Teacher Certification in Florida, FL

Florida wants excellent, quality teachers in its classrooms, and if you are a prospective educator, the following guide will provide you with the basic steps required to reach your goal. Aspiring teachers who are interested in doing more research before making the decision to pursue licensing or certification for a teaching career in Florida, can visit the Florida Department of Education website which also offers job-specific resources and forms.

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Topics On This Page:

• Elementary Teacher Levels
• Middle Level Teachers
• Secondary Level Teachers
• Florida’s Alternative Certification for Teachers

Becoming a Teacher in Florida

If you decide that a teaching career is the right choice for you, the first step you need to take in Florida is to decide what subject and grade level you want to teach. Some of the grade levels overlap — grades K-6, 5-9 and 6-12 — and some of the subject areas are taught at more than one level, but in general, you must choose the level and subject matter you wish to specialize in. If you have questions about additional academic requirements in your chosen field, you can contact the accredited college or university you wish to attend.

Elementary Level Teachers

Elementary level teachers either choose Elementary Education (grades K-6), Primary / Pre-kindergarten Education (age 3 through 3rd grade) or Preschool Education (birth through age 4). You do not need to select a specific subject area, because elementary, primary and preschool educators are required to study a variety of subjects to prepare them to teach age-specific general curricula.

Middle Level Teachers

For middle level teachers, the subject areas for grades 5-9 include middle level English, mathematics, general science, social science or an integrated curriculum that combines the individual subjects. Ask the education department of college or university you plan to attend about specific education courses they offer in the subject area you want to teach.

Secondary Level Teachers

Secondary school educators teach grades 9-12 and must choose a subject area on which to focus during their academic studies. Subject matter areas include Drama, English, Journalism, Mathematics, Speech, Social Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth-Space Science or Physics.

Bachelor’s Degree

Potential teachers must earn a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Education or Subject-based Education in order to apply for a Florida Teaching Certificate, unless you already have an educator’s license or certification from Florida or another state
More than 50 Florida colleges and universities offer accredited teacher education programs.

Temporary and Professional Certificate Qualifications
The Temporary Certificate and the Professional Certificate are the two types of official Florida

• Educator Certificates.
• Temporary Certificate

The temporary certificate is valid for three school years and is nonrenewable.
Requirements:

• Complete all application process requirements
• Bachelor’s degree with a major in the content area
• Complete required courses with at least a 2.5 GPA in the content area
• Passing score on Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE), such as:
• General Knowledge Test with subtests in English language, reading and mathematics
• Secondary level Subject Area Exams in chosen content area, such as mathematics 6–12 and English 6–12
• Middle Level Exams in chosen content area, such as middle grades mathematics 5–9 or middle grades English 5–9
• Primary/ Pre-kindergarten to Grade 3 General Exam covering science, mathematics, literacy, reading and social science
• Elementary Education K–6 General Exam covering language arts, reading; science and technology, mathematics and social science

Valid certificate issued by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE)

The Florida Temporary Certificate is issued after the teacher is employed in a Florida school and his/her fingerprints have been cleared.
Professional Certificate

The Professional Certificate is valid for five school years and it is renewable.
Requirements:

• Complete all application process requirements
• Hold at least a bachelor’s degree
• Demonstrate mastery of subject area knowledge for chosen subject
• Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge
• Demonstrate mastery of professional preparation and education competence
• Valid certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
• Teacher Education degree program
• Passing Florida Certification Examinations
• Valid Standard Certificate Issued by Another State

The Florida Professional Certificate is issued after the individual’s fingerprints have been cleared.

Florida’s Alternative Certification for Teachers

Alternative certification programs may be offered by school districts and are dependent on the teacher being employed in the district with a temporary certificate and includes the use of distance learning technology.

The alternative certification program has been expanded to allow community colleges, colleges, and universities to offer competency-based alternative certification programs to prospective teachers who already hold a bachelor’s degree.
A major requirement of the alternative certification program curriculum is that all participants prove competencies for teaching reading
Alternate Options for Moving from the Temporary Certificate to the Professional Certificate.

All alternate options require passing the Florida Certification Examinations, and some require passing the Florida Subject Certification Examination.
Possible alternative routes:

• Professional preparation, such as college courses, teaching experience, demonstration of professional education
• Competence in the classroom
• Alternative Certification Program
• Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) Program
• American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) Certificate and demonstration of professional education competence in the classroom
• Approved college professional training option for a content major
• Teaching experience
• Demonstration of professional education competence in the classroom
• Two semesters of successful full-time college teaching experience.

http://www.fldoe.org/

The following School Districts are great places to contact once your certification and education has been accomplished.