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Florida Department of Education



Glossary

The Education Practices Commission (EPC) has the authority to issue penalties against an individual's State of Florida Educator Certificate. Click here to view the guidelines adopted by the EPC for issuing penalties against a state issued certificate.



Administrative Complaint:Document issued by the Commissioner of Education upon the finding there is probable cause to sanction the educator's certificate for an act or action that is alleged to have violated the standards of conduct for an educator in Florida. An Administrative Complaint is issued against an educator who holds a Temporary or Professional Florida Educator Certificate.
College Level Course-work:A three-hour college level, undergraduate or graduate course, from an accredited institution of higher learning.
Community Service Work:Volunteer work that is a beneficial service to the community.
Denial:When an applicant for a Florida Educator Certificate is denied issuance of a certificate. Denial of a certificate may be for a designated time or permanent.
Education Practices Commission (EPC): The EPC is a quasi-judicial body of peers (teachers, administrators and lay citizens), established in statute, who ultimately determine what disciplinary actions are levied against an individual's Florida Educator Certificate.
Election of Rights:The Election of Rights is the educator's formal response to an administrative complaint or notice of reasons. Through the Election of Rights, the educator indicates how he or she would like the case to proceed. The choices include: formal hearing; informal hearing; settlement agreement; and surrender of the certificate.
EPC Case Suffix "D":Indicates the disciplinary action is being taken against an individual who has applied for a Florida Educator Certificate.
EPC Case Suffix "RA":Indicates the disciplinary action is being taken against an educator who holds or held at the time of the allegation a Florida Educator Certificate in an administrative area.
EPC Case Suffix "RT": Indicates the disciplinary action is being taken against an educator who holds or held at the time of the allegation a Florida Educator Certificate in an instructional area.
Final Order: Document that codifies the action taken by the members of the Education Practices Commission which issues final action against an educator's Florida Educator Certificate.
Formal:A formal hearing means an educator disputed the allegations stated in the administrative complaint or notice of reasons and elected to have the case heard before an administrative law judge in the Division of Administrative Hearings. After an evidentiary hearing, an Administrative Law Judge issues a Recommended Order which outlines a recommended penalty. You may access the Division of Administrative Hearings web site for more information on this process.
Informal:When the educator admits to the allegations in the administrative complaint or notice of reasons and elects to state his or her case in front of the Education Practices Commission.
Letter of Reprimand:Letter issued by the Education Practices Commission which reprimands the educator. The letter is placed in the educator's personnel file and is made part of the educator's file in the Department of Education.
Limited Scope of Practice: Prohibits an educator from performing some job related function or activity during the time specified in the Final Order documents. Typical limitations include prohibiting the educator from: transporting students, sponsoring extra-curricular activities, proctoring standardized exams or handling school funds.
NASDTEC:NASDTEC is a private professional association which supports the activities of state level education offices in matters related to the education and certification of professional educators. NASDTEC maintains a repository of educator disciplinary actions taken by the member organizations. Members are comprised of the fifty United States and its territories, the District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Defense Educational Opportunity schools, British Columbia, Ontario, and New Zealand. The NASDTEC repository of disciplinary actions is available to all participating jurisdictions. Florida is member of the NASDTEC organization and through the Education Practices Commission reports disciplinary actions of revocation, suspension or denial to the repository.
Notice of Reasons: Document issued by the Commissioner of Education upon finding there is probable cause to deny a certificate to an individual who has applied for a Florida Educator Certificate or is in transition from a temporary to a professional certificate.
Permanent Revocation: An individual whose certificate has been permanently revoked is prohibited from employment in any position which requires direct student contact in any Florida public school or district. There is no provision for re-application.
Probation: A designated period of time during which the educator's activities are monitored by the Department of Education, through the cooperation, assistance and participation of the educator's administrator. Probation requires the educator to perform his or her duties in a competent manner and to comply fully with all laws, school board policies and rules of the State Board of Education. An educator must be employed in a position which requires a Florida Educator Certificate in order to comply with and fulfill the obligation to complete probation.
Recovery Network Program:A program established to provide evaluation and/or treatment of educators who have or are suspected to have drug, alcohol or mental health issues. The RNP is a network of mental health providers administered through the Department of Education which provide services to educators either as a condition of a Final Order or by voluntary participation. (NOTE: Pursuant to Florida Statutes, evaluations and outcomes through the Recovery Network Program are exempt from public record.)
Revocation: A revocation is for a designated period of time, up to ten (10) years, or permanent, during which the educator is prohibited from employment in any position which requires direct student contact in any Florida public school or district. An educator whose certificate has been revoked for a period of time may re-apply when the time of revocation is over and must fulfill the requirements for certification at the time of re-application.
Settlement Agreement:The Department and the educator enter into an agreement to settle the case. In the settlement, the educator neither admits, nor denies the allegations, but elects not to contest them. The EPC may accept or reject the settlement agreement. If accepted, the settlement agreement will be incorporated into the EPC's Final Order.
Show Cause Order: Document that codified the action taken by the members of the Education Practices Commission which issues final action against an educator's Florida Educator Certificate. A Show Cause Order is issued when an educator fails to comply with the conditions of a previously issued Final Order, or violated the provisions of a previously issued Final Order.
Surrender:Is a non-contested forfeiture of an individual’s certificate for permanent revocation. Surrenders may be voluntary, or as a result of a court ordered action. Surrenders are accepted by the EPC chairperson and are not heard before an entire EPC panel.
Suspension: A designated period of time, up to five (5) years, during which the educator is prohibited from employment in any position which requires direct student contact in any Florida public school or district. An educator may renew a professional certificate during a time of suspension.
Waived:If an educator fails to respond to the administrative complaint by filing an Election of Rights or otherwise responding in writing, the EPC will hear the case and enter a Final Order which may impose sanctions against the educator's certificate. (Note: Waived cases are pursued after the educator has been served with the complaint as provided by Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, the Administrative Procedures Act.)