H.B. 432
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Mar 21, 2023
SESSION 2023 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10206-NG-82
Short Title: Principal Licensure Changes. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Willis.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO UPDATE PRINCIPAL LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS, TO DEVELOP A
3 PORTFOLIO-BASED ASSESSMENT, AND TO STUDY METHODS TO IMPROVE
4 PRINCIPAL PREPARATION AND LICENSURE PROCESSES, AS RECOMMENDED
5 BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
6 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
7
8 PART I. PRINCIPAL LICENSURE REQUIREMENT UPDATES AND CONFORMING
9 CHANGES
10 SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-270.5(a) reads as rewritten:
11 "(a) Authority. – The State Board of Education shall have entire control of licensing all
12 applicants for professional educator positions and school administrator positions in all public
13 schools of North Carolina, subject to the requirements of this Article. The State Board shall adopt
14 rules for the issuance, renewal, and extension of all licenses and shall determine and fix the salary
15 for each grade and type of license which it authorizes."
16 SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-270.20(b) reads as rewritten:
17 "(b) Administrator and Student Services Personnel. – The State Board shall establish
18 classification and levels of preparation necessary for issuance of licenses for administrators and
19 student services personnel.personnel as follows:
20 (1) Administrator license. – The State Board of Education shall have entire
21 control of licensing of all applicants for supervisory and professional positions
22 in all public schools of North Carolina, and the Board shall adopt rules for the
23 renewal and extension of all licenses and shall determine and fix the salary for
24 each grade and type of license which it authorizes. The Board shall not issue
25 provisional licenses for principals. To qualify for licensure as a school
26 administrator, an individual must meet all of the following requirements:
27 a. Submit a complete application to the State Board.
28 b. Pay the applicable fee.
29 c. Attain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or accredited
30 university.
31 d. Complete an accredited school administrator preparation program
32 meeting the criteria listed in G.S. 115C-284(c2). Any participating
33 college or university approved by the State Board of Education prior
34 to January 1, 2023, may also be deemed accredited for the purposes of
35 this section.
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 e. Have at least four years of experience as a licensed professional
2 educator and any of the following:
3 1. Possesses a Master's of School Administration (MSA).
4 2. Possesses a Master's of Education degree in Educational
5 Leadership.
6 3. Has completed an add-on licensure program if the candidate
7 holds a master's degree in an education-related field.
8 f. Submit a portfolio to the State Board for approval that meets criteria
9 adopted by the State Board.
10 (2) Provisional assistant principal license. – The Board shall issue a one-year
11 provisional assistant principal license to an employee of a local board only in
12 either of the following circumstances:
13 a. The local board determines the following:
14 1. There is a demonstrated need for administrators.
15 2. The employee enrolls in an approved school administration
16 program leading to a master's degree in school administration
17 or educational leadership before the provisional license
18 expires.
19 b. The employee meets the following criteria:
20 1. Is enrolled in an approved master's in school administration
21 program.
22 2. Is participating in the required internship under the master's
23 program.
24 The Board shall extend the provisional license for a total of no more than two
25 additional years while the employee is completing the program.
26 (3) Continuing education. – The State Board of Education shall include
27 continuing education in high-quality, integrated digital teaching and learning
28 as a requirement of licensure renewal."
29 SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-284 reads as rewritten:
30 "§ 115C-284. Method of selection and requirements.
31 (a) Principals and supervisors shall be elected by the local boards of education upon the
32 recommendation of the superintendent, in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-276(j).
33 (b) In the city administrative units, principals shall be elected by the board of education
34 of such administrative unit upon the recommendation of the superintendent of city schools.
35 (b1) To qualify for certification as a school administrator, an individual must meet all of
36 the following requirements:
37 (1) Submit a complete application to the State Board.
38 (2) Pay the applicable fee.
39 (3) Have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or accredited university.
40 (4) Have one of the following:
41 a. A graduate degree from a public school administration program that
42 meets the public school administration program approval standards
43 established by the State Board of Education.
44 b. A master's degree from an accredited college or accredited university
45 and, by December 31, 1999, have completed a public school
46 administration program that meets the public school administration
47 program approval standards set by the State Board of Education.
48 c. Education and training determined by the State Board of Education as
49 equivalent.
50 (5) Pass the exam adopted by the State Board.
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1 (c) The State Board of Education shall have entire control of certifying all applicants for
2 supervisory and professional positions in all public elementary and high schools of North
3 Carolina; and it shall prescribe the rules and regulations for the renewal and extension of all
4 certificates, and shall determine and fix the salary for each grade and type of certificate which it
5 authorizes. The State Board of Education shall require each applicant for an initial certificate or
6 graduate certificate to demonstrate the applicant's academic and professional preparation by
7 achieving a prescribed minimum score at least equivalent to that required by the Board on
8 November 30, 1972, on a standard examination appropriate and adequate for that purpose. If the
9 Board shall specify the National Teachers Examination for this purpose, the required minimum
10 score shall not be lower than that which the Board required on November 30, 1972. The Board
11 shall not issue provisional certificates for principals.
