Certification or Licensing
Most states require administrators to be licensed, however there are no licensing requirements for postsecondary school administrators. Requirements to become licensed may include U.S. citizenship or state residency, graduate training in educational administration, experience, and good health and character. In some states, candidates must pass a qualifying examination. You can obtain information on specific requirements from the department of education in your state. Principals in private schools do not need a state-issued license.
The American Association of School Administrators offers the National Superintendent Certification Program to help superintendents with less than five years of experience develop their professional skills. Contact the association for more information.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) offers the School Leaders Licensure Assessment test, which measures whether or not entry-level principals and other school leaders are fit for professional practice. ETS also offers the School Superintendent Assessment test, which measures an administrator's understanding of Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards.
- Adapted Physical Education Specialists
- Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Art Teachers
- Athletic Directors
- Biophysicists
- Book Editors
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- College Administrators
- College Professors
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Computer Trainers
- Cooking Instructors
- Curriculum Coordinators
- Dance School Owners and Managers
- Distance Learning Coordinators
- Driving School Owners and Instructors
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Edupreneurs
- Elementary School Teachers
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Flight Instructors
- Guidance Counselors
- Health Educators
- Instructional Coordinators
- Instructional Designers
- Journalism Teachers
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Library and Information Science Instructors
- Mathematics Teachers
- Music Teachers
- Nursing Instructors
- Physical Education Teachers
- Political Scientists
- Preschool Teachers
- Real Estate Educators
- School Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
- Teacher Aides
- Tutors and Trainers