TeacherReady FAQs

Individuals must have received a bachelor's program to be eligible for entrance into the TeacherReady program. TeacherReady is a pass/fail program and in and of itself considered credit hours. Upon completion, candidates may be eligible for credit hours waived for selected master's programs as graduates of the TeacherReady program.

It is possible to fast-track your completion of the program. Each lesson must be completed in 4 weeks or less. However, if you successfully complete your coursework with mastery of the concepts, and your tuition is paid for the upcoming lesson, you will be able to move into the next lesson early. In the case of the Intensive lessons, you must have an eligible Statement of Eligibility in our records additionally to completion of previous lessons and corresponding tuition payment.

You can still apply to the TeacherReady program. We will review your transcripts and determine if any conditions can be set for acceptance. In many cases, we can work with applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement. You may contact our office and talk to an advisor.

To apply to the TeacherReady program, you will need to submit an application, upload a copy of your college transcripts (unofficial copies are fine) indicating that a bachelor’s degree has been awarded from an accredited university and pay the application fee of $30. Your information cannot be reviewed for consideration to the program until all items above are received by the TeacherReady office.

This program is a continuing education program, and the students are not subject to the same requirements as a traditional student. You will apply directly to TeacherReady.

Yes. There is a $30 non-refundable application fee.

An individual who is not a U.S. citizen must meet additional requirements to be eligible for a Florida Professional Teacher Certification:

1. Have a current, valid US Social Security Number to take the Florida Teacher Certification Exams
2. Obtain a teaching position in the State of Florida

If you are not a U.S. citizen, and you do not meet these requirements, you may enroll in TeacherReady and will receive a “Certificate of Completion” from the University of West Florida showing your course completion. A “Certificate of Completion” is not considered a teaching certification.

Many of the students who complete the TeacherReady Program are hired by the school or school district where they worked to complete their field experiences. We will provide any documentation of participation in the program to help you secure a position with a school district.

The Florida Department of Education has job fairs posted on their website. You can contact the Department of Education in your state for more information about local job fairs. When districts notify our office of job openings, we post them on the TeacherReady Facebook page.

STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics), in addition to ESOL and K-12 Exceptional Student Education (Special Education) are the critical need subject areas. A complete list of subject areas for professional certification by the state of Florida can be found on their website.

To renew your professional certification, you will need to complete coursework or professional development as directed by your hiring school district. Review more information about renewing your Florida teaching certification.

If you move while enrolled in the TeacherReady program, you will need to communicate this new information to your program advisor. You will work with your program advisor and new school district to establish a new field placement for you.

You could be withdrawn from the program for the following reasons:

1. Failure to return the required paperwork outlined in your acceptance letter to TeacherReady.
2. Lack of participation in the program.
3. Failure to make payments or payment arrangements on time.
4. Failure to complete assignments in the expected 4 weeks or less.
5. The Program may withdraw any student for improper conduct, including failure to comply with program requirements, or lack of reasonable effort.

The faculty understands that circumstances may arise. If you feel you will not be able to continue with the TeacherReady program, you will need to notify your student advisor concerning your intentions to withdraw from the program. There are also opportunities to move to future cohorts. A re-enrollment fee might apply when you come back to the program.

No. All the instruction is delivered online through an eLearning system. There will be no reason for you to come to campus during the TeacherReady program.

No. The instruction of the TeacherReady program must be taken in its entirety. We are unable to substitute previously completed course work with lessons in the TeacherReady instruction.

In order to be fully admitted to the TeacherReady program, you must have already completed your bachelor’s degree and submit transcripts showing the degree was conferred. However, there are some steps that you can complete prior to graduation that will help your program progression and certification process.  For example, you could prepare to take your Florida Subject Area Exam and/or your Florida General Knowledge exam. Connect with our admissions team for more guidance.

You will need to pay a $75 - $150 application fee when applying for your statement of eligibility with the FLDOE. If you would like to become certified in more than one subject area, there will be an additional $75 fee per subject area.

In most cases you will receive a response to emails or messages within 48-72  business hours.