12 The Board shall issue a one-year provisional assistant principal's certificate to an employee
13 of a local board only if: (i) the local board determines there is a shortage of persons who hold or
14 are qualified to hold a principal's certificate and the employee enrolls in an approved program
15 leading to a masters degree in school administration before the provisional certificate expires; or
16 (ii) the employee is enrolled in an approved masters in school administration program and is
17 participating in the required internship under the masters program. The Board shall extend the
18 provisional certificate for a total of no more than two additional years while the employee is
19 completing the program.
20 (c1) It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to maintain the highest quality principal
21 and assistant principal education programs in order to enhance the competence of professional
22 personnel certified in North Carolina. To ensure that principal and assistant principal preparation
23 programs are upgraded to reflect a more rigorous course of study, the State Board of Education
24 shall submit to the General Assembly not later than March 1, 1992, a plan to promote this policy.
25 In developing this plan, the State Board shall consider (i) requiring these programs to include
26 additional preparation for site-based decision making and for the additional autonomy being
27 granted to local school units, (ii) enhancing program entrance requirements to include assessment
28 of an applicant's ability to complete the program and to perform as a principal, and (iii) enhancing
29 the overall content of the programs.
30 The State Board of Education, as lead agency in coordination and cooperation with the
31 University Board of Governors and such other public and private agencies as are necessary, shall
32 refine the several certification requirements, standards for approval of institutions of principal
33 and assistant principal education, standards for institution-based innovative and experimental
34 programs, and standards for improved efficiencies in the administration of the approved
35 programs.
36 (c2) The State Board of Education shall adopt new standards by July 1, 2008, and
37 associated rules for school administrator preparation programs. The new standards shall:
38 (1) Be aligned with the revised standards for the evaluation of school executives
39 and specifically address the use of the results of the Teacher Working
40 Conditions Survey;Survey.
41 (2) Require evidence of a high level of institutional commitment, including
42 dedicated resources, for administrator preparation program improvements and
43 redesign;redesign.
44 (3) Require the use of cross-functional work teams to determine a common
45 curriculum framework that (i) is designed to align with defined standards, (ii)
46 includes rigorous core courses, and (iii) will produce administrators who meet
47 the defined standards. The cross-functional work teams shall include
48 school-based personnel, faculty from schools of education and other
49 disciplines from institutions of higher education, and representatives of State
50 agencies;agencies.
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1 (4) Require the use of cross-functional work teams to design and periodically
2 update specific standards regarding placement, required activities, and
3 evaluations of clinical experiences. These standards shall include appropriate
4 training for the school leaders who agree to accept and supervise
5 interns;interns.
6 (5) Require written agreements between the institution of higher education and a
7 local school administrative unit to govern their shared responsibility for (i)
8 recruitment and preparation of school administrators, especially with regard
9 to clinical experiences including the internship, and (ii) a new administrator's
10 success once employed;employed.
11 (6) Require authentic partnerships between adjunct faculty and full-time faculty
12 to fully address the need for both practical, field-based experience and
13 academic, theory-based experience. These partnerships may require a change
14 in the institution of higher education's definition of scholarly activity and its
15 reward system;system.
16 (7) Require all candidates to complete a year-long internship; andan internship
17 that is at least 1,000 hours in duration.
18 (8) Require the development of portfolios for emerging leaders that provide
19 evidence they are applying their training to actual school needs and
20 challenges.
21 Institutions of higher education shall redesign their school administrator preparation
22 programs to meet the new standards and report to the State Board of Education on the redesign
23 by July 1, 2009.The State Board of Education shall develop rules to determine whether an
24 applicant who completed a school administrator preparation program outside the State meets or
25 exceeds the requirements to hold a North Carolina school administrator license.
26 (c3) The State Board of Education shall require that all students in school administrator
27 preparation programs demonstrate competencies in (i) using digital and other instructional
28 technologies and (ii) supporting teachers and other school personnel to use digital and other
29 instructional technologies to ensure provision of high-quality, integrated digital teaching and
30 learning to all students. The State Board of Education shall include continuing education in
31 high-quality, integrated digital teaching and learning as a requirement of licensure renewal.
32 (d) Repealed by Session Laws 1989, c. 385, s. 1.
33 (d1) It is the policy of the State of North Carolina that, subsequent to the adoption of a
34 system of classroom teacher differentiation and prerequisites to candidacy for principal, a
35 classroom teacher must have attained at least the second level of differentiation, have at least
36 four years of classroom teaching experience, and possess, at least, a Masters Degree in Education
37 Administration. This subsection shall not apply to educational personnel certified as of July 1,
38 1984.
39 (e) It shall be unlawful for any board of education to employ or keep in service any
40 principal or supervisor who neither holds nor is qualified to hold a license in compliance with
41 the provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education.
42 However, a local board of education may select a retired principal or retired assistant principal
43 to serve as an interim principal for the remainder of any school year, regardless of licensure
44 status.
45 (f) The allotment of classified principals shall be one principal for each duly constituted
46 school with seven or more state-allotted teachers.
47 (g) