School Administration

If you want to move on from a teaching position to an administration position, such as a school principal, in addition to the teaching certification process, extra education and additional certification steps are required. First you must become certified in educational leadership, and then receive certification to be a school principal.

Specialization Requirements for Certification in Educational Leadership - Administrative Class

1. Receive a master’s or higher degree awarded by a regionally accredited institution.
2. Successfully complete the Florida Educational Leadership Core Curriculum.
   1. The Educational Leadership core curriculum consists of the following principal leadership standard areas:
      1. Instructional leadership
      2. Managing the learning environment
      3. Learning, accountability, and assessment
      4. Decision-making strategies
      5. Technology
      6. Human resource development
      7. Ethical leadership
      8. Vision
      9. Community and stakeholder partnerships, and
      10. Diversity
   2. Documentation of successful completion of the Florida Educational Leadership Core Curriculum must be by one of the following plans:
      1. Successful completion of a Department of Education approved Florida preservice program in educational leadership offered by an acceptable institution.
      2. A graduate degree major in educational administration, administration and supervision or educational leadership awarded by an acceptable institution.
      3. A graduate degree with a major in a subject other than educational administration, administration and supervision or educational leadership, and successful completion of a Department of Education approved modified Florida program in educational leadership offered by an acceptable institution.
      4. A graduate degree with a major in a subject other than educational administration, administration and supervision, or educational leadership awarded by an acceptable institution.
      5. Successful completion of an Educational Leadership training program approved by the Department of Education and offered by a Florida public school district.

School Principal - Administrative Class

To be eligible to receive certification as a school principal, an individual shall satisfy each of the following requirements:

1. Hold a valid professional certificate covering educational leadership, administration, or administration and supervision (as previously set forth).
2. Document successful performance of the duties of the school principalship. These duties shall be performed in a Department of Education approved district school principal certification program designed and implemented consistent with the principal leadership standards approved by the State Board of Education. In addition, these duties shall:
   1. Be performed as a full-time employee in a Florida public school in a leadership position through which the candidate can fully demonstrate the competencies associated with the Florida Principal Leadership Standards.
   2. Be a formally planned professional development program designed and implemented to prepare the individual to effectively perform as a school principal.
   3. Be comprehensive of all the duties of the school principalship.
   4. Be performed under the direct supervision of a currently practicing school principal or district manager who has been approved by the district school board to serve as the supervising principal or manager for this program.
3. Demonstrate successful performance of the competencies of the school principalship standards which shall be documented by the Florida district school superintendent based on a performance appraisal system approved by the district school board and the Department.
4. An individual who holds a valid Florida Educator’s Certificate covering administration or administration and supervision issued prior to July 1, 1986 and served as a school principal prior to July 1, 1986 for not less than one school year may apply for certification as a school principal.