All U.S. citizen students who participate in the TeacherReady program are required to apply for a Statement of Eligibility (CG-10) through the Florida Department of Education. Once you apply for your CG-10, you must follow up by submitting all your official transcripts to the FLDOE. It is important to note your official transcripts must be mailed to the FLDOE. 

We strongly recommend that you contact the other state’s Department of Education directly to find out what other requirements, if any, will need to be met to teach in that state. When you finish TeacherReady, you will have a Florida Professional Teaching certificate renewable and valid for five years.

Yes. We have many students participating in the TeacherReady program who are living overseas. In order to complete your field experiences, you will need to teach or be placed with a local or international school. Note: You must return to the U.S. to take your Florida Teacher Certification Exams unless you are stationed on a US Military base offering the exams.

Your completed application packet will be reviewed within 48 business hours of submission for acceptance. Upon review, you will receive an acceptance email and the next steps for your admission’s process. Once your additional steps from your admission’s checklist are complete, you will receive information for registration into your first course.

We will need a copy of all transcripts from an institution where a degree was awarded. Your transcripts will need to show all courses taken and credits earned for each, your final GPA, the date your degree was awarded, your name and the name of the institution.

You will need to submit transcripts to both, the TeacherReady program and the Florida Department of Education.

1. For your TeacherReady application unofficial transcripts are fine. 
2. For your FLDOE certification application, you will need to have official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you attended mailed to the Bureau of Teacher Certification, Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, 32399-0400.

*Please note that in the second phase of the TeacherReady admissions process you will be asked to submit an application with the FLDOE. This application will require an official copy of your college transcripts.

If you have a degree from an institution outside of the United States, you will need to have a course-by-course evaluation completed on your transcripts. We recommend using the World Education Services. The evaluation process can sometime be lengthy. We recommend taking this into consideration when choosing a class session.

Once you are enrolled in your first Canvas course (TeacherReady Orientation) you will receive an automated email from notifications@instructure.com instructing you to finish your account registration and set a password for your new Canvas account.

After initial set up you can access your Canvas courses by following these steps:

1. Go to elearning.uwf.edu
2. Click Continuing Education
3. Your Login ID is your email address. Password is what you set up initially. If you do not remember or need to reset your password, follow the "Forgot Password" link.

Please reference this article if you need additional assistance or reach out to teacherready@uwf.edu.

Yes. TeacherReady is CAEP accredited. It is a graduate-level alternative teacher preparation program, designated as an Educator Preparation Institute (EPI). The program is state-approved and nationally and regionally accredited as part of the University of West Florida Professional Education unit.

Most states require that teachers complete their teacher education courses through a program that has been reviewed and approved by CAEP or another accrediting body.

Yes. We work with the Troops to Teachers/Spouse to Teachers program. You can access information about these programs at http://www.proudtoserveagain.com. We will provide the Troops to Teachers office with the necessary documentation regarding cost of the TeacherReady Program. You will need to send a request to our office in order to obtain this information.

We strongly recommend that you contact the other state’s Department of Education directly to find out what other requirements, if any, will need to be met to teach in that state. When you finish TeacherReady, you will have a Florida Professional Teaching certificate. 

UWF cannot confirm whether a particular University of West Florida program meets requirements for professional licensure or certification outside of the State of Florida. However, many previous TeacherReady students have successfully transferred their Florida Certificate as a result of the Program and their resulting Florida Certificate meeting their respective state’s transfer requirements.

To learn about license transfer requirements in your state, you should connect with your State Department of Education and ask “How do I transfer a clear, renewable, professional teaching certificate from Florida to become certified in your state?” You may also connect with TeacherReady Program admissions.

No. There are no set times that you have to be logged into the e-learning system to participate. Course information is available to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are no grades issued to students in the TeacherReady Program. The TeacherReady program is competency based and works under a pass/fail grading system. If your financial aid agency requires a grade for further funding, you will need to contact the Program Director to complete the required paperwork.

Once you have completed all coursework and fieldwork and submitted your official score report and eligible statement of eligibility, we will do a final review of your file and submit the required verification forms (CT-133) to the Florida Department of Education. It usually takes 30 days for your verification form (CT-133) to show in your FLDOE file and 60 more days for the FLDOE to issue your license. The FLDOE does not mail paper certificates anymore. You will receive an email with a link to a PDF document which is your license.

