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We are currently updating the information on this site.  Please check back later.

We are currently updating the information on this site.  Please check back later. 

Renewal Instructions for Current Employees

Renewal Instructions for Retirees and Former Employees

In order to use college credits towards renewing a certificate, an official transcript must be in your file with FDOE.  If you have not already done so, have an official transcript sent to FDOE.

Bureau of Educator Certification
Room 201, Turlington Building
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400

Once the official transcript is in your FDOE file, follow the appropriate renewal instructions above.

You can use a college course that you taught to renew your certificate the same as if you had taken the college course so long as the students in the course received regular college credit.  In other words, it cannot be a remedial course.  Multiple sections of the same course may only be used as one course for renewal.  To document your college teaching, you must get a letter from the college/university that states that you were the instructor of record and has the following information.

• Course name
• Course prefix and number
• Semester hours for each course
• Dates taught

The letter should be submitted on college/university letterhead and signed by the registrar or dean.  It would be helpful to add your FDOE number to the letter.

Email the letter to the certification specialist at ricardoj@leonschools.net and follow the appropriate renewal instructions above.

As a matter of practice, the certification specialist checks for subject area exams that can be used towards renewing an educator's certificate when processing renewal applications; however, including a note with your payment or sending a friendly reminder email is always appreciated.

A subject area exam for a subject that is on your certificate may be used in lieu of 60 inservice points.  The subject must already be on your certificate at the time you pass the subject area exam, or the subject must be added to your certificate in the same validity period that you passed the exam.

The total number of inservice points needed to renew an educator's certificate is not changing.  Educators will still need at least 120 inservice points to renew their certificates.

The requirement for all educators that at least 20 of their 120 inservice points come from training about teaching students with disabilities (SWD) is also not changing.

Beginning in the 24-25 school year, educators with the following certification areas will need at least 40 of their 120 inservice points to come from training about teaching reading.

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

Each of the trainings in LEADS has a seven-digit component number.  Reading courses have component numbers with "013" as the second, third, and fourth digits.

# 0 1 3 # # #

This law allows educators to use banked reading points that are less than 10 years old at the time of renewal.

If you have taken the five Reading Endorsement courses with the District or another inservice provider within the 10 years preceeding your renewal, then you likely have enough current and/or banked reading points to meet this requirement.  Additionally, the Elementary Literacy Micro-Credential and the Secondary Literacy Micro-Credential each provide enough reading points to meet the 40-hour reading inservice requirement.

There are some reading trainings that do not meet the 40-hour reading inservice requirement.  Most notably, the Emergent Literacy Micro-Credential and the Reading K-12 subject area exam cannot be used to meet the 40-hour reading inservice requirement.

Some trainings, like the Reading Endorsement Competency 4 course, address both reading and SWD.  These trainings can be used to meet both the 40-hour reading requirement and the 20-hour SWD requirement.

Beginning in the 24-25 school year, educators with the following certification areas will need at least 20 of their 120 inservice points to come from training in educational leadership that was earned after 7/1/23.

• Educational Leadership (All Levels)
• School Principal (All Levels)
• Administration (grades 1-6)
• Administration (grades 7-12)
• Administration (grades K-12)
• Administration and Supervision (grades 1-6)
• Administration and Supervision (grades 7-12)
• Administration and Supervision (grades K-12)
• Supervision (grades 1-6)
• Supervision (gades 7-12)
• Supervision (grades K-12)

Educational leadership courses have component numbers that begins with a 7.

7 # # # # # #

Please contact the certification specialist, Jebbifer Ricardo, at ricardoj@leonschools.net if you have any questions.

Congratulations on upgrading to a professional certificate!

The District is not notified when you upgrade your temporary certificate to a professional certificate.  You have to send the District a copy of your new professional certificate.

Email a copy of your new professional certificate to the certification specialist at ricardoj@leonschools.net or the instructional HR analyst assigned to your school.  Ask your school who your instructional HR analyst is if you are not sure. 

Contact Michelle Burkey at burkeym@leonschools.net to see if you qualify for a bonus for completing inservice training.

Email the certificate of completion and/or other documentation to the certification specialist at ricardoj@leonschools.net.

Email the certificate of completion and/or other documentation (like an agenda or program) to Professional Learning at outofcountyPD@leonschools.net.

