Reading Endorsement Program Information

Seminole County Public Schools offers the Reading Endorsement Add-on program for all teachers, regardless of content area. There is no cost to take these courses.

To align with the new directives from the Florida Department of Education, all reading endorsement courses have been restructured to provide the most current and relevant content regarding the process of reading.

Section (4)(b), F.S., the Department of Education

General Information There are five courses. Courses 1-5 are offered in fall & spring. Courses 1-4 may be offered in summer. Courses 3-5 must be taken in sequential order.

Do I have to take these courses? Yes, if you are a K-6 teacher and teach a reading course and do not have a reading certification or an elementary education certification.

Do I have to take these classes? Teachers who teach any of the following identified courses are required to add Reading Endorsement to their certificates as mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) “Highly Qualified” requirements.

Do I have to take these classes? If you are an alternate certification employee you may have to take these courses. Please contact: Randy Allman via

Do I have to take these classes? You may need to if you are providing reading intervention to students and you are not certified in reading, you do not meet the definition of “highly qualified” and/or you are in a content area that is not foundational reading. Questions? Secondary: Analexis Kennedy Elementary: Courtney Kavanaugh Source:

Can I take all of the courses at once? No. Courses must be taken one at a time. Questions about this? Contact: Courtney Kavanaugh at

How long are the courses? Each course is 10 weeks. Courses 1-4 have 5 face-to-face sessions and 5 online modules. Course 5 is completely face-to-face.

How much time should I expect to spend? Each course is worth 60 points; therefore, you can expect to spend 60 hours total or 6 hours per week, for ten weeks. Deadlines will be given for weekly assignments.

How many classes can I miss? None. Attendance is required at all face to face sessions unless there is a special circumstance. Please speak with your instructor if you have any questions. Attendance is mandatory at the first face to face session to be enrolled in the course.

How do I register? Go online to PD Place and search for our course offerings. Registration is open to any SCPS teacher.

What is an endorsement? The reading endorsement is a “rider” to other certifications. A reading endorsement is made up of 15 university course credit hours (or 300 inservice points). Reading certification consists of 30 university course credit hours or a Master’s Degree in Reading. In essence, the reading endorsement is a mid point in relationship to the reading certification. Source:

Do other classes count? Maybe! If you feel that you have taken classes that may count towards the reading endorsement please gather the course #, course title, institution where you took the course as well as and your completition date. Contact: Courtney Kavanaugh via with the course information listed in the .

Can I take a test instead? No. There is no provision for teachers to take a test for the endorsement or in place of the coursework. Teacher seeking a certification, rather than an endorsement, would take a state test and also complete courses through a Master’s Degree program.

Do I have to take a test in order to earn my endorsement? No. There are no state tests required for earning your endorsement.

Will I receive a stipend or bonus? No. There are no stipends or bonuses offered at this time.

What if I still have questions? Courtney Kavanaugh Reading Specialist