The TeacherReady program is not subject specific, and its curriculum covers pedagogy content. All TeacherReady content qualifies for the FLDOE content requirement for certification.

You will have completed the TeacherReady Program when you have successfully completed all the coursework, field experiences assignments, and have successfully passed the Florida certification required exams. You will need to send your final Official Score Report and ELIGIBLE Statement of Eligibility to your program advisor so they can do a final review of your file and process your completion paperwork.

You will receive a congratulations email from our Program Director including a certificate of completion of the program and reading endorsement competencies. We will file the appropriate paperwork to notify the Florida Department of Education that you have completed the program requirements at the appropriate time.

You will need to submit your fingerprints to the FLDOE for a background check to obtain your certification.

Yes. Your instructors will review your completed assignments to make sure that you are on target. On some occasions, your instructors may feel you need to review the assignment and resubmit. Our instructors strive to provide feedback within 48 business hours of your assignment submission.

You must complete each lesson in 4 weeks or less. You may submit assignments at any time within that period of time. We recommend that you do not submit assignments in bulk per consideration to your instructor’s time. If there are any special circumstances, contact your lesson instructor directly. You will be provided a Program Progression Plan at the beginning of the program.

The flexibility of the program allows our students complete lessons at an accelerated rate if they choose to move faster than the typical 12-month timeline. Each lesson must be completed in 4 weeks or less. You will be provided a Program Progression Plan at the beginning of the program.

All the instruction is delivered through an online eLearning system. You will be provided a Program Progression Plan with due dates at the beginning of the program. You will complete the assignments at your own pace within the time frame of the lesson. Assignments will need to be completed in an accepted file type and uploaded in the corresponding dropbox in the eLearning system.

It is recommended that you devote 8 - 10 hours a week to the instructional part of the TeacherReady Program. This allows adequate time to complete the necessary readings, case studies, and assignments. Your field experience schedule will carry additional time requirements, approximately 4-6 hours a week.

The University of West Florida TeacherReady Program has an affiliation agreement with Florida Virtual School to provide students working towards a teaching certification the opportunity to do their field work in a virtual classroom with a virtual mentor.

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is an established leader in developing and providing virtual K-12 education solutions to students all over Florida, the U.S. and the world. During the field placement with FLVS, the student teacher is led one-on-one by a certified FLVS Clinical Educator on effective teaching strategies in an online environment: assessment, feedback and monitoring of student progress.

The FLVS field placement alternative is offered for Florida residents only. If you are interested in a field placement with FLVS, please contact your program advisor immediately since the process needs to start as early as possible.

All cooperating teachers are required to have the following:

1. 3 years of teaching experience
2. A current and valid teaching certificate or a current and valid administrative license
3. Excellent marks in their own classroom evaluations-deemed highly effective
4. Clinical Educator Training (provided for free by TeacherReady) or proof of previous clinical training.

Your cooperating teacher’s responsibilities will vary, based on your current teaching status:

If you are completing your field work in your own classroom, your cooperating teacher will:

• Perform regular observations of teacher candidate and meet regularly as part of their teaching position.
• Perform a classroom observation during benchmark assessment, which happens after Intensive Lesson 4 and submit the corresponding online evaluation. 
• Observe teacher candidate during last week of field work in Intensive Lesson 8 and submit the corresponding online evaluation. 
  • A fellow cooperating teacher will need to observe 5 lessons during the culminating field experience. 
  • A cooperating teacher who is an administrator will observe 1 lesson during the culminating experience. 
• Act as a support for teacher candidate as they develop as a professional teacher. 
• Provide feedback to TeacherReady, based on observations of teacher candidate’s classroom experience. 

If you are completing your field work in your cooperating teacher’s classroom, your cooperating teacher will:

• Provide teacher candidate regular opportunities to observe and participate in instruction and planning in the classroom.
• Review field assignments to assist in aligning to the current classroom activities. 
• Connect teacher candidate with other teachers to observe their classrooms. 
• Perform a classroom observation during teacher candidate’s benchmark assessment, which happens after Intensive Lesson 4 and submit the corresponding online evaluation.
• Observe teacher candidate during last week of field work in Intensive Lesson 8 and submit the corresponding online evaluation. 
• Act as a support for teacher candidate as they develop as a professional teacher. 
• Sign off on the Field Experience Log.
• Provide feedback to TeacherReady, based on their observations of teacher candidate’s classroom experience. 

