What are the major steps of follicular B cell development
According to Basic Immunology - Functions and Disorders of the Immune System (3rd Ed.) by Abbas and Lichtman (Copyright © 2011 by Saunders), p.133:


  A majority of B cells are called follicular B cells because they
  reside in the follicles of lymphoid organs. These follicular B cells
  make the bulk of T-dependent, class-switched, and high-affinity
  antibody responses to protein antigens and give rise to long-lived
  plasma cells.


and in the caption for FIGURE 7-2:



  Subsets of B cells. Follicular B cells make T-dependent responses to protein antigens, and marginal zone and B-1 B cells account for
  most of the T-independent antibody responses. In mice it has been
  shown that B-1 B cells arise earlier in development, from progenitors
  in the fetal liver, and follicular and marginal zone B cells arise
  later, from bone marrow precursors. Comparable differences in the
  origins of these subsets have not been defined in humans. Note also
  that the distinctions in the type of response are not
  absolute—follicular B cells can make T-independent responses and
  marginal zone B cells can make some T-dependent responses. Ig,
  immunoglobulin.


(emphasis not in original)

From the sentence I emphasized, it seems to me that as of 02011, there is still a great deal that is not well-understood about the origins (and perhaps also development?) of human follicular B cells.

Interestingly, in the 4th edition of this textbook (Copyright © 2015 by Saunders), the details have changed slightly (as below):




  Subsets of B cells. Follicular B cells make T-dependent responses to protein antigens, and marginal-zone and B-1 cells account for most
  of the T-independent antibody responses. In mice, B-1 cells arise
  earlier in development, from progenitors in the fetal liver, and
  follicular and marginal-zone B cells arise later, from bone marrow
  precursors. Note also that the distinctions in the type of response
  are not absolute; follicular B cells can make T-independent responses,
  and marginal-zone B cells can make some T-dependent responses. Ig,
  Immunoglobulin.


Most interesting to me is the removal of the 3ed sentence: "Comparable differences in the origins of these subsets have not been defined in humans." Which leads me to believe that comparable differences in the origins of these subsets have now been defined in humans (in the past 4 years).

So I have a definition and description of follicular B cells, but I am unable to find anything else in either edition of this book on the development of follicular B cells (in either mouse or human).

Another reference in my course resources is Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 8th ed., 2014, by Abbas, Lichtman, and Pillai.

In it (Chapter 12: B cell activation and Antibody Production), I find the following about follicular B cells:


  Distinct subsets of B cells respond preferentially to different types of antigens ( Fig. 12-3 ). Follicular B cells in peripheral
  lymphoid organs primarily make antibody responses to protein antigens
  that require collaboration with helper T cells.


Which strikes me as yet another description of follicular B cells, but not a list of steps in their development (which is my learning objective).

The same textbook makes several other mentions of follicular B cells, but does not address their development. Although I should probably already know this (and this may be in some of my lectures but these are not universally searchable and I have precious little time to read), I do not know about either their progenitors or their progeny, and I think this is what is meant by this learning objective: the major steps in their development.

In the same chapter of the same textbook, I also see:


  Most mature naive B lymphocytes are follicular B cells (sometimes also
  called recirculating B cells) that constantly recirculate in the blood
  and migrate from one secondary lymphoid organ to the next in search of
  antigen. Follicular B cells enter secondary lymphoid tissues (spleen,
  lymph nodes, mucosal lymphoid tissues) through blood vessels located
  in the T cell zones, and then they migrate into the follicles, the B
  cell zones of these tissues. The movement into lymphoid follicles is
  guided by the chemokine CXCL13 secreted by follicular dendritic cells,
  the major stromal cell type in the follicle, as well as by other
  stromal cells. CXCL13 binds to the CXCR5 chemokine receptor on the
  recirculating naive B cells and attracts these cells into the
  follicles. As we will discuss later, the same chemokine-receptor pair
  is also important during immune responses because it can attract a
  subset of activated T cells to the follicle.


This seems like a great description of the follicular B cell that also delves into its function, but seems to include nothing about its development.

The same chapter of the same textbook also includes:


  Naive follicular B cells survive for limited periods until they
  encounter antigen (see Chapter 2 ). Follicular B cell survival depends
  on signals from the BCR as well as on inputs received from a tumor
  necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily cytokine called BAFF (B
  cell–activating factor of the TNF family, also known as BLyS, for B
  lymphocyte stimulator), which provides maturation and survival signals
  through the BAFF receptor. BAFF and a related ligand, APRIL, can
  activate two other receptors, TACI and BCMA, which participate in
  later stages of B cell activation and differentiation (and will be
  discussed later). These cytokines are produced mainly by myeloid cells
  in lymphoid follicles and in the bone marrow.


This paragraph briefly address a little bit of what seems like the development of the follicular B cell ("Follicular B cell survival depends on..."). And in chapter 2 I see that follicular B cells are a class of B lymphocytes (along with Marginal zone B cells), but I interpret this learning objective as about the development of follicular B cells after they become follicular B cells, not before this point in their development.

So this is the best answer I can find on my own after many hours of searching and reading relevant passages in recent textbooks on the subject. Yet this answer also seems incomplete to me. After all this reading, I still have no "steps (per se) of follicular B cell development."

So I could really use a more complete answer.