6A-4.004
Florida Educator's Certificates with Academic, Administrative, and Specialty Class Coverages.
A Florida educator's certificate is issued to an applicant with academic, administrative, degreed vocational, and specialty class coverages as specified below.
(1) Temporary certificate.
(a) The five-year nonrenewable temporary certificate may be issued to an applicant who does not qualify for the professional certificate but meets the following requirements:
1. Holds a valid Official Statement of Status of Eligibility as specified in Section 231.17(1)(b), Florida Statutes, which reflects that the applicant has satisfied specialization requirements for the subject requested,
2. Obtains full-time employment in a position for which a Florida educators' certificate is required in a Florida public, state supported, or a nonpublic school which has a Department of Education approved system for documenting the demonstration of required professional education competence. Verification of employment shall be submitted by a Florida district superintendent or designee or the chief administrative officer, and
3. Satisfies the fingerprint requirement as follows:
a. Submits the original fingerprint reports which have been processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as specified below:
(I) Original fingerprint reports shall be provided by the employing district, state supported school, or nonpublic school. A name and description search shall be acceptable in lieu of a technical fingerprint search after two (2) sets of fingerprints are declared illegible by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or the Federal Bureau of Investigation or when an individual is unable to provide fingerprints because of a physical disability, and
(II) Fingerprints shall have been submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation within the two-year period immediately preceding the date of employment for which the certificate is required, or
b. Holds a Florida educator's certificate which has not expired for more than one (1) school fiscal year from the date the application for a certificate is received by the Bureau of Educator Certification.
(b) Expired temporary certificates. A five-year nonrenewable temporary certificate may be issued to an applicant who held a temporary certificate but did not hold a temporary certificate for the school year immediately preceding the school fiscal year for which the certificate is requested and meets all requirements specified in paragraph (1)(a) of this rule.
(2) Professional certificate.
(a) The professional certificate is the standard, renewable type of certificate issued by the Department of Education to an applicant who meets the following eligibility requirements:
1. Completes the application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, F.A.C.; and,
2. Satisifes all eligibility criteria specified in Section 1012.56(2), F.S.
(b) A standard, renewable professional certificate covering a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) subject in grades 6 though 12 may be issued to an applicant who meets the following eligibility requirements:
1. Completes the application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, F.A.C.,
2. Satisifes the eligibility criteria specified in paragraphs (a) through (h) of Section 1012.56(2), F.S.,
3. Holds a master’s or higher degree in a STEM area from an acceptable institution as defined in Rule 6A-4.003, F.A.C.,
4. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional education test; and,
5. Achieves a “summative evaluation rating” of highly effective on the teacher’s most recent annual performance evaluation assessed by an evaluation system approved pursuant to Rule 6A-5.030, F.A.C. The summative evaluation rating must be based in part on teaching a high school course in the same STEM subject area as the teacher’s advanced degree for which student performance is measured by one of the following:
a. A Florida statewide, standardized assessment;
b. An Advanced Placement (AP) examination;
c. An Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) examination, or
d. An International Baccalaureate (IB) examination.
The district shall verify, using the district verification form, “STEM-2016” (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07645) (effective December 2016), which is herein incorporated by reference and made part of this rule, that its calculation of the highly effective summative evaluation rating is based in part on the performance of students as measured by one of the above specified statewide, standardized or national assessments for a high school course listed in the publication, “Florida STEM Course List,” (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07646) (effective December 2016), which is herein incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. Both incorporated documents may be obtained without cost from the Bureau of Educator Certification, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
(c) The standard professional certificate may be renewed or extended based on provisions specified in Rule 6A-4.0051, F.A.C.
(3) Nonrenewable certificates covering speech-language impaired.
(a) One nonrenewable temporary certificate valid for two (2) school fiscal years shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:
1. Completes the application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, FAC.,
2. Obtains full-time employment as specified in subparagraph (1)(a)2., of this rule,
3. Submits fingerprint reports as specified in subparagraph (1)(a)3., of this rule, and
4. Holds a bachelor's degree in speech-language impairment from an accredited or approved institution as specified in Rule 6A-4.003, FAC.,
(b) One nonrenewable professional certificate valid for five (5) school fiscal years shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:
1. Meets requirements for a temporary certificate covering speech-language impaired as specified in paragraph (3)(a) of this rule,
2. Demonstrates mastery of general knowledge by one of the options specified in section 231.17(3), Florida Statutes,
3. Demonstrates mastery of professional preparation and education competence by one of the options specified in section 231.17(5), Florida Statutes, and
4. Submits verification of acceptance and enrollment into a graduate degree program in speech-language impaired at an accredited or approved institution as prescribed in Rule 6A-4.003, FAC. Verification of admission to the program shall be an official transcript or a letter from an official of the college or university.
(4) Certificates covering only athletic coaching (grades K-12).
(a) A certificate valid for three (3) school fiscal years reflecting only athletic coaching may be issued to an applicant who does not meet the requirements specified in paragraph (4)(b) of this rule. The certificate may be issued one (1) time to an applicant who meets the following requirements:
1. Completes the application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, FAC., and
2. Submits fingerprint reports as specified in subparagraph (1)(a)3., of this rule.
(b) A certificate valid for five (5) school fiscal years reflecting only athletic coaching may be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:
1. Completes the application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, FAC.,
2. Satisfies specialization requirements as specified in subsection (2) of Rule 6A-4.0282, FAC., and
3. Submits fingerprint reports as specified in subparagraph (1)(a)3., of this rule.
(5) Addition of subjects to a professional certificate. A subject may be added to a valid professional certificate when an applicant meets the following requirements:
(a) Completes application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, FAC., and
(b) Demonstrates mastery of the subject matter as specified in section 231.17(4), Florida Statutes, for each subject to be added to a professional certificate.
(6) Addition of endorsements. An endorsement may be added to a valid temporary or professional certificate when an applicant meets the following requirements:
(a) Completes the application requirements as specified in Rule 6A-4.0012, FAC., and
(b) Satisfies the specialization requirements specified in the rules of the Florida State Board of Education for each endorsement to be added to the certificate.
(7) Expired certificates.
(a) Certificates which have expired are invalid.
(b) An applicant who held a professional certificate which has expired may secure another professional certificate provided all requirements for the professional certificate in effect at the time the application is filed have been completed. Completion of requirements for issuance of a professional certificate which has expired shall not be considered as satisfaction of requirements for subsequent professional certificates.
(c) An applicant who does not qualify for the professional certificate may be issued a temporary certificate as specified in subsection (1) of this rule.
(d) An applicant whose professional certificate has been expired for less than five (5) years may reinstate the professional certificate if requirements are completed as specified in Rule 6A-4.0051(6), FAC.
Specific Authority 1001.02, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1012.54, 1012.55, 1012.56 FS. History–Amended 4-20-64, 4-8-68, 7-7-68, 4-11-69, 4-11-70, 9-17-72, 8-17-74, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Amended 11-9-76, 7-1-79, 8-27-80, 1-3-82, 4-26-84, 11-18-84, 6-18-85, Formerly 6A-4.04, Amended 12-25-86, 10-18-88, 9-12-89, 12-4-89, 4-15-91, 10-10-91, 5-3-94, 10-15-01, 12-27-04.