Become a Step Up Home Education Evaluation Provider in Florida
At a Glance
An annual home education evaluation documents a home education student's educational progress for the year. Families in the Unique Abilities (FES-UA) program can pay for that evaluation with scholarship funds, but they can only pay providers Step Up has approved in EMA, its online system. Approval is what puts you in front of those families: once Step Up approves you, families can find you in the provider directory inside EMA and pay you with scholarship funds.
This page covers what approval involves for an evaluator: the one scholarship that pays for this service, the certified teacher requirement, the two evaluation methods Step Up recognizes, how payment reaches you, and the mistakes that slow applications down. Step Up reviews every application and makes every approval decision. This guide shows you the shape of the process before you start.
What Families Can Pay You For
FES-UA covers annual educational progress evaluations for home education students in the FES-UA program. A family can pay you through Direct Pay in EMA, or pay you themselves and request reimbursement from their scholarship account.
Only two evaluation methods count in this category, and each one is done by a certified teacher: a portfolio review with discussion, or a nationally normed student achievement test. Other evaluation methods do not count in this category.
One payment detail matters for how an evaluator sets up accounts: Direct Pay is made to the associated business account. A Personal account on its own cannot receive payment.
What It Takes
The credential in this category is a teaching credential, and the method has to match it:
- Portfolio method: hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level, and evaluate the student's educational progress by reviewing their portfolio and discussing it with the student, or
- Testing method: administer a nationally normed student achievement test as a certified teacher.
Evaluators apply with a School and Personal account combination, or a Business and Personal account combination. At a headline level, the Business account asks for tax ID information (an EIN, or a Social Security number if there is no EIN), the legal name as registered with the IRS, and bank details, along with the first and last name of the individual rendering services and a valid Florida educator's certificate.
Mistakes That Slow Home Education Evaluation Applications Down
- Not a certified teacher, or no valid regular Florida certificate for the portfolio method. The portfolio route needs a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level.
- Using an evaluation method other than portfolio review or a nationally normed test. Only those two methods count in this category.
Questions Providers Ask
Which scholarship pays for home education evaluations?
Unique Abilities (FES-UA) only. This category serves home education students in the FES-UA program.
What credential does Step Up recognize?
A certified teacher. For the portfolio method, that means a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level. For the testing method, a certified teacher administers a nationally normed student achievement test.
Which evaluation methods count?
Only two: reviewing a student's portfolio and discussing it with the student, or administering a nationally normed student achievement test. Each method is done by a certified teacher.
How do families pay me?
Step Up can pay you directly through EMA, or the family pays you and requests reimbursement from their FES-UA account. Direct Pay is made to the associated business account; a Personal account on its own cannot receive payment.
What does the application ask for, at a headline level?
The Business account asks for tax ID information (an EIN, or a Social Security number if there is no EIN), the legal name as registered with the IRS, and bank details. The application also asks for the first and last name of the individual rendering services and a valid Florida educator's certificate.
See Your Home Education Evaluation Pathway
The free assessment asks five straightforward questions and shows you a personalized preview of your provider pathway: your credential route, the scholarship programs that fit, and your first steps. The assessment is free. Start with a free personalized assessment. Full personalized plan for one provider pathway: $147 one-time. Additional pathways are $97 each.
Step Up Provider Guide is operated by Pair of Deuces LLC and is not affiliated with Step Up For Students. Step Up reviews every provider application and makes all approval decisions.
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