School Leadership License Requirements

  • District Leadership (superintendent)
  • Building Leadership (principal)

Regulations provide for an initial school leadership license (2 years) and a professional school leadership license (5 years).


Building or District Administrator Requirements

  • You must have five years of experience in a state-accredited school while holding a professional level teaching, school specialist or clinical license or a full vocational-technical certificate.
  • You must complete the appropriate approved graduate level school leadership program and hold a graduate degree to qualify for a school leadership license.
  • Contact the licensure officer, at the college or university, for a plan of study (Institutional Contact List), including entry requirements into the program. You should not start the program unless you meet the experience requirements described above
  • Complete all program and degree requirements:
    • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 or above in your graduate coursework is required.

Complete a School Leadership content test:

School leadership exam administered through Educational Testing Services.
For information on testing: https://www.ets.org/praxis/ks/requirements

                                        THEN

  1. Apply for and receive an initial school leadership license.
  2. Complete a performance assessment:
        A year-long approved mentoring program chosen by the hiring local education agency.
  3. Apply for and receive a five –year professional school leadership license.

Are the requirements for a school leadership license the same if I am an experienced administrator coming from out-of-state?

The degree, program, GPA, recency and minimum experience requirements are the same.  However, if you meet specific experience requirements, you may qualify for a professional school leadership license as your initial Kansas license and would be exempt from any testing requirements.  If you do not meet the requirements for a professional school leadership license, you would have to meet all requirements of the initial school leadership license, including completion of a school leadership assessment.

Out-of-state applicant requirements for a professional school leadership license:

  • Graduate degree from a regionally accredited college
  • Completion of a graduate level state approved program
  • 3.25 cumulative grade point average in graduate coursework
  • Recency - means the applicant must have at least 8 credit hours or one year of accredited experience completed within the last six years
  • Three years of accredited experience under a valid professional license/certificate
  • School leadership licensure assessment

AND

  • Successful completion of a school leadership content and performance assessment

OR

  • Three years of recent accredited experience in a school leadership position with a valid professional school leadership license

I have already completed all the requirements for a license and need to apply.  Where can I get an application?

  • Completed a Kansas program
    • Contact the licensure officer at your Kansas institution for the appropriate application form and to coordinate the application process.
  • Completed an out-of-state program

 

Office/Building Hours:

Monday through Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Send all mail to:

KSDE
Attention: Teacher Licensure
900 S.W. Jackson Street, Suite 106
Topeka, KS 66612-1212

Licensure Operator 

TLALicense@ksde.org
(785) 296-2288

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