If you are not currently teaching and you are doing field work in your cooperating teacher’s classroom, you will spend 4-6 hours per week in your cooperating teacher’s classroom. You will work with your cooperating teacher to establish a regular schedule. The final field experience will be teaching 5, full, consecutive days in your cooperating teacher’s classroom. During this assignment, you will take over the class for five school days. Your mentor teacher will observe your teaching techniques and provide feedback through the Culminating Evaluation. The minimum number of hours of field work is 185:

1. 150 observation hours during the whole program up to lesson 7
2. 35 student teaching hours during lesson 8

Be aware that some states require a different minimum number of hours for field work. Your state’s requirement will supersede the TeacherReady program requirement.

If you are currently teaching and you are doing field work in your own classroom, you will not have to log on hours since you are in the classroom all day every day.

If you are completing your field work in your own classroom, you will begin your field experience hours right away.

If your program advisor is helping you find a field placement and cooperating teacher, it may take up to 16 weeks to secure your placement. To stay on track with your hours and assignments, you should begin volunteering in a local school. 45 hours of your 185-hour field requirement can be completed as a volunteer.

In the first lesson, you will complete a volunteer assignment and receive recommendations on how to begin volunteering.

The number of field experiences varies according to the lesson topic. Some lessons have as little as two field experience assignments while other lessons have more. We recommend that you review the field experience assignments at the beginning of each lesson. This will allow you and your cooperating teacher to schedule the appropriate days and times needed to complete these assignments. Even if you do not have a field experience assignment for the week, you will still spend weekly hours in your cooperating teacher’s classroom.

No. Your cooperating teacher will observe your teaching techniques and submit the required evaluation forms to TeacherReady for review. A Cooperating Teacher Handbook will be provided to your cooperating teacher at the beginning of the program, and it will include all the information needed by the cooperating teacher and the required forms.

No. You will complete your field experiences in a school or school district in your local community.

Yes. You will need to select the University of West Florida as your school when applying for your benefits. Additionally, you will need to notify our staff of your payment method.

Yes. You can make a payment with a credit card. We accept Visa, Master Card, and American Express. You will make your credit card payments here.

You cannot use VA Benefits to pay for TeacherReady. If you are a military spouse, you may qualify for MyCAA funding, which can be used for our program. Review our Tuition & Cost page for more funding information. 

Each lending agency has rules and regulations pertaining to deferring student loans while enrolled in a continuing education program. You can submit your loan institution’s deferment form to continuinged@uwf.edu, and we will complete the required portion and submit those to your lending agency. Your lending agency will notify you if your request has been approved.

Because you can move at an accelerated pace, payments for each lesson are due to enroll in the next lesson. If you are not accelerating your movement through the program, you will make a payment every 4 weeks or less as you move on to the next lesson.

• $5,400 Tuition: You may pay tuition in full or make payments per lesson. Payment per lesson is $450. Must complete at least one lesson per month.
• $100 EXXAT Fee: For Electronic Portfolio- Payable to Exxat.
• $75-$150 application for primary subject areas to the Florida Department of Education. (Additional cost if certified in multiple subject areas)
• $75 application for the Reading Endorsement to the Florida Department of Education for the following subject areas: Prek-3, Elementary Education K-6, English 5-9, English 6-12, ESOL K-12, Exceptional Student Education K-12.
• Certification Testing: You will need to take the FTCE Subject Area, General Knowledge, and Professional Education Exams. Here are the current costs as a reference:
  • FTCE Subject Area Exam (SAE) – $150
  • FTCE General Knowledge Exam (GK) - $130
  • FTCE Professional Education Exam (PEd) – $150
  Visit the Florida Department of Education website for current test costs. Specific fee and registration information can also be found on the Florida Department of Education website.
• Fingerprinting: Varies per school district /providers

UWF cannot confirm whether a particular University of West Florida program meets requirements for professional licensure or certification outside of the State of Florida. However, many previous TeacherReady students have successfully transferred their Florida Certificate as a result of the Program and their resulting Florida Certificate meeting their respective state’s transfer requirements. To learn about license transfer requirements in your state, you should connect with your State Department of Education and ask “How do I transfer a clear, renewable, professional teaching certificate from Florida to become certified in your state?” You may also connect with TeacherReady Program admissions.

