Physical Education (PE) Teacher Certification Requirements in Florida

<p>Physical education teachers (K-12) in Florida must have a bachelor's degree in physical education or 30 semester hours of physical education classes. Teachers must also pass the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations in general knowledge, physical education, and professional education. Once certified, teachers must renew their certification every 5 years with 6 continuing education credits. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Education/Experience Required</td><td> A bachelor's degree in physical education or a bachelor's in any subject with 30 semester hours of physical education classes</td></tr> <tr><td> Exam Requirements</td><td> Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge (GK), Physical Education K-12 (063), and Professional Education tests</td></tr> <tr><td> Certification Renewal Period</td><td>5 years</td></tr> <tr><td> CEU Credits Required for Renewal</td><td>6 hours of college credit with one or more credits in teaching students with disabilities</td></tr> <tr><td>Average Salary (2018)* </td><td> Kindergarten Teachers: $50,400<br /> Elementary School Teachers: $50,070 <br /> Middle School Teachers: $53,140<br /> High School Teachers: $54,120</td></tr> <tr><td> Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026)*</td><td> Kindergarten Teachers: 8% <br /> Elementary School Teachers: 7%<br /> Middle School Teachers: 8% <br />High School Teachers: 8%</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics </i></p> <h3 id="section---JobDescription">Job Description</h3> <p>Physical education (PE) teachers (K-12) work with students to give them the health, nutrition, and athletic education they need. PE teachers also create physical education programs that are designed to help students develop active lifestyles and maintain physical fitness. Job duties may include teaching health and nutrition classes, physical education classes, and coaching sports. Teachers will need to develop unit and daily lesson plans based on Florida state standards and implement assessments based on the appropriate objectives. </p> <h3 id="section---EducationAndTrainingRequirements">Education and Training Requirements</h3> <p>Individuals who are looking to become physical education teachers in Florida will need to have at least a bachelor's degree in physical education. A bachelor's degree and coursework in physical education totaling at least 30 semester hours can also qualify applicants for certification. If you choose the second option, at least 12 of your 30 semester hours need to be in instructional design and physical education. The remaining semester hours must cover such topics as motor development, kinesiology, applied exercise physiology, adaptive physical education, and coaching theory. </p> <h3 id="section---ExamRequirements">Exam Requirements</h3> <p>Prospective physical education teachers in Florida are required to take three Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) to become certified. These include the General Knowledge (GK), Physical Education K-12 (063), and Professional Education tests. </p> <p>The General Knowledge examination tests basic English language, reading, and mathematics skills and includes an essay. The passing score for this exam is 8 out of 12 for the essay and a score of 200 for the other subsets. The Physical Education K-12 exam focuses on physical education teaching strategies and the role they play in child development. This is a 120-question multiple-choice test, and the passing score is 200. The Professional Education test examines general pedagogy and professional practices and also has a passing score of 200. </p> <h3 id="section---RenewalRequirements">Renewal Requirements</h3> <p>Physical education teaching certificates in Florida are good for 5 years. To renew a certificate, teachers must complete 6 semester hours of college credit during the certification period. One hour of the credits must be related to teaching students with learning disabilities.</p>