Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) Certificate
The purpose of the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) program is to prepare individuals who currently hold a non-education baccalaureate or higher degree for employment as teachers in the state of Florida. Approved by the Florida Department of Education, the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) provides an alternate route to Florida teacher certification. The EPI program consists of competency-based instruction and fulfills the Professional Education Competence Program and Professional Preparation Coursework requirements necessary for earning a five-year Florida Professional Educator's Certificate and Reading Endorsement.
Admission to the program is contingent upon receiving an official Statement of Status of Eligibility letter from the Florida Department of Education verifying the student's eligibility to teach in the State of Florida, passing one of the Subject area exams, and passing all subsections of the General Knowledge Test (GKT). Completion of a master's degree or higher from an accredited post-secondary institution recognized by the Department of Education will satisfy the GKT requirement. Transcripts must be submitted to PHSC for verification.
A minimum of 25 percent of the program must be earned in residence at PHSC. A Certificate of Completion shall be awarded upon successful completion of the EPI required courses with a grade of "C" or higher, demonstrated mastery of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices and passing scores on the Professional Education Test. Full-time Florida public school teachers who have earned a highly effective rating per their performance evaluation under s. 1012.34F.S., may use it to satisfy the Professional Education Test requirement. Documentation is required to be submitted. A cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.5 must be achieved in the program courses by graduation.
PHSC's EPI program consists of three pathways to gain a Florida Teacher Certification based on the subject area certification of the teacher-candidate.
EPI Core Courses - 25 credits
Program Code: EPI-CORE
| EPI 0001 | Classroom Management | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0002 | Instructional Strategies | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0003 | Educational Technology | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0004 | Teaching and Learning Process | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0010 | Foundations of Research-Based Practices in Reading | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0020 | Professional Foundations | 2 cr. |
| EPI 0030 | Diversity in the Classroom | 2 cr. |
| EPI 0945 | Field Experience I | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0940 | Field Experience II | 3 cr. |
| Total Credit Hours: | 25 |
Total Credit Hours: 25
Teacher candidates earning certification in one of the following subject areas must successfully complete the EPI Core pathway that includes coursework that covers reading endorsement competencies 1-2:
- Agriculture (6-12)
- Art (K-12)
- Biology (6-12)
- Business Education (6-12)
- Chemistry (6-12)
- Computer Science (K-12)
- Deaf or Hard of Hearing (K-12)
- Drama (6-12)
- Earth-Space Science (6-12)
- Educational Media Specialist (PK-12)
- Engineering and Technology Education (6-12)
- Family and Consumer Science (6-12)
- General Science (5-9)
- Health (K-12)
- Humanities (K-12)
- Marketing (6-12)
- Mathematics (5-9)
- Mathematics (6-12)
- Music (K-12)
- Physical Education (K-12)
- Physics (6-12)
- Preschool Education (Birth - Age 4)
- Social Science (5-9)
- Social Science (6-12)
- Visually Impaired (K-12)
- World Language: French (K-12)
- World Language: German (K-12)
- World Language: Latin (K-12)
- World Language: Spanish (K-12)
EPI ESE Pathway - 28 credits
Program Code: EPI-ESE
| EPI 0001 | Classroom Management | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0002 | Instructional Strategies | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0003 | Educational Technology | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0004 | Teaching and Learning Process | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0010 | Foundations of Research-Based Practices in Reading | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0011 | Foundations of Assessment and Differentiated Instruction in Reading | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0020 | Professional Foundations | 2 cr. |
| EPI 0030 | Diversity in the Classroom | 2 cr. |
| EPI 0945 | Field Experience I | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0940 | Field Experience II | 3 cr. |
| Total Credit Hours: | 28 |
Teacher candidates earning certification in the following subject area must successfully complete the EPI ESE pathway that includes coursework that covers reading endorsement competencies 1-4:
- Exceptional Student Education (K-12)
EPI with Reading Endorsement Pathway - 30 credits
Program Code: EPI-READ
| EPI 0001 | Classroom Management | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0002 | Instructional Strategies | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0003 | Educational Technology | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0004 | Teaching and Learning Process | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0010 | Foundations of Research-Based Practices in Reading | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0011 | Foundations of Assessment and Differentiated Instruction in Reading | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0014 | Demonstration of Accomplishment in Reading | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0020 | Professional Foundations | 2 cr. |
| EPI 0030 | Diversity in the Classroom | 2 cr. |
| EPI 0945 | Field Experience I | 3 cr. |
| EPI 0940 | Field Experience II | 3 cr. |
| Total Credit Hours: | 30 |
Teacher candidates earning certification in one of the following subject areas, must successfully complete the EPI with Reading Endorsement pathway that includes coursework that covers all 5 competencies for a reading endorsement:
- Elementary Education (grades K-6)
- English (grades 5-9)
- English (grades 6-12)
- English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (grades K-12)
- Prekindergarten/Primary Education (Age 3 - grade 3)
- Reading (grades K-12)
- Reading (endorsement)