AMENDMENT TO THE REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISIONER OF EDUCATION

 Pursuant to sections 14, 101, 207, 208, 305, 308, 3001, 3003, 3004 and 3009 of the Education Law.

1. Subdivision (c) of section 52.21 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended to read as follows:

(c) Programs leading to certification in the educational leadership service. [The requirements of this subdivision shall be met by September 1, 2004.]

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(2) Administrator. Specific requirements for programs preparing candidates for the professional certificate as an administrator (Educational leader who has more than 25 percent of their assignment in a school level and/or district level administrative position, except a person serving as a school district business leader, shall hold this certificate. Persons shall hold such certificate and the extension to work as a superintendent to serve in the roles of superintendent of schools, deputy superintendent of schools, associate superintendent of schools, assistant superintendent of schools, district superintendent, any equivalent titles in a board of educational cooperative services, or other superintendent of schools).

(i) General requirements. Programs shall meet the general requirements for all programs preparing education leaders as prescribed in paragraph (1) of this subdivision.

(ii) Admission requirements.

(a) Programs shall require candidates to hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education that is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education or from an institution authorized by the Board of Regents to offer programs leading to postsecondary degrees.

(b) Programs shall require candidates to demonstrate that they have successfully completed three years of experience in the classroom teaching service, pupil personnel service, and/or educational leadership service in public or non-public schools (prekindergarten-grade 12) or will have such experience prior to the completion of the program. Programs shall inform applicants in writing prior to admission that the department requires such experience for the professional certificate as an administrator.

(c) Programs shall require candidates to demonstrate the potential to become education leaders possessing the nine essential characteristics of effective leaders outlined in clause (1)(ii)(c) of this subdivision as a result of their prior experiences, including experiences as a teacher, administrator, or pupil personnel service provider.

(iii) Credit for prior learning. Programs may grant graduate credit for prior learning, as determined through assessment, and develop individual plans of study to assist candidates in acquiring all prescribed knowledge and skills. Programs shall state on a candidate's academic record all graduate credit that the program has granted for prior learning determined to be equivalent to a content requirement of the program.

(iv) Content requirements. Programs shall require candidates to complete studies sufficient to demonstrate, upon program completion, the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the responsibilities of both a school level and district level administrator, which include the ability to:

(a)  develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student;

(b)  act ethically and professionally and according to professional norms to promote each student's academic success and well-being;

(c)  strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student's academic success and well-being;

(d)  develop and support intellectually rigorous, culturally relevant, and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote the academic success and well-being of all students;

(e)  cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of all students;

(f)  develop the professional capacity, cultural competence, and practice of school personnel to promote the love of learning, academic success, and well-being of all students;

(g)  foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student's academic success and well-being;

(h) engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student's academic success and well-being;

(i)  manage school operations and resources to promote each student's academic success and well-being; and

(j)  act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student's academic success and well-being.

(v) Leadership experiences.

(a)  Programs shall require candidates to successfully complete leadership experiences that shall:

(1)  include leadership experiences in districts serving students at different developmental levels and with a variety of characteristics and socioeconomic backgrounds;

(2) include leadership experiences at both the school and district levels, providing a range of experiences;

(3) be carefully selected and planned by program faculty in collaboration with school district leaders, with learning outcomes specified that are connected to program competencies and with the achievement of those outcomes regularly evaluated by program faculty; and

(4) be supervised by certified school district leaders and by program faculty who have preparation and expertise in supervision related to administration.

(b) The leadership experiences specified in clause (a) of this subparagraph shall occur throughout the program of study. In addition, they shall culminate in a full-time experience of at least 15 weeks that is structured to provide leadership responsibilities of increasing breadth and depth.

(c) Alternatively, the leadership experiences specified in clause (a) of this subparagraph may occur in a competency-based format different from that prescribed in clause (b) of this subparagraph, provided that the program demonstrates that such format is substantially equivalent to the format prescribed in clause (b) of this subparagraph.

(vi) Requirements for program completion and recommendation for the professional certificate as an administrator.

(a) Candidates shall have successfully met all program requirements established by the institution of higher education and requirements for program registration.

(b) Candidates who have not earned a master's degree prior to admission shall qualify for a master's degree upon program completion.

(vii) Extension to work as a superintendent. Programs leading to extensions to certificates in the administrator title to authorize candidates to serve in the roles of superintendent of schools, deputy superintendent of schools, associate superintendent of schools, assistant superintendent of schools, district superintendent, any equivalent titles in a board of educational cooperative services, or other superintendent of schools shall require at least 60 semester hours of graduate study that may include graduate study completed prior to admission and the graduate study required to develop knowledge and skills for school level and district level administration, as specified in the program's content requirements. Such program shall also lead to a certificate in the administrator title and meet all requirements for programs leading to that certificate.

