicide prevention
- Substance abuse prevention
- Peer support
Non-compliance triggers sanctions under Fla. Stat. 1008.32. Districts must submit annual Required Instruction Implementation Plans electronically to the FLDOE, describing instruction methods by grade level, instructor qualifications, and materials used. Plans are due July 1 annually.
Required Character Development Content
Under §1003.42, character development instruction is a statutory requirement across all grade levels. The statute does not prescribe a single curriculum or delivery method, which gives districts flexibility. However, the expectation is that character development is systematic and intentional — not incidental. Districts that rely on isolated assemblies or one-time lessons will struggle to satisfy the documentation and data-driven instruction requirements in FAC 6A-1.094124.
What Documentation Districts Must Maintain
Required Instruction Implementation Plans must show how each mandated topic — including character development and resiliency education — is addressed in the curriculum. Plans document instructional methods, the grade levels where each topic is taught, instructor qualifications, and the materials used. Districts should ensure their selected curriculum provides lesson-level records, assessment data, and clear alignment to the §1003.42 character qualities so that compliance documentation is straightforward rather than a manual reconstruction effort.
How Ori Learning Supports Florida Character Education Requirements
Ori Learning’s Emotional Well-Being Curriculum provides 175 structured lessons for grades 6–12, with 25 lessons per grade organized across five units. The curriculum is designed for the kind of systematic, documented instruction Florida now requires — each lesson includes pre- and post-assessments, and district-level dashboards give administrators the data they need for required instruction reporting under FAC 6A-1.094124.
In a third-party study following ESSA Level III standards, 1,829 high school students using the curriculum during the 2023–24 school year showed statistically significant gains: students who completed all 25 lessons scored 11% higher on emotional well-being measures than those completing only five (Hunt & Styers, 2025). For Florida districts building Required Instruction Implementation Plans, that kind of measurable outcome data demonstrates the data-driven instruction FAC 6A-1.094124 requires.
Crosswalk: Ori Learning Units to Florida’s Character Education and Resiliency Framework
| Ori Learning Unit | §1003.42 Character Qualities Addressed | Resiliency Tenets & Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Awareness — identity, emotions, strengths, growth mindset | Self-control; Respect (self-respect as foundation for respecting others) | Resiliency — Self-Awareness & Self-Management, Gratitude, Grit |
| Self-Management — self-control, goal-setting, stress management, organization | Self-control; Responsibility; Organization skills (9–12) | Responsibility — Perseverance, Grit, Responsible Decision-Making |
| Social Awareness — empathy, perspective-taking, respect for diversity | Racial/ethnic/religious tolerance; Kindness; Charity; Cooperation | Respect — Empathy, Gratitude, Citizenship |
| Relationship Skills — communication, collaboration, conflict resolution | Kindness; Cooperation; Interpersonal skills (9–12); Leadership skills (9–12) | Respect — Mentorship, Citizenship, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving |
| Responsible Decision-Making — ethical reasoning, evaluating consequences | Honesty; Responsibility; Citizenship; Patriotism; Research skills (9–12) | Responsibility — Responsible Decision-Making, Honesty, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving |
Features Most Relevant to Florida Districts
In Florida districts, the implementation-plan question usually comes up before the curriculum question: who is delivering the five hours, and how are we documenting it by grade band? When walking through reporting dashboards with Florida districts, the moment that shifts the conversation is showing that every student’s completion — by lesson, by grade, by campus — is already tracked without teachers manually logging hours.
Compliance-ready reporting. Every lesson generates pre- and post-assessment data. District-level admin dashboards aggregate results across schools, giving administrators the documentation FAC 6A-1.094124 requires without manual data collection. With 25 lessons per grade and structured assessments at every unit, districts can demonstrate far more than the 5-hour minimum. For more on how schools approach measuring student well-being outcomes, Ori’s assessment framework provides a model.
