Test Information Guide
Test and Test Information Guide Development
Authorization
Developed, produced, and printed under the authority of the Florida Department of Education.
Authorization for reproduction of this document is hereby granted to persons acting in an official capacity within the Florida K-20 education system, as enumerated in Section 1000.04, Florida Statutes.
Permission is NOT granted for distribution or reproduction outside the State system of public education or for commercial distribution of the copyrighted materials without written authorization from the Department of Education. Questions regarding use of these copyrighted materials are to be addressed to:
FTCE/FELE Administrator
Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Copyright 2025
State of Florida
Department of State
Teacher Certification Testing
In 1980, the State legislature passed the Management Training Act, creating the Florida Council on Educational Management (FCEM). Charged by this Act to make recommendations on the management of Florida's public schools, the FCEM commissioned studies to determine the characteristics that distinguish outstanding educational managers.
Based on the results of these studies, the FCEM recommended three levels of certification for educational leaders. The FCEM also mandated a statewide examination, the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE), to ensure that certification applicants have sufficient knowledge to succeed at the entry level in their profession. For more information about educator certification, visit the Florida Department of Education website 
.
The Florida Principal Leadership Standards (FPLS) were established in 2005 through State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.080, F.A.C., and revised in 2011 to incorporate contemporary research on school leadership. In 2021, a committee of 34 educational leaders drafted new leadership standards using feedback from over 160 stakeholders across the state. The primary goals for the revision process were to align the standards with current research and policy, and clearly delineate between the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals and principals. Named the Florida Educational Leadership Standards (FELS), the new standards were adopted by the State Board of Education in October 2022. The eight Florida Educational Leadership Standards are:
- Professional and Ethical Norms
Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. - Vision and Mission
Effective educational leaders collaborate with parents, students, and other stakeholders to develop, communicate, and enact a shared vision, mission, and core values to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. - School Operations, Management, and Safety
Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to cultivate a safe school environment and promote the academic success and well-being of all students. - Student Learning and Continuous School Improvement
Effective educational leaders enable continuous improvement to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. - Learning Environment
Effective educational leaders cultivate a caring, rigorous, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of all students. - Recruitment and Professional Learning
Effective educational leaders build the collective and individual professional capacity of school personnel by creating support systems and offering professional learning to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. - Building Leadership Expertise
Effective educational leaders cultivate, support, and develop other school leaders to promote the academic success and well-being of all students. - Meaningful Parent, Family, and Community Engagement
Effective educational leaders utilize multiple means of reciprocal communication to build relationships and collaborate with parents, families, and other stakeholders to promote the academic success and well-being of all students.
In 2022, the FELS of 2022 were established as the basis for the evaluation of school leadership and development of FELE 4.0. Committees of statewide subject matter experts further explicated the test content within each standard by developing competencies and skills, test question specifications, and by reviewing a pool of test questions.
More information about the test development and validation process is available on the How the FTCE and FELE Were Developed webpage.
Role of the Test Information Guide
The purpose of this test information guide is to assist FELE candidates to prepare effectively for the examination. The guide was designed to familiarize prospective test takers with various aspects of the examination, including the content that is covered and the way it is represented. The guide should enable candidates to direct their study and to focus on relevant material for review. An annotated bibliography of related subject matter materials is available at the end of the test information guide to provide further guidance in identifying additional areas in need of study.
This test information guide is intended primarily for use by candidates for a Florida Educational Leadership Certificate, a certificate for people wishing to enter the field of school administration. Candidates may have studied and worked in Florida or may be from out of state.
College or university faculty may also use the guide to prepare students for certification, and in-service trainers may find the guide useful for helping previously certified teachers prepare for recertification.
This test information guide is not intended as an all-inclusive source of subject area knowledge, nor is it a substitute for college course work in the subject area. The sample questions are representative of the content of the actual test; however, they are not actual test questions from an actual test form. Instead, the guide is intended to help candidates prepare for the subject area test by presenting an overview of the content and format of the examination.
Return to Navigation