College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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20 points = 1 credit: Florida renewal maths
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Converting Florida inservice points to college credit is simple: s. 1012.585 treats 6 college credits and 120 inservice points as the same renewal, and pairs 1 credit with 20 points, so each credit equals 20 points. You can mix them. Each subject you keep still needs 3 credits or 60 points, and 1 credit or 20 points must be in teaching students with disabilities.
The numbers in the law
Section 1012.585 of the Florida Statutes sets renewal at a minimum of 6 college credits or 120 inservice points, or a combination. Six credits and 120 points are the same requirement written two ways, so one credit is treated as 20 points. The law says this directly for leadership certificates, where it asks for 1 college credit or 20 inservice points.
Everything else follows from that ratio. Three credits in a subject equal 60 points. One credit in teaching students with disabilities equals 20 points. Two credits in science of reading for K-6 reading coverages equal 40 points.
| Part of renewal | Credits | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Total each period | 6 | 120 |
| Each subject kept | 3 | 60 |
| Students with disabilities | 1 | 20 |
| K-6 science of reading, where it applies | 2 | 40 |
Mixing points and credits
Most teachers end up with a mix. A district teacher might have 80 points from district training and need 40 more. Two college credits would close the gap, but only if the credits and points also cover each subject line and the students with disabilities line.
Work it out line by line. Write each subject you keep, then the students with disabilities credit, then the total. Fill each line with what you already have, in points or credits, and see what is left.
A worked example
Say you hold Mathematics 6-12 and want to keep it. You have 40 points from district workshops on classroom technology and 20 points from a district module on students with disabilities. That is 60 points, so you need 60 more, the same as 3 credits.
Your maths line is still empty, because the workshop points were not in maths, and professional growth points cannot count toward a subject anyway. A 3-credit maths course, such as College Algebra or Calculus 1 posted on a college transcript, would fill the maths line and bring you to 120. Confirm with your district that the course counts in maths before you enrol.
Points that do not count where you expect
The law limits some points. Points from professional growth components cannot be used for the subject requirement. Inservice for a mandatory topic not tied to student learning or professional growth can only count once in each 5-year period. K-6 reading credits cannot count toward an unrelated subject.
These limits catch people who have plenty of points but the wrong kind. Check your district record for what each set of points was logged as.
Where college credit helps
College credit is most useful for subject lines, where general workshops do not count, and for people not employed by a district. Our courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and once a college posts the credit, it counts like any other college credit if your renewal office accepts it.
UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for every course, so two 3-credit courses in one month cost $99 plus the transcript step. We do not teach a students with disabilities course, so plan that line through your district or a college.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your district certification office, or FLDOE if you are not employed by a district, in writing whether credits posted on a partner college's transcript would count for each subject on your certificate before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Is one Florida college credit always worth 20 inservice points?
For renewal, the law treats 6 credits and 120 points as the same requirement and pairs 1 credit with 20 points for leadership renewal, so yes, the working ratio is 20 to 1. Your district records the points, so check its count.
Can workshop points count toward my subject?
Not if they were logged as professional growth points; the law says those cannot meet the subject requirement. Points from training in your subject can. Ask your district how each set of points was recorded.
Does a quarter-hour credit count the same as a semester credit?
Quarter hours are usually converted to semester hours at two-thirds of their value, so 3 quarter hours are about 2 semester hours. Ask your renewal office how it converts quarter hours before you count them.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Calculus 1
Self-paced online Calculus 1 course (Math 165). NCCRS recommends 4 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Educational Psychology
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Ask your renewal office in writing first, then take two subject courses in one month.
Sources
- Florida Statutes s. 1012.585 (2025): Process for renewal of professional certificates (official)Districts renew for their employees, FLDOE for people not employed by a district; renewal periods up to 5 years, one renewal per period; minimum 6 college credits or 120 inservice points or a mix; at least 3 credits or equivalent points in each specialization kept; at least 1 college credit or equivalent points in teaching students with disabilities; a passing Florida subject area exam can renew a specialization in lieu of credit; K-6 reading coverages need 2 credits in science of reading from approved providers; leadership renewal 1 college credit or 20 inservice points; late renewal before 1 July of the year after expiry; reinstatement needs 6 credits or 120 points plus the subject exam within 5 years. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.