Certification

  • The Certification Office assists both prospective and veteran teachers of the School District of Palm Beach County in matters related to obtaining and maintaining a Florida Educator's Certificate. Through our partnership with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), our office provides many DOE services at the District level.

  • Eligibility Requirements - Pathways to Initial Teacher Certification

    Teachers with the District may have a Temporary Certificate, a Professional Certificate, or a District Vocational Certificate. For Temporary or Professional Certificate eligibility information, please see the information listed below. For District Vocational Certificate eligibility information, please visit the District Vocational Certification page.

    Temporary Certificate Eligibility (options)

    • Bachelor's degree with a major in the content area.
    • Bachelor's degree with a passing subject area exam score.
    • Bachelor's degree with required courses and 2.5 GPA in the content area.

    Professional Certificate Eligibility (options)

    • Valid Standard Certificate issued by another state.
    • Valid Certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
    • Florida State-Approved Teacher Preparation Program and passing Florida Certification Examinations.
    • Out-Of-State Teacher Education Degree Program and passing Florida Certification Examinations.
    • Educator Preparation Institute Program and Florida Certification Examinations (Palm Beach State College has a program).
    • Two semesters of college teaching experience and passing the Florida Subject Area and Professional Education Examination.

  • Professional Certificate Renewal Requirements

    • You must be in the last year of your Certificate's validity period. (Example: If your Certificate is from 7/1/2018 to 6/30/2023, you can renew any time after August 1.)
    • Inservice Points: You have earned a total of 120 inservice points and 20 of those points are in Students with Disabilities (ESE). If you have more than five certification areas to be renewed, additional renewal credit may be required.

    Types of Inservice Points

    • Beacon Educator - Retiree and Non-District employees can complete inservice points, if needed, through Beacon Educator, an online school for renewal and add-on courses. Transcripts must be emailed to PBCSD Certinfo@palmbeachschools.org. Include your Employee ID number along with your License information.
    • College Credits - Complete six (6) credit hours of coursework at an accredited college or university. Coursework must reflect a grade of “C” or better. (Submit an official college transcript to the FLDOE, when using this method for renewal.) Dissertation courses do not satisfy renewal requirements.
    • SAE - Pass a Florida Subject Area Exam specific to the coverage on the Certificate to be renewed (the equivalent of sixty inservice points).
    • Teach - Teaching a college-level course at an acceptable institution may be accepted the same as credit earned for the course. (See College Level Course Teaching Verification sample.)
    • National Board - Have a valid National Board Certificate and complete the ESE twenty (20) inservice points to meet the renewal requirements. (A combination of inservice points, college credits, SAE, etc., may be used.)
    • Acceptable College Credit Equivalencies for Renewal - For information on Acceptable College Credit Equivalencies for Renewal, Appropriate Topics for Renewal Credit, and retaining all subjects on your certificate visit the FLDOE Florida Educator Certification Renewal Requirements page.