Hillsborough County Public Schools is committed to providing the best educational opportunities for all students. The Alternative Certification Program (ACP) philosophy is based on a deep commitment to student achievement by providing high-quality professional development for teachers through a quality competency-based program. The goal of ACP is to train non-education majors in pedagogy so they can make a positive impact on student achievement and provide quality educational opportunities for children.

The Hillsborough County Public Schools has designed the Alternative Certification Program in accordance with Florida Statute Section 1012.56.

Each school district may provide a cohesive competency-based professional preparation alternative certification program by which members of the school district’s instructional staff may satisfy the mastery of professional preparation and education competence requirements specified in … rules of the State Board of Education. Participants must hold a state-issued temporary certificate. Each program must be based on classroom application and instructional performance and must include a performance evaluation plan for documenting the demonstration of required professional education competence.

The ACP offers non-education majors holding at least a bachelor's degree and meeting the state requirements, for which a professional teaching certificate may be issued, the opportunity to be trained as educators. After ACP completion, the participant may seek a professional teaching certificate in the state of Florida.

The Hillsborough County Public Schools ACP is a three-part program, which includes:

1. Demonstration of the Pre-professional Benchmark Level of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs).
2. Teaching experience under the supervision of a trained ACP support team.
3. Professional development components designed to provide participants with quality training opportunities while demonstrating mastery of the FEAPs.

A candidate must

• Be a paid instructional employee of the Hillsborough County Public Schools or School Board-approved charter school in a teaching assignment that does not vary from day to day (at least half-time or its equivalent) and be classified as the teacher of record for the assigned teaching position.
• Hold or be eligible for a temporary teaching certificate from the Florida Department of Education.
• Attend an ACP information meeting to receive a program packet and application.
• Obtain hiring principal’s signature on the ACP application as evidence of agreement to coordinate the ACP internship on site.
• Sign the ACP application as an agreement of participation.
• Sign the appropriate ACP payroll deduction form or submit a check made payable to Hillsborough County Public Schools.
• Submit application materials to the ACP office on or before April 30 of the current school year.

For more information, please email acp@hcps.net