[(2)] (3) School building leader for programs registered prior to February 1, 2025. Specific requirements for programs preparing candidates for the initial certificate as a school building leader (principal, housemaster, supervisor, department chair, assistant principal, coordinator, unit head, and any other person serving more than 10 periods per week of the assignment in an administrative or supervisory position, except school district leader or school district business leader).

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(iv) Content requirements.

[(a) Prior to September 1, 2023, programs shall require candidates to complete studies sufficient to demonstrate, upon program completion, the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the following:

(1) develop and implement an educational vision, or build and sustain an existing one, for assisting all students to meet State learning standards;

(2) collaboratively identify goals and objectives for achieving the educational vision, seeking and valuing diverse perspectives and alternative points of view, and building understanding through direct and precise questioning;

(3) communicate and work effectively with parents, staff, students, community leaders, and other community members from diverse backgrounds, providing clear, accurate written and spoken information that publicizes the school's goals, expectations, and performance results, and builds support for improving student achievement;

(4) lead comprehensive, long-range planning, informed by multiple data sources, to determine the present state of the school, identify root causes of problems, propose solutions, and validate improvements with regard to all aspects of the school, including but not limited to:

(i) curriculum development;

(ii) instructional strategies and the integration of technology;

(iii) classroom organization and practices;

(iv) assessment;

(v) student support services, including the provision of services to students with disabilities;

(vi) professional support and development;

(vii) succession planning;

(viii) student, family, and community relations;

(ix) facilities development; and

(x) planning with colleges for providing curricula and experiences for college students preparing to become educators that will enhance their learning and the learning of the school's students;

(5) effect any needed educational change through ethical decision making based upon factual analysis, even in the face of opposition;

(6) establish accountability systems for achieving educational goals and objectives;

(7) set a standard for ethical behavior by example, encouraging initiative, innovation, collaboration, mutual respect, and a strong work ethic;

(8) develop staff capability for addressing student learning needs by effective supervision and evaluation of teachers, by effective staff assignments, support, and mentoring, and by providing staff with opportunities for continuous professional learning;

(9) create the conditions necessary to provide a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all students and staff;

(10) establish a school budget and manage school finances and facilities to support achievement of educational goals and objectives;

(11) apply statutes and regulations as required by law, and implement school policies in accordance with law; and

(12) maintain a personal plan for self-improvement and continuous learning

(b) On or after September 1, 2023, programs] Programs shall require candidates to complete studies sufficient to demonstrate, upon program completion, the knowledge, and skills necessary to:

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(vii) The department shall not register programs leading to initial and/or professional certificates as a school building leader on or after February 1, 2025, and any such registered programs shall no longer be registered with the department on or after September 1, 2030.

[(3)] (4) School district leader for programs registered prior to February 1, 2025. Specific requirements for programs preparing candidates for the professional certificate as a school district leader (superintendent of schools, district superintendent, deputy superintendent, associate superintendent, assistant superintendent, and any other person having responsibility for general district-wide administration, except those responsibilities defined for school district business leaders).

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(viii) The department shall not register programs leading to professional certificates as a school district leader on or after February 1, 2025, and any such registered programs shall no longer be registered with the department on or after September 1, 2030.

[(4)] (5) Alternative school district leader certification program.

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[(5)] (6) School district business leader. Specific requirements for programs preparing candidates for the professional certificate as school district business leader (deputy superintendent of schools for business, associate superintendent of schools for business, assistant superintendent of schools for business, and any other person having professional responsibility for the business operation of the school district).

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[(6)] (7) Institutional accountability.

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[(7)] (8) Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation.

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2. Subdivision (b) of section 80-1.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended by adding a new paragraph (12) to read as follows:

(12) The commissioner shall not issue certificates in the school building leader and school district leader titles, other than the professional certificate and reissuance of an initial certificate in the school building leader title, with an effective date that begins after September 1, 2031. Provided, however, that the commissioner may extend the effective date of such certificates, as applicable, after September 1, 2031, pursuant to the requirements of section 80-1.6 of this Subpart. Candidates shall apply and qualify for such certificates on or before January 1, 2031.

3. Section 80-3.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended to read as follows:

Section 80-3.10. Certificates for the educational leadership service

(a) Administrator. (Educational leader who has more than 25 percent of their assignment in a school level and/or district level administrative position, except a person serving as a school district business leader, shall hold this certificate. Persons shall hold such certificate and the extension to work as a superintendent to serve in the roles of superintendent of schools, deputy superintendent of schools, associate superintendent of schools, assistant superintendent of schools, district superintendent, any equivalent titles in a board of educational cooperative services, or other superintendent of schools.)

