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Educator Certification

What you need to know to become a Certified Educator in Florida.

General Certification Requirements for Individuals Applying for Initial Certification
Revised May 2005
Florida Department of Education
Bureau of Educator Certification

Steps to Certification:

Completing the following four steps will lead to an initial Florida Certificate.

• Step 1. Submit a Complete Application.
  Submit an Application Form CG-10, processing fee of $56.00 per subject requested, copies of certificates you hold from other U.S. states, U.S. territories, NBPTS, or ABCTE, and official transcripts that reflect conferral of at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited or approved institution.
• Step 2. Receive an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility.
  In response to the completed application, the applicant will receive from the Bureau an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility, which reflects the result of our evaluation and is the official notice of whether or not the individual qualifies for a certificate. The Official Statement either verifies that an individual qualifies for a Florida certificate or lists requirements that must be completed for the individual to qualify for a certificate. If the Official Statement indicates that you are not eligible, deficiencies must be completed before going on to Step 3.
• Step 3. Obtain Employment in a Florida School.
  If the Official Statement reflects that you are eligible for at least a Temporary Certificate, then you are eligible to seek employment as an educator in Florida. Local school board personnel offices provide information about that school district’s employment process. You must qualify for a Temporary or Professional Certificate to teach in Florida.
• Step 4. Submit fingerprints processed by the FDLE and FBI.
  If you are employed with a Florida public school district, the employer will assist you with completing the required fingerprint process and will submit to our Bureau the fingerprint report required for issuance of a Florida Educator’s Certificate. If you are employed in an acceptable nonpublic school, the fingerprints are submitted through your employer to the Bureau of Educator Certification for processing. If your application or fingerprint report reflects a criminal offense record, that information is referred to the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau of Professional Practices Services. Issuance of your certificate is contingent upon the results of their review.

Types of Florida Educator’s Certificates

There are two types of Florida Educator’s Certificates. The standard or highest certificate in Florida is the Professional Certificate, which is valid for five school years and may be renewed. Florida also issues a nonrenewable Temporary Certificate, which is valid for three school years, to an individual who does not qualify for the Professional Certificate but meets certain criteria to demonstrate subject content knowledge. Florida does not issue an "emergency" certificate.

Qualifying for a Professional Certificate

When Step 1 is completed, you will receive an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility reflecting eligibility for a Professional Certificate (Step 2), if documentation of all of the following has been received:

• Mastery of general knowledge.
• Mastery of subject area knowledge.
• Mastery of professional preparation and education competence.

Direct Routes to a Professional Certificate
Florida laws provide for the acceptance of valid standard certificates from other U.S. states, U.S. territories, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to meet all qualifications shown above for the Professional Certificate. Visit our web site at www.fldoe.org/edcert details about these direct routes and the subjects in which Florida offers certification.

State Certified Educator
This individual must submit with his/her complete application a copy of a valid standard certificate issued by a U.S. state or territory in a subject that is determined to be comparable to a subject issued in Florida.

Nationally Certified Educator
This individual must submit with his/her application a copy of a valid standard certificate issued by the NBPTS.

Qualifying for a Temporary Certificate

If you complete Step 1 and do not qualify for a Professional Certificate, you may receive an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility reflecting eligibility for a Temporary Certificate (Step 2), if you:

• demonstrate mastery of subject area knowledge (see following page for options), or
• complete the degree or course requirements outlined in Florida State Board of Education Rules for the subject you have requested with a GPA of 2.5 in the subject courses.

Options for Meeting Certification Requirements
Individuals who are issued a Temporary Certificate must complete the following to be issued a Professional Certificate.

• Demonstrating Mastery of General Knowledge
  This requirement must be satisfied within one year from the date of initial employment in Florida. Mastery of general knowledge may be demonstrated by one of the following:
• Achievement of a passing score on the Florida General Knowledge Test.
• Achievement of a passing score on the Florida College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) earned prior to July 1, 2002.
• A valid standard teaching certificate issued by another U.S. state, U.S. territory, NBPTS, or American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE).
• Two semesters of full-time college teaching experience at an accredited or approved institution.
• Demonstrating Mastery of Subject Area Knowledge
  Mastery of subject area knowledge may be demonstrated by one of the following:
• For bachelor’s degree level subjects: Achievement of a passing score on the appropriate Florida subject area examination earned after July 1, 2002.
• For master’s degree level subjects: Completion of the required degree and content courses listed in State Board Rule for the subject and achievement of a passing score on the appropriate Florida subject area examination.
• For all subject areas: A valid standard certificate issued in the subject at the same degree level required in Florida by another U.S. state, U.S. territory, NBPTS, or ABCTE.
• Demonstrating Mastery of Professional Preparation and Education Competence
  Mastery of professional preparation and education competence may be demonstrated by one of the following:
  • Completion of a Florida state-approved teacher preparation program or a teacher education program from an institution outside Florida and achievement of a passing score on the Florida Professional Education Test.
  • A valid standard certificate issued by another U.S. state, U.S. territory, or NBPTS an institution located outside the U.S. must be reviewed by the Bureau of Educator.
  • A valid standard certificate issued by ABCTE Certification and completion of an approved professional education competence demonstration system.
  • Completion of a Florida state-approved alternative certification program.
  • Completion of 20 semester hours of specified education courses, completion of an approved professional education competence demonstration system, and achievement of a passing score on the Florida Professional Education Test.
  • Two semesters of full-time college teaching experience at an accredited or approved institution.

Accredited or Approved Institutions

To complete Step 1, you must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited or approved institution. The following explains degrees and credits acceptable for Florida certification.

Degrees Awarded by U.S. Institutions
A degree awarded by an institution located within the U.S. is acceptable if the institution is authorized to award bachelor’s degrees and meets one of the following criteria:

• Accreditation by one of the six regional accrediting associations.
• Accreditation by an accrediting agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education
• Acceptance of the degree for certification purposes by the state department of education where the institution is located.

Isolated credit is acceptable from an institution that meets the above criteria and is authorized to award an associate’s or higher degree.

Degrees Awarded by Institutions Outside the U.S.
A degree awarded by an institution located outside the U.S. must be reviewed by the Bureau of Educator Certification for determination of acceptance. Official documentation of educational training from these institutions is as follows:

• A notarized true photocopy of the applicant’s original diploma. The applicant must take the original diploma to either a notary public or a Florida school district’s official certification contact for verification. The notary or contact must make a photocopy of the original document, affix his/her seal and signature, and state on the copy "This is a true and correct copy of the original document."
• All documents submitted must bear the applicant’s U.S. social security number or date of birth if a social security number has not yet been assigned.
• All documents submitted in a language other than English must be accompanied by a translation prepared by someone other than the applicant.
• A statement of degree equivalency and breakdown of credits into descriptive course titles and semester-hour credits must be provided by an accredited U.S. institution or by a professional credential evaluation service approved by the Bureau.
• Visit www.fldoe.org/edcert/foreign.asp for details including information on Canadian credentials.

Get detailed certification information and apply online at www.fldoe.org/edcert

Bureau of Educator Certification
Florida Department of Education
800-445-6739 (U.S. residents)
850-245-5049 (outside U.S.)

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