Email a copy of your transcript that shows credit for the ESOL course to the certification specialist, Jennifer Ricardo at ricardoj@leonschools.net.  Initially, you can email an unofficial copy of your transcript that you download from the university's website.  The certification specialist will let you know if an official copy is needed.

Trainings for ESOL, Reading, and teaching students with disabilities (SWD) have bankable credit.

The following types of trainings for students with disabilites (SWD) meet the SWD renewal requirement.

• behavior management
• curriculum
• instruction
• evaluation/testing

Trainings that are procedural or legal in nature (e.g., matrix training, 504 training, IDEA training) do NOT meet the SWD renewal requirement.

Checking Inservice Points in LEADS

Contact your former district(s) and/or school(s) and request that your inservice records be transferred to Leon County.  The records, including the Inservice Transfer form, should be emailed to the certification specialist, Jennifer Ricardo, at ricardoj@leonschools.net.  The certification specialist will email you once the records are received.

Email a request to transfer your inservice records to the certification specialist, Jennifer Ricardo, at ricardoj@leonschools.net.  Include the following information in your email.

• Name
• Name while employed with LCS if different
• District or school where the records should be sent
• Name and email address of the person the records should be emailed to

The District is not always notified when a subject or endorsement is added to your certificate.

Email a copy of your new certificate to the certification specialist at ricardoj@leonschools.net or the instructional HR analyst assigned to your school.  Ask your school who your instructional HR analyst is if you are not sure.

Many subjects can be added to your certificate by only passing the subject area exam for that subject.  Use the following instructions to add the subject to your certificate if you passed the subject area exam and specific instructions for this subject are not listed below.

Instructions for Adding a Subject by Passing the Exam

Also, be sure to read the Instructions for using a subject area exam, in the Renewing an Educator's Certificate section of this webpage.

Autism Spectrum Disorders Endorsement Instructions

Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement Instructions

Educational Leadership Instructions

The process to add an ESOL Endorsement to your certificate depends on where you took the endorsement courses.

Many educators who are required to have an ESOL Endorsement (300 hours) take their ESOL Endorsement courses through a school district or inservice provider like Beacon, FDLRS, NEFEC, PAEC, Schultz Institute, etc.  If you took all of your ESOL Endorsement courses through inservice trainings, then use the following directions.

ESOL Endorsement Instructions Using Inservice Trainings

If you graduated from a state-approved education program and are required to have an ESOL Endorsement (15 semester hours), then you took your ESOL Endorsement courses in college.  If you took all of your ESOL Endorsement courses through a college or university, then use the following directions.

ESOL Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY College Courses

If you have a combination of college courses and in-service training, or you're not sure which directions to follow, then email the certification specialist, Jennifer Ricardo, at ricardoj@leonschools.net.

The process to add a Gifted Endorsement to your certificate depends on where you took the endorsement courses.

Many educators who want to add a Gifted Endorsement (300 hours) take their Gifted Endorsement courses through a school district or inservice provider like Beacon, FDLRS, NEFEC, PAEC, Schultz Institute, etc.  If you took all of your Gifted Endorsement courses through inservice trainings, then use the following directions.

Gifted Endorsement Instructions Using Inservice Trainings

If you took all of your Gifted Endorsement courses through a college or university, then use the following directions.

Gifted Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY College Courses

If you have a combination of college courses and inservice trainings, or you're not sure which directions to follow, then email the certification specialist, Jennifer Ricardo, at ricardoj@leonschools.net.

Literacy Coach Endorsement Instructions

The process to add a Reading Endorsement to your certificate depends on where you took the endorsement courses.

Many educators who are required to have a Reading Endorsement (300 hours) take their Reading Endorsement courses through a school district or inservice provider like Beacon, FDLRS, FCRR, NEFEC, PAEC, Schultz Institute, UF Lastinger Center, etc.  If you took your Reading Endorsement courses through inservice trainings, then use the following directions.

Reading Endosement Instructions Using Inservice Trainings

If you graduated from a state-approved education program and are required to have a Reading Endorsement (15 semester hours), then you took your Reading Endorsement courses in college.  If you took your Reading Endorsement courses through a college or university, then use the following directions.

Reading Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY College Courses

If you have a combination of college courses and inservice trainings, or you are not sure which directions to follow, then email the certification specialist, Jennifer Ricardo, at ricardoj@leonschools.net.

School Principal Instructions

Athletic Coaching Application Instructions