Multilingual access for Florida’s diverse communities. Florida serves one of the most linguistically diverse student populations in the country. The platform includes 130+ language translations, built-in text-to-speech, and speech-to-text input on every open-ended activity — critical for districts with large ELL populations in Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, Hillsborough, and Palm Beach counties.
Flexible delivery across scheduling models. Florida districts implement character education through advisory periods, health classes, intervention blocks, or homeroom. The curriculum supports three delivery modes — Front of Class (teacher-led), Live Participation (collaborative), and Self-Paced (independent) — so it fits whatever scheduling model your district uses. Lessons run 20–30 minutes, making them viable for advisory and bell-to-bell periods alike. Districts looking for practical guidance on implementing student well-being programs in the classroom can adapt these models to Florida’s scheduling structures.
Streamlined integration. Google SSO, Microsoft SSO, Clever, and ClassLink are all supported for student access across Florida districts already using these identity management systems.
Funding a Florida Character Education Curriculum
Mental Health Assistance Allocation (MHAA) — $180M+ Annually
Florida’s largest dedicated funding source for resiliency and student well-being programming is the Mental Health Assistance Allocation, established by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act (2018) under Fla. Stat. 1011.62(13). The MHAA has grown from $75 million in 2019–20 to over $180 million in 2024–25, with each district receiving a minimum of $100,000 and the remainder allocated by proportionate FTE enrollment. District allocations range from approximately $142,000 (Jefferson County) to $20.1 million (Miami-Dade). MHAA funds support school-based mental health programs including resiliency education curriculum — making this a natural fit for character education purchases that align with the state’s resiliency framework.
Required Instruction and Student Services Budgets
Because character development is a statutory requirement under §1003.42, districts can allocate curriculum and instruction funds to meet this obligation. Student services budgets, counseling program funds, and instructional materials allocations may all apply, subject to district procurement and allowable-use guidance.
Title IV-A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment)
Title IV-A formula grants support three pillars: well-rounded education, safe and healthy school conditions, and technology. Character education and student well-being programs are fundable under the first two pillars. Florida distributes sub-grants proportional to Title I-A allocations.
ESSER Funds — Expired
ESSER III obligation deadlines have passed. While some districts may still be liquidating previously obligated funds, ESSER is no longer a viable funding source for new curriculum purchases. Districts should plan around the MHAA, Title IV-A, and general curriculum funds for ongoing character education needs.
Florida Statutes and Standards That Shape Curriculum Selection
Florida Statute §1003.42 — Required Instruction
This is the foundational statute for character education in Florida. It enumerates required instruction topics including character development with the specific qualities listed above. Subsection (2)(o) adds comprehensive health education and life skills, including self-awareness, resiliency, and relationship skills. Districts selecting a character education curriculum should verify that the program addresses each named quality and can produce documentation for required instruction reporting without manual reconstruction.
2021 Student Performance Standards for Character Education
The 2021 student performance standards adopted by the Florida State Board of Education include benchmarks for character education within health education. Standards use the CE prefix (e.g., HE.912.CE.1.1) and are organized by grade band (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12). These benchmarks are browsable at CPALMS, the state’s official standards database.
Resiliency and School Mental Health Guidance
Florida’s school mental health initiatives are closely related to district efforts around character development and resiliency education. The FLDOE provides resources through BuildResiliency.org that help districts connect a Florida resiliency education curriculum with broader student wellness priorities including the Youth Mental Health Awareness Training requirement (80% of school personnel must complete training annually).
Questions Florida Districts Should Ask Before Selecting a Curriculum
The compliance landscape in Florida is specific enough that a generic “character education program” may not survive committee review. Before signing, district teams should get clear answers on several points.
Does the vendor have a crosswalk to both §1003.42 qualities and the 11 Resiliency Characteristics? Florida’s framework has two layers — the statutory character qualities and the 2025 resiliency competencies — and a program that covers one but not the other will leave gaps in your Required Instruction Implementation Plan.
