Interested in Becoming Certified as a Principal in Washington State?

As of September 1, 2004, individuals completing a Washington principal or program administrator program, as well as most administrators from out of state, receive Residency Certificates as their first Washington administrator certificate. This certificate is undated when issued; after the holder serves two years in the role, the certificate is valid for five years from that point. Within this five-year period, administrators are expected to earn the second-level certificate, the Professional Certificate.

• Click here for a list of things to know and consider when selecting a preparation program.
• Click here to review the basic requirements for teachers interested in becoming an administrator.
• Click here  for a list of state-approved Residency Certificate programs.

Already Hold a Principal's Certificate in Washington State?

• Click here for information from the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) regarding your principal’s certificate.

Professional Certificate

Washington educators who hold residency principal and program administrator certificates may enter professional certificate programs for those roles. Programs are currently under development and will follow the guidelines adopted by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) in July 2006. The links below will take you to a copy of the report presented at the PESB meeting. Future updates and additional resources will be provided on this Web site as the planning proceeds.

Program Components

All Administrator Professional Certificate programs will include:

• Entry Seminar: Orientation to the process and to the benchmarks; self-evaluation; development of Professional Growth Plan
• Professional Growth Plan Implementation: Gathering evidence on the benchmarks and developing capacity in the major areas of focus; demonstration of ability to use a variety of formal and informal experiences to do this.
• Panel Presentation: Presentation of evidence to a panel including practicing administrators.

Links to Additional Information

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Principal Professional Certification Programs in Washington
• Am I “Serving in the Role”?
• Maintenance and Renewal Requirements for Professional Certificate
  
  Source: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

National Board Certification for Principals

Coming in 2013: Advanced Principal Certification

To create a consistently reliable process to develop, recognize and retain effective principals, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has announced an initiative to develop Advanced Principal Certification. The plan calls for launching the new certification beginning in 2013. AWSP has been actively involved with OSPI and the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board regarding how this national certification for principals will fit into Washington state certification requirements. 

• Click here for additional information about National Board Certification for Principals or contact AWSP's Don Rash.  

Questions about Principal Certification?

Contact AWSP’s Don Rash at 800.562.6100 or don@awsp.org.

Last updated: January 10, 2012