(1) Holders of a certificate as an administrator may not serve as a superintendent unless they hold an extension to work as a superintendent pursuant to the requirements of section 80-4.3(u) of this Part and may not serve as a school district business leader unless they are certified as a school district business leader or school business administrator pursuant to the requirements of Part 80 of this Title, or are otherwise authorized by law to serve as a school district business leader.

(2) Requirements for a professional certificate as an administrator in the educational leadership service. The candidate shall meet the requirements of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph or the alternative requirements of either subparagraph (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph.

(i) The candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following clauses:

(a) Education. The candidate shall meet the following education requirements:

(1) The candidate shall hold a master's or higher degree from an institution of higher education that is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education or an equivalently approved higher education institution as determined by the department; and

(2) either:

(i) have successfully completed a program leading to a professional certificate as an administrator in the educational leadership service registered pursuant to section 52.21(c)(2) of this Title, or equivalent study as determined by individual evaluation in accordance with the requirements of section 80-3.7 of this Subpart; or

(ii) have successfully completed an educational leadership program at an institution of higher education that is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education outside of New York State, provided that such program leads to a professional certificate as an administrator, or a similar certificate title and type, in the jurisdiction in which the higher education institution is located.

(b) Experience. The candidate shall have successfully completed three years of experience in the classroom teaching service, pupil personnel service, and/or educational leadership service in public or non-public schools (prekindergarten-grade 12); except for candidates admitted into a Pilot P-20 Partnership for Principal Preparation program pursuant to section 52.21(c)(8) of this Title because the program determined that the candidate demonstrated the potential for instructional leadership based on prior experiences that were evaluated using criteria established by the program and were uniformly applied.

(c) Examination. The candidate shall achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the educating all students test. In addition, the candidate shall also achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State assessment for school building leadership or New York State assessment for school district leadership until a  certification examination that is acceptable to the department for the certificate in the administrator title is operational.

(i) Alternative route one. Candidates who hold a valid initial or professional certificate as a school building leader and, until a certification examination that is acceptable to the department for the certificate in the administrator title is operational, achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State assessment for school district leadership may qualify for a professional certificate as an administrator.

(ii) Alternative route two. Candidates who hold a valid professional certificate as a school district leader and, until a certification examination that is acceptable to the department for the certificate in the administrator title is operational, achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State assessment for school building leadership, may qualify for a professional certificate as an administrator.

[(a)] (b) School building leader. (Principal, housemaster, supervisor, department chairman, assistant principal, coordinator, unit head and any other person serving more than 25 percent of his or her assignment in any building level leadership position shall hold this certificate.) The initial, conditional initial, and internship certificates in the school building leader title shall not be issued with an effective date that begins after September 1, 2031, and candidates shall apply and qualify for such certificates on or before January 1, 2031, pursuant to section 80-1.2(b)(12) of this Part.

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[(b)] (c) School district leader. (Superintendent of schools, district superintendent, deputy superintendent, associate superintendent, assistant superintendent and any other person having responsibilities involving general district-wide administration, except a person serving as a school district business leader, shall hold this certificate.) The internship and transitional D certificate in the school district leader title shall not be issued with an effective date that begins after September 1, 2031, and candidates shall apply and qualify for such certificate on or before January 1, 2031, pursuant to section 80-1.2(b)(12) of this Part.

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[(c)] (d) School district business leader. (Deputy superintendent of schools for business, associate superintendent of schools for business, assistant superintendent of schools for business and any other person having professional responsibility for the business operation of the school district shall hold this certificate.)

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4. The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education are amended by adding a new section 80-3.17 to read as follows:

Section 80-3.17.

This section prescribes requirements for meeting the education requirements for the professional certificate in the administrator title through individual evaluation. The candidate must have achieved a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or its equivalent in the program leading to the master’s or higher degree used to meet the requirements for a certificate under this section. All other requirements for the certificate, including the requirements prescribed in this Part, must also be met.

(a) Degree completion. The candidate shall possess a master’s or higher degree from an institution of higher education that is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education or an equivalently approved higher education institution as determined by the department.

(b) The candidate shall complete study in child abuse identification, school violence and harassment, bullying and discrimination prevention and intervention, as prescribed in sections 80-1.4 and 80-1.13 of this Part.