Can you see the data before you commit? FAC 6A-1.094124 specifically requires “data-driven instruction.” If the platform cannot generate pre/post assessment evidence and aggregate it at the district level, the documentation burden falls back on your teachers. Ask for a dashboard walkthrough, not just a demo of the lesson content.
Does the program actually reach 5 hours for secondary grades? Many character education programs were built for elementary and offer thin content above grade 5. Florida’s 5-hour minimum applies to grades 6–12 — verify that the vendor has enough age-appropriate material for middle and high school, not just a total hour count padded by elementary lessons.
How does it handle scheduling? Advisory, health class, intervention blocks, and self-paced settings all need to work. Programs that require a dedicated course period rarely survive the scheduling conversation in Florida secondary schools.
What about multilingual access? In South Florida districts — Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach — language accessibility is a compliance and equity concern. Ask whether the platform offers full translation or just translated PDF handouts.
Ori Learning’s Emotional Well-Being Curriculum addresses each of these. To see the platform and discuss alignment with your district’s requirements, request a demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours of character education are required in Florida grades 6–12?
FAC 6A-1.094124, effective July 2024, requires a minimum of 5 hours of data-driven instruction annually in grades 6–12 covering civic and character education combined with life skills education through resiliency education. The instruction must address resiliency through adversity, empathy, perseverance, grit, gratitude, mental health recognition, suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, and peer support. Districts submit annual implementation plans to the FLDOE documenting compliance.
What evidence should Florida districts keep for required instruction compliance?
Districts must submit Required Instruction Implementation Plans describing how character development and resiliency education are taught at each grade level, including instructor qualifications and instructional materials used. Beyond the plan itself, districts should maintain assessment data, lesson completion records, and scope-and-sequence documentation showing systematic delivery. Programs with built-in pre/post assessments and admin dashboards — like Ori Learning’s platform — reduce this to an export rather than a manual documentation project.
Can character education and resiliency education be delivered together in Florida?
Yes — and the state expects it. FAC 6A-1.094124 specifically requires that the 5-hour minimum cover civic and character education combined with life skills education through resiliency education. The 2024 amendment to Rule 6A-1.09412 also incorporates Resiliency Education Standards into health and physical education courses. A single curriculum that addresses both character qualities (§1003.42) and the 11 Resiliency Characteristics can satisfy multiple mandates simultaneously.
What are Florida’s 11 Resiliency Characteristics?
Defined by Resiliency Florida and published alongside 44 K–12 teacher resources in July 2025, the 11 characteristics are: Perseverance, Grit, Gratitude, Responsibility, Responsible Decision-Making, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Self-Awareness & Self-Management, Mentorship, Citizenship, Honesty, and Empathy. These characteristics operationalize the three resiliency tenets (Resiliency, Responsibility, Respect) into specific instructional targets.
What is the Mental Health Assistance Allocation, and can it fund character education?
The MHAA, established under Fla. Stat. 1011.62(13), provides over $180 million annually to Florida districts for school-based mental health programs. Each district receives at least $100,000, with the remainder allocated by FTE enrollment. Because resiliency education and character development directly support student mental health, curriculum purchases that align with these mandates are a natural fit for MHAA funding. Districts should confirm allowable uses with their finance teams.
Does Florida have an approved vendor list for character education curriculum?
No. Florida does not maintain a state-approved vendor list specifically for character education or resiliency curriculum. Districts retain authority to select instructional materials that meet state standards. The FLDOE instructional materials adoption process covers core subjects; character education falls within health education. Districts evaluating programs should look for alignment to the §1003.42 character qualities, the 11 Resiliency Characteristics, and the ability to document data-driven instruction as required by FAC 6A-1.094124.
Ready to see how Ori Learning supports Florida’s character education and resiliency requirements in grades 6–12? Request a demo to discuss alignment with your district’s specific needs. You can also explore the full Emotional Well-Being Curriculum or read the curriculum evaluation guide for a broader look at how schools are approaching this work nationwide. For comparison, see how Texas approaches character education under its own state-specific framework.
