Florida offers a number of traditional and alternative educator preparation routes that lead to full Professional certification. Some routes are direct pathways to the Professional Certificate. For other routes, the individual first teaches under a Temporary Certificate and then moves to the Professional Certificate.

Direct Pathways to a Professional Certificate
Many applicants go directly to the full Professional Certificate by following one of these pathways:

1. Valid Standard Certificate Issued by another State (See Reciprocity)
2. Valid Certificate Issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
3. Teacher Education Degree Program and Passing Florida Certification Examinations
4. Educator Preparation Institute Program and Passing Florida Certification Examinations
5. Two Semesters of Full-Time College Teaching Experience, Passing the Florida Professional Education Test, and Passing the Florida Subject Area Examination (for a bachelor's level subject). [NOTE: A graduate level subject requires the graduate degree/coursework specified in the governing State Board Rule in addition to Passing the Florida Subject Area Examination.]

Pathways to a Temporary Certificate
Applicants who do not currently meet all requirements for a Professional Certificate, can qualify for the Temporary Certificate with one of these pathways:

1. Bachelor's Degree with a Passing Score on the Florida Subject Area Examination (for subjects that require no more than a bachelor's degree)
2. Bachelor's Degree with a Valid Certificate Issued by American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE)
3. Bachelor's Degree with a Major in the Content Area
4. Bachelor's Degree with Required Courses and 2.5 GPA in the Content Area

Pathways to Upgrade from a Temporary to a Professional Certificate
The individual who has been teaching under a Temporary Certificate can move to the Professional Certificate with one of these pathways:

1. Valid Certificate Issued by American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) and Demonstration of Professional Education Competence in the Classroom
2. Florida Professional Development Certification Program and Passing Florida Certification Examinations
3. College Professional Training Option, Teaching Experience, Demonstration of Professional Education Competence in the Classroom, and Passing Florida Certification Examinations
4. Professional Preparation College Courses, Teaching Experience, Demonstration of Professional Education Competence in the Classroom, and Passing Florida Certification Examinations
5. Graduate Degree in a STEM Field; Teach Approved STEM High School Course; Hold 6-12 STEM Certification; Highly Effective Summative Rating Based on Student Performance on AP, IB, AICE or EOC Assessments; and Passing Florida Certification Examinations

The OCPS alternative certification program, known as Professional Learning Certification Program (PLCP), is designed to offer non-education majors, who hold at least a bachelor's degree in a subject for which a professional certificate may be issued, the opportunity to be trained as an educator. The OCPS PLCP philosophy is based on a deep commitment to intense focus on student achievement by building a high-performing and dedicated team of teachers through a quality competency-based program. The goal of the PLCP is to expand the pool of educators to include non-education majors committed to making a positive impact on student achievement and providing quality educational opportunities.

In order to qualify for the OCPS PLCP, an applicant must:

• Be an instructional employee of OCPS in a teaching assignment related to and in a subject matter and grade level setting that are covered by the certification.
• Hold or be eligible for a temporary teaching certificate from the Florida Department of Education.
• Hold at least a bachelor's degree, meet the subject area requirements in a subject area for which a professional certificate may be issued or pass the state subject area exam, and be certified for the teaching assignment.
• Obtain the signature of the school-based support team including the hiring principal on the PLCP Application.
• Sign the PLCP Application as an agreement of participation.

After PLCP completion, the candidate may seek a professional certificate.

Get more information about the transition to teaching.

Get more information about PLCP.

For additional questions, you may contact the program administrators:

Bonnie Toffoli

Director
bonnie.toffoli@ocps.net

Kwani Woods
Senior Administrator
kwani.woods@ocps.net 

Florida has two reciprocity routes for certified teachers and administrators from another state that may be used to qualify for our Professional Certificate.  The Florida Department of Education certification site details both reciprocity routes and includes instructions for application.

Upgrading from the Temporary to Professional Certificate

Academic Adult teachers may be assigned to teach adult learners in the following areas:

Adult Basic Education (ABE)
General Educational Development (GED)
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Applied Academics for Adult Education (AAAE)

Information regarding certification for Academic Adult Education teachers, visit the Career & Technical Education Certification page.  

Candidates for full time degreed Career and Technical Education (CTE) vocational teaching positions must hold a valid State of Florida teaching certificate or valid Statement of Eligibility (SOE).

Candidates for full time non-degreed Career and Technical Education (CTE) vocational teaching positions must meet eligibility requirements for a local District issued certificate.

Additional information regarding certification for Career and Technical Education Vocational Teachers can be found here.

The application for a for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) District issued vocational  certificate can be found here.

For additional questions regarding Career and Technical Education (CTE) certification, please contact Karen Migetz at: Karen.Migetz@ocps.net.

A professional teaching certificate in the state of Florida is valid for five school years.   It is renewable at the end of each five-year term. 

Beginning in 2025, educators whose certificate expires on or after 6/30/2025, will need to earn 120 in-service points to include 20 in-service points in ESE SWD and 40 in-service points in approved READING courses IF the educator is renewing ANY of the following coverages:

• Elementary Education (K-6) or Elementary Education (grades 1-6)
• Prekindergarten/Primary Education (age 3 through grade 3)
• Primary Education (grades K-3)
• English (6-12) or Middle Grades English (grades 5-9)
• Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum (grades 5-9)
• Reading (K-12) or Reading Endorsement
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (grades K-12)
• ESE K-12

Educators certified in Educational Leadership and/or School Principal must complete 20 in-service points in Florida Educational Leadership Standards. 

For a complete list of renewal requirements, please visit the Florida Department of Education Educator Certification Renewal Requirements page.

OCPS employees that hold a valid state issued professional teaching certificate must apply for renewal online with the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Certification. The renewal application must be received in the Bureau of Educator Certification prior to the expiration date of the Professional Certificate.

If you have not logged onto the new Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) online application system, you will need to complete the New Account Setup and Initial On-boarding Process first, click here for instructions.  Please indicate #48 – Orange County as your district affiliation, if not displayed already.

Once you have an account, apply online with the FLDOE for your renewal: click here to apply. 

Once you log in you should see the screen below. Click on the "Select" button next to "Renewal Application" to start the application process with the Florida Department of Education.

Renewal fees are the responsibility of the employee.  Please submit payment to the OCPS Certification Department after you have submitted your renewal application online to the FLDOE. 

To pay by credit card, please call the Certification Department at: 407-317-3221 option #1.

To pay via payroll deduction, complete the Payroll Deduction Affidavit form New Account Setup and Initial On-boarding Process here, and send via courier to the RBELC 1^st floor, Attention Certification Department or by email to certification@ocps.net.    May 1st is the deadline to submit a payroll deduction form.   After this date payment must be made by check or credit card.

For any questions, please call us at 407-317-3221, option #1 or email certification@ocps.net.

Out of field List as of December 18, 2024

The out of field list is posted in response to the NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS dictated by Florida Statute 1012.42(2):

NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.—When a teacher in a district school system is assigned teaching duties in a class dealing with subject matter that is outside the field in which the teacher is certified, outside the field that was the applicant’s minor field of study, or outside the field in which the applicant has demonstrated sufficient subject area expertise, as determined by district school board policy in the subject area to be taught, the parents of all students in the class shall be notified in writing of such assignment, and each school district shall report out-of-field teachers on the district’s website within 30 days before the beginning of each semester.