ESOL Requirements 

Teachers, service providers, administrators, and counselors are all required to complete some professional development in the area of ESOL, English Speakers of Other Languages.  Depending on an educator's instructional category, an entire endorsement might be necessary.

If you teach:

• Reading
• ESE K-12
• Language Arts/English
• Elementary K-6

You need a full ESOL Endorsement.  Read that section closely.

If you teach anything else, or you are not a classroom teacher, you need ESOL hours.  Read that section closely.

ESOL Endorsement

Teachers of Reading, ESE K-12, Language Arts, and K-6 Elementary are required to have the ESOL Endorsement on their certificate, and to remain in compliance must take one course, 60 hours, of training each school year (between July 1 and June 30).  

• Category 1 teachers are required to earn the ESOL Endorsement: 
• Category 1:  Language Arts, Reading, ESE K-12; Elementary

• Read the section below entitled "Options for Earning the ESOL Endorsement"

ESOL Hours

Teachers of other subjects, not listed above, are required to take professional development courses as outlined below.

• • Category 2, 3, and 4 teachers do not need to earn the ESOL Endorsement but DO need the following hours of ESOL training: 
    • Category 2: Teachers of Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Computer Literacy, VE Support 
      • 60 in-service hours
      • Recommended course: ESOL Essentials

• • • Category 4: School Administrators and School Counselors 
      • 60 in-service hours
      • Recommended course: ESOL for Administrators or ESOL for Counselors

• • • Category 3: All other teachers (Music, Art, PE, etc.) and service providers (School Social Workers, Psychologists, etc.) 
      • 18 in-service hours
      • Recommended course: ESOL Strategies

Sign Up for ESOL Training 

To view the schedule for upcoming ESOL training, visit the ESOL Training Page.

Options for Earning the ESOL Endorsement:

• • Option 1: Pinellas County Schools offers the professional development necessary for teachers to earn the ESOL Endorsement. Course offerings are updated monthly on the Professional Development Chalk Talk and can be found in PLN. Training is available in face-to-face and virtual formats.
    • A full endorsement requires five (5) courses, with each area earning 60 in-service hours. 

• ESOL Essentials
• ESOL Curriculum
• ESOL Cross Cultural Communication
• ESOL Applied Linguistics
• ESOL Testing 

•  After completing Option 1, add the ESOL Endorsement by submitting the District Add Endorsement Application with the FLDOE.

• • Option 2: Earn the ESOL endorsement through college credit. 
    If you have earned the ESOL Endorsement by taking 15 hours of ESOL college credit, submit your application to the FLDOE to add the ESOL Endorsement to your certificate.  You will need to submit your official college transcript if you have not already done so.
    • After completing Option 2, add the ESOL Endorsement when submitting the initial Teacher Certification Application with the FLDOE.

• • Option 3: Available to Category 1 teachers to earn ESOL K-12 Subject Area Certification.  With the completion of any two of the 60-point ESOL training courses and a passing score on the ESOL K-12 Subject Area Examination, Category 1 teachers may earn certification in ESOL K-12. 

• • • After completing Option 3, add the ESOL K-12 subject area by submitting the District Add Subject Application with the FLDOE.

• • • Add ESOL K-12 subject area (not ESOL Endorsement) if you complete Option 3.

Sign Up for ESOL Training 

To view the schedule for upcoming ESOL training, visit the ESOL Training Page.