New York
SUPPLY/DEMAND CONSIDERATIONS
REGULAR PATH
PRINCIPAL
Provisional Certificate -- School Administrator and Supervisor
This is the certificate issued to a beginning principal.
Prerequisites
The candidate must have:
• A bachelor's degree;
• 3 years of teaching, administrative/supervisory, and/or pupil
personnel experience in Pre-K-12 schools; and
• 18 semester hours of graduate study in school administration
and supervision.
Program Standards
The candidate must complete:
• An approved administrative/supervisory internship under the
supervision of a practicing school administrator and of a
representative of the sponsoring college or university; or
• 1 year of satisfactory, full- time experience in a school
administrative or supervisory position; and
• 12 semester hours of additional graduate study.
Exit Standards
When the individual has completed a master's degree and 2 years of
experience in an administrative or supervisory position in a public or
approved independent school, he or she may be issued a Permanent
Certificate -- School Administrator and Supervisor.
SUPERINTENDENT
Permanent Certificate -- School District Administrator
This is the credential issued to a superintendent -- there is no
provisional form of this certificate.
Prerequisites
The candidate must have:
• 3 years of teaching, administrative/supervisory, and/or pupil
personnel experience in Pre-K-12 schools;
• A master's degree; and
• 24 semester hours of graduate study in school administration
and supervision.
Program Standards
The candidate must complete:
• An approved administrative/supervisory internship under the
supervision of a practicing school administrator and of a
representative of the sponsoring college or university; or
• 1 year of satisfactory full- time experience in a school
administrative or supervisory position; and
• 36 semester hours of additional graduate study.
Exit Standards
When the individual has the requirements, he or she may be issued a
Permanent Certificate -- School District Administrator.
ALTERNATE PATH
New York does not have an alternate route for school administrators.
(However, see the alternative described under "Waivers.")
WAIVERS
New York has an alternative pathway for becoming a school
superintendent, through a waiver.
SUPERINTENDENT
Certificate as Superintendent of Schools for "Exceptionally Qualified"
Under state law, the Commissioner of Education, at the request of a
local school board or regional board of cooperative educational
services (BOCES), may issue a certificate as superintendent of schools
to "exceptionally qualified persons who do not meet all of the graduate
course or teaching requirements . . . but whose exc eptional training
and experience are the substantial equivalent of such requirements and
qualify such persons for the duties of a superintendent of schools."
If granted, the waiver is only valid for the school district that has
appointed the exceptional candidate, and is not transferable to other
districts or other administrative positions.
PENDING DEVELOPMENTS
Officials say they are interested in opening up education
administration to persons who have shown excellent leadership in
fields other than education. They say the bottom line is to agree on
what they need to know to become school administrators.
State officials say they are trying to be more flexible than in the past,
because they do not want to keep out potential leaders for the schools.
However, they are limited in what they can do by current state law --
which, for example, mandates that a principal have teaching
experience.
New proposed regulations are being prepared and could be considered
by the State Board this fall.
Also being prepared are new proposed standards for school leadership
preparation programs at colleges and universities. Officials say that
current requirements are very sketchy, and they want to provide
greater guidance for institutions and establish expectations for
preparation programs.
Officials say that since 1996, the New York Regents have been
focused on higher education programs for preparing teachers, and have
not yet turned their attention to administrator preparation programs.
In a document dated April 23, 2002, the New York State Center for
School Leadership described a number of proposed changes being
considered.
These include a proposed alternative certification program for school
district administrator.
PROPOSED ALTERNATE PATH
Proposed Alternative Certification Program for School District
Administrator
A candidate would be required to:
• Have completed a graduate program (e.g., Master of Business
Administration, Juris Doctor, Master of Public Administration,
Master of Social Work, Doctor of Medicine, Master of
Theology, Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching,
Doctor of Philosophy, etc.);
• Successfully complete Parts I and II of a state assessment (Part
II would evaluate appropriate leadership experience in a field
other than education);
• Demonstrate district leve l competencies (including, but not
limited to: school board relations, policy and governance,
district culture and community relations, organizational
management, human resource management, and ethical
leadership) and address district reorganization, collective
bargaining, sexual misconduct, and racial harmony in the
context of the competencies; and
• Complete an approved professional experience.