Certification of School Leaders New Certification Requirements

Certification of School Leaders

New Certification Requirements n n n Adopted by Board of Regents in June 2006 (Part 80 Regulations) Companion piece to preparation program requirements (Part 52 Regulations) Strengthens requirements for all school leaders in NYS public schools

New Initial & Professional Titles Previous Title New Title School Administrator & School Building Leader Supervisor (SAS) (SBL) School District Administrator School District Leader (SDA) (SDL) School Business School District Business Administrator (SBA) Leader (SDBL)

Timeline n n First issue date for new certificates is September 1, 2006 Candidates must apply for and qualify for “old” certificates by September 1, 2007 Holders of Provisional certificates are eligible for Permanent even after September 1, 2007 Exception for SDA: Deadline extended to September 1, 2010 for candidates holding SBA to meet experience requirement n Assessment requirement is waived until tests become available

Certification Pathways n n College program completion required for new certificates as of September 2, 2007 Individual (transcript) evaluation route is eliminated SBL: Conditional Initial certificate available for out-of-state applicants SDL & SDBL: Certificate endorsement available for out-of-state certificate holders

Certificate Endorsement n n Available to experienced school district leaders and school district business leaders with equivalent out-of-state certificates Requirements include master’s degree and 3 years of experience

Alternative Preparation n n New alternative (Transitional D) certificate available for school district leaders matriculated in alternative certification programs Requires employment commitment and district mentoring

Experience Requirement : School Building Leader (SBL) n n Initial certification Three years experience in classroom teaching and/or pupil personnel service Professional certification Three years school leadership experience (including one year mentored experience as school building leader)

Scope of Practice : School District Leader n n Holder of SDL must also hold School Building Leader or School District Business Leader certificate to serve in positions covered by these titles Limit in scope of practice changes past policy

Leadership Assessment n n n New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) Program assessments for school leaders required for SBL, SDL, and SDBL when available First administration expected in fall of 2007 Assessment not required for collegerecommended applicants before September 2, 2007

Professional Development n n n Required for all holders of Professional level certificates Maintains validity of Professional certificate 175 hours every five years Reduced requirement for certificate holders not employed in public schools List of acceptable providers now expanded

More Information This presentation summarizes the major provisions of the certification requirements for school leaders. It should not be construed as an exhaustive explanation of the regulation. For more information and the full text of the regulation, visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives Web site: www. highered. nysed. gov/tcert