• Upgrading Your Certificate From Temporary to Professional

    If you hold a Florida Temporary Teaching Certificate, the Florida Department of Education has issued a Statement of Eligibility that outlines the items required for you to earn your Professional Teaching.  In most cases, this involves the following requirements:

    • Mastery of General Knowledge
    • Professional Education Test
    • Professional Education Competence Portfolio (PEC)
    • Practical Teaching Experience
    • Subject Area Mastery Content (Subject Area Exam)
    • Professional Preparation Coursework (additional college courses)

    The above list is a general list and your Statement of Eligibility (SOE) will outline the requirements that are specific to you.  It is recommended that you do not rely on the documents that your peers may hold as each educator's pathway may be different.

    The following provides you with a brief overview of each area listed above.  The Nassau County School District's Human Resources Department will host certification meetings during the school year to provide detailed instructions, offer suggestions, resources and be available to answer your questions.  Please monitor the district email account for meeting dates and locations.

     

    General Knowledge

    The General Knowledge Test is broken down into four (4) subsections: English, Essay, Reading and Math.  

    Take advantage of online resources to help prepare for the exam.

    If you do not pass a particular subsection, you are not required to retest on the entire exam, only the subsection(s) not mastered.

    As of October 26, 2016, a passing score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) earned after July 1, 2015 is an acceptable alternative assessment to satisfy mastery of general knowledge.

    Acceptable Passing Scores

      • Analytical Writing: 4 out of 6
      • Quantative Reasoning: 147
      • Verbal Reasoning: 151

    There are options for this test to be waived which will be discussed during Certification Meetings.

     

    Professional Education Test

    The Professional Education Test is one (1) subsection.  

    Take advantage of online resources to help prepare for the exam.

    There are options for this test to be waived which will be discussed during Certification Meetings.

     

    Professional Education Competence Portfolio (PEC)

    The Professional Education Competence Portfolio is typically required for educators that did not graduate from a college of education program that included a teaching internship.

    It is encouraged that you review the PEC packet in your first year of teaching to assemble a mental checklist of the items that you'll want to source during your school year.

    There are partners at the district level that can assist you and offer guidance on your PEC packet.

    Once completed, your administrator will sign off on each page of the PEC packet and then the completed packet is submitted to the district.

    Once approved, verification of your completed PEC packet will electronically be submitted to the FLDOE for you.

    Professional Educator Competencies Packet (PEC)

     

    Practical Teaching Experience

    When you apply for your upgrade application, please be certain that you enter your teaching experience.

    If you fail to submit this, please contact your Human Resources specialist for assistance.

     

    Subject Area Mastery Content (Subject Area Exam)

    In some instances, you may have needed to pass the Subject Area Exam to earn eligiblity for your temporary certificate.

    If not, the exam is required to upgrade.

    There are options for this test to be waived which will be discussed during Certification Meetings.

     

    Professional Preparation Coursework (additional college courses)

    Courses may be taken at any institution that awards bachelor's degrees or higher.  This requirement prohibits using Beacon Educator modules as this entity does not award degrees.

    One (1) year of teaching experience will satisfy one (1) course. This does not mean that you have taught for five (5) years, and you satisfy five (5) courses.  Only one (1) course may be satisfied through teaching experience.  You may not apply teaching experience to the ESOL course and, in most instances, the Reading course may not be waived either.

    I cannot stress the importance of gaining approval from the FLDOE before you begin your coursework.

    Order an official sealed transcript for the FLDOE once coursework has been completed.

     

    Upgrade Time

    Once you have satisfied all requirements, or have waivers in place, it's time to apply for your upgrade.

    You'll apply online with the FLDOE and pay the application fee online.

    Processing can take anywhere from 30-90 days.