No. You will need to register for the three state certification tests with the Florida Department of Education. Information about these tests, including dates and locations, can be found on the Florida Department of Education Florida Teacher Certification Examinations website.

If you have completed fingerprints at a Florida school district, you may or may not have to do additional fingerprints.  This will be decided by the FLDOE.  For all others, at the very end of the TeacherReady program, the FLDOE will require additional fingerprinting before they will issue your teaching certificate. You can use LIVESCAN to complete this process, where available. You can also request a fingerprint card from the FLDOE and return it via mail to an approved Florida LiveScan provider.

Fingerprinting costs vary depending on the approved Livescan provider.

More information about the price of testing can be found on the Florida Department of Education Florida Teacher Certification Examinations website.

You can complete the TeacherReady program earning certification in ESOL. However, to renew your ESOL certification, you are required to have ESOL coursework. Contact the FLDOE for more information.  If you apply with the FLDOE for ESOL endorsement, this will require coursework.

The TeacherReady program includes a Florida Reading Endorsement. For this to be reflected on your Florida teaching certificate / license, you will need to apply with the FLDOE for a Reading Endorsement which is $75. However, if you choose “Reading Certification” this requires a master’s degree in reading.

Not in most cases. The Florida Department of Education has contracted with Pearson Testing Centers across the United States and on some US overseas military bases to offer the certification tests. However, not all testing centers offer the FTCE exams. A list of testing sites is available on the Florida Department of Education Florida Teacher Certification Examinations website.

To sign up for the state tests, you will need to contact the Florida Department of Education Florida Teacher Certification Examinations website. While the TeacherReady curriculum will cover some of the content in the exams, it is very important that you use independent study materials to prepare for these exams. We have compiled a list of recommended resources for test preparation.

The goal is to complete all components of the program, including the exams, within 12 months from the start date of the program. If you are unable to meet this timeline, you should set up alternate plans by contacting your program advisor. Timeline for exam completion:

• Subject Area (SAE) – Test during first 2 Foundation Courses unless exempt. The SAE may be waived if you have a master’s degree in the same area as your certification. Please ensure your master’s transcripts are on file with the FLDOE.
• General Knowledge (GK) – Test during lesson 1 or 2 unless exempt. The GK may be waived if you have a master’s degree from an accredited institution. The FLDOE must have your master’s transcripts on file.
• Professional Education (PEd ) – Test during lesson 7 or 8 unless exempt. The PEd can be waived if candidates are teaching in Florida and received a Highly Effective Rating on their most recent teacher evaluation.

To earn your professional certification through TeacherReady, you will need to pass the three Florida exams: General Knowledge (GK) test, Subject Area Exam (SAE), and Professional Education (PEd) test.  The Florida exams are required even if you are seeking certification in another state. The FTCEs are computer-based exams taken at local testing centers throughout the United States and on some overseas US Military Bases. If you live near a testing center, we recommend this timeline for exam completion:

• Subject Area (SAE) – Test during first 2 Foundation Courses unless exempt. The SAE may be waived if you have a master’s degree in the same area as your certification. Please ensure your master’s transcripts are on file with the FLDOE.
• General Knowledge (GK) – Test during lesson 1 or 2 unless exempt. The GK may be waived if you have a master’s degree from an accredited institution. The FLDOE must have your master’s transcripts on file.
• Professional Education (PEd ) – Test during lesson 7 or 8 unless exempt. The PEd can be waived if candidates are teaching in Florida and received a Highly Effective Rating on their most recent teacher evaluation.

The most important aspect is to prepare for the exams using recommended study materials and practice tests.  If you live a long distance from a testing site or overseas, you should consider travel expenses when scheduling the three exams. You may choose to take all the exams within a two-day period. All exams cannot be scheduled for the same day.

You can find out more information about these tests and testing centers on the Florida Department of Education Florida Teacher Certification Examinations website.