Alternative Teaching Certification in Florida
Florida offers alternative teaching certification through district-run Professional Learning Certification Programs, state-approved Educator Preparation Institutes, and private providers like iteach. Candidates need a bachelor’s degree and a 2.5 GPA in their subject area to qualify for a Temporary Educator’s Certificate, which is valid for three years while they pass required FTCE exams and complete competency-based training. The Bureau of Educator Certification issues the Professional Educator’s Certificate once all requirements are met.
Sponsored School(s)
Do you qualify for a Temporary Educator’s Certificate and want to work as a teacher but still need additional training in professional competencies in order to receive your Professional Educator’s Certificate? If so, you may want to look into Florida’s Alternative Certification Program. These are offered by every public school district in Florida (now called Professional Learning Certification Programs, or PLCPs) and combine distance learning with peer support. Under Florida Statute 1012.56, districts aren’t the only option: state-approved Educator Preparation Institutes (EPIs) at colleges and universities, along with private providers like iteach, run parallel programs that lead to the same Professional Educator’s Certificate. Program structure varies by provider: district PLCPs are typically competency-based with no added college coursework, while some EPI and private-provider programs build in structured coursework alongside the competency assessments.
Interested in learning about the traditional approach? Contact schools offering teaching certification programs in Florida.
Alternative Certification Requirements
Education Requirements
Florida’s district-run program (the Professional Learning Certification Program, or PLCP) requires no additional college courses, as it is competency-based. You must have a bachelor’s degree and a 2.5 GPA in your major field of study to attain a Temporary Educator’s Certificate and enter into the program. That temporary certificate is valid for three years, giving you time to complete training while already working in the classroom. From there, you will be tested in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Your training will focus on areas in which you need improvement. The practices include:
- Assessment
- Communication
- Continuous Improvement
- Critical Thinking
- Diversity
- Ethics
- Human Development & Learning
- Knowledge of Subject Matter
- Learning Environments
- Planning
- Role of the Teacher
- Technology
You will also receive what is known as “survival training” prior to assuming responsibilities as a teacher of record (in charge of a classroom). You will be given an individualized training program based upon your performance assessment in the above-mentioned practices.
Examinations
Once you’re hired and teaching under a Temporary Educator’s Certificate, Florida law gives you one year from your hire date to pass the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge (GK) test. You may qualify for an exemption from taking the GK if you hold a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate, a valid out-of-state teaching certificate, or a qualifying score on the ACT, SAT, GRE, or CLT. During the program, you will also be tested on pedagogy and professional skills through the FTCE Professional Education Test, as well as on specific subject areas in which you wish to receive professional certification through the FTCE Subject Area test. Both must be completed by your program’s completion date.
Experience
Florida’s Alternative Certification Program is experience- and competency-based. During the program, you will work with a peer mentor, online tutor, building-level administrator, and outside educator, all of whom will help facilitate your learning of the professional development areas necessary for a teacher. Every school is different in its specific offerings for the program, including program duration. At the end of your experience, once you have been assessed as ready, you will receive a Professional Educator’s Certificate.
Criminal History Background Check
After you have been hired by a Florida school, but before beginning work, you will be required to submit to a criminal history background check performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This involves submitting fingerprints through the public school district’s personnel office. If your fingerprint results return clear, you will be issued a teaching certificate within 30 days of the Bureau of Educator Certification receiving the request from your district.
If you work for a nonpublic school in Florida, your employer will give you a fingerprint card and instructions on where to have the background check completed. You will return the completed card and processing fee to your employer, who will forward it to the Bureau of Educator Certification. Once the FBI and FDLE have cleared you for employment, within 30 days, the Bureau will notify your employer and issue your teaching certificate.
If your fingerprinting results return a criminal record, your application will be forwarded to the Bureau of Professional Practices Services for review. They will contact you regarding the necessary information to resolve the situation and determine your eligibility to have a teaching certificate issued.
Contact Information
For information about Florida’s Professional Learning Certification Program, visit the Florida Department of Education’s Professional Learning Certification Program page, or contact the alternative certification coordinator for the Florida public school district in which you wish to work. If you’re weighing this path against other career options, our guide to Florida teaching salaries and benefits covers what to expect once you’re certified.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Florida’s Alternative Certification Program?
It’s a competency-based path to a Professional Educator’s Certificate for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree but haven’t completed a traditional teacher preparation program. Instead of coursework, candidates train on the job under a Temporary Educator’s Certificate while a peer mentor and school administrator assess their progress against the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices.
Do I need a teaching degree to qualify?
No. Any bachelor’s degree qualifies as long as you meet the 2.5 GPA requirement in your subject area. This is why the program appeals to career changers moving into teaching from another field.
How long does the Temporary Educator’s Certificate last?
Three years, and it can’t be renewed. That’s the window to pass the required FTCE exams and complete your competency-based training before earning a Professional Educator’s Certificate.
Are district programs the only alternative certification option in Florida?
No. Alongside district-run Professional Learning Certification Programs, Florida also approves Educator Preparation Institutes at colleges and universities and private providers such as iteach. All three paths lead to the same Professional Educator’s Certificate, but program length, cost, and whether coursework is included vary by provider.
When do I have to take the FTCE General Knowledge test?
Within one year of your hire date, unless you qualify for an exemption through a National Board certificate, a valid out-of-state teaching certificate, or a qualifying ACT, SAT, GRE, or CLT score. Your Professional Education Test and Subject Area Exam are due by your program’s completion date.
Will a background check delay my teaching certificate?
Only if it turns up a criminal record. A clear result from the FDLE and FBI fingerprint check typically means the Bureau of Educator Certification issues your certificate within 30 days. A flagged result goes to the Bureau of Professional Practices Services for individual review.
- Multiple pathways lead to the same certificate: district Professional Learning Certification Programs, Educator Preparation Institutes, and private providers like iteach all end in a Professional Educator’s Certificate.
- A 2.5 GPA and a bachelor’s degree get you started: district PLCPs require no added college coursework, though some EPI and private-provider programs do.
- The Temporary Educator’s Certificate lasts three years: that’s your window to finish training and pass the required FTCE exams, since it can’t be renewed.
- The FTCE General Knowledge test is due within a year of hire: unless you qualify for an exemption through a National Board certificate, an out-of-state certificate, or a qualifying ACT, SAT, GRE, or CLT score.
- Background checks run through FDLE and FBI: a clear result means certification within 30 days of your district’s request.
Find accredited alternative teacher certification programs in Florida, including FTCE exam prep and application support for your certification path.