(c) Coursework. The candidate shall complete 21 semester hours of graduate coursework in educational leadership that:

(1) is at both the school level and district level;

(2) is offered by an institution of higher education that is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education and offers an educational leadership program that leads to a professional certificate as an administrator, or a similar certificate title and type, in the jurisdiction in which the higher education institution is located; and

(3) includes study aligned with each of the following areas that are consistent with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders as defined in section 30-3.2(l)(2) of this Title and section 52.21 of this Title:

(i) mission, vision, and core values  

(ii) ethics and professional norms 

(iii) equity and cultural responsiveness 

(iv) curriculum, instruction, and assessment 

(v) community of care and support for students  

(vi) professional capacity of school personnel 

(vii) professional community for teachers and staff 

(viii) meaningful engagement of families and community 

(ix) operations and management 

(x) school improvement.

(d) Internship. The candidate shall satisfactorily complete a college-supervised internship in a school (prekindergarten-grade 12), school district, or board of educational cooperative services that is a full-time experience of at least 15 weeks and is structured to provide leadership responsibilities of increasing breadth and depth. The internship shall be supervised by certified school district leaders and by faculty in an educational leadership preparation program at an institution of higher education as outlined in paragraph (c)(2) of this subdivision.

5. Section 80-4.3 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended by adding a new subdivision (t) to read as follows:

(t) Requirements for the extension to work as a superintendent.

(1) The extension shall authorize the candidate to work as a superintendent of schools, deputy superintendent of schools, associate superintendent of schools, assistant superintendent of schools, district superintendent, any equivalent titles in a board of educational cooperative services, or other superintendent of schools.

(2) The candidate shall meet the requirements in one of the following subparagraphs:

(i) The candidate shall hold a valid certificate in the administrator title and complete 60 semester hours of graduate coursework.

(ii) The candidate shall hold a valid certificate in the administrator title and complete a program registered pursuant to section 52.21(c)(2)(vii) of this Title.

(iii) The Commissioner, at the request of a board of education or board of cooperative educational services, may provide for the issuance of both a professional certificate in the administrator title and an extension to work as a superintendent (superintendent of schools or district superintendent) to exceptionally qualified persons who do not meet all of the education or experience requirements pursuant to section 80-3.10(a)(2)(i) of this Part, but whose exceptional training and experience are the substantial equivalent of such requirements and qualify such persons for duties of a superintendent of schools or district superintendent. Prior to the appointment of any such individual, the board must obtain the approval of the commissioner. In its formal request to the department, the board must submit its resolution noting approval of the request, the job description, its rationale for requesting such certification of the individual, a statement identifying the exceptional qualifications of the candidate, the individual's completed application for certification, vitae, and official transcripts of collegiate study. The certificate and extension, if issued, will be valid only for service in the district or board of cooperative educational services making the request. The commissioner will refer the materials submitted by the board to a screening panel consisting of representatives of the department and appropriate educational organizations for review and advice.

6. Section 80-5.20 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended to read as follows:

Section 5.20. Endorsement of certificates for [service as a school district leader and school district business leader, and school building leader] the educational leadership service

(a) Administrator.

(1) The commissioner may endorse the certificate of other state(s) or territory/territories of the United States or the District of Columbia for service as an administrator, provided that the candidate meets the following requirements:

(i) The candidate shall hold a valid certificate of other state(s) or territory/territories of the United States or the District of Columbia that is comparable to the professional certificate as an administrator;

(ii) The candidate shall meet the general requirements for certificates prescribed in Subpart 80-1 of this Part, including but not limited to the requirements of section 80-1.3 relating to citizenship, section 80-1.4 relating to study in child abuse identification and reporting and school violence prevention and intervention, section 80-1.13 relating to study in harassment, bullying and discrimination prevention; and section 80-1.11 relating to a criminal history record check;

(iii) The candidate shall hold a master's or higher degree from an institution of higher education that is accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education or an equivalently approved higher education institution as determined by the department; and

(iv) Experience and evaluation ratings.

(a) The candidate shall have had at least three years of satisfactory experience in a public school (prekindergarten-grade 12) in other state(s) or territory/territories of the United States or the District of Columbia in a position that would have required the professional certificate as an administrator for employment in New York State and while under a certificate issued by such other state authorizing such service, or the candidate shall have equivalent experience as determined by the commissioner; and

(b) shall submit satisfactory evidence that the candidate received evaluation ratings of effective or highly effective, or the substantial equivalent of such ratings, in at least three years of experience in a public school in other state(s) or territory/territories of the United States or the District of Columbia in the certificate title sought as an administrator for employment in New York State.

(2) A candidate who meets the endorsement requirements in paragraph (1) of this subdivision shall be issued a professional certificate as an administrator.

[(a)] (b) School district leader.

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[(b)] (c) School district business leader.

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[(c)] (d) School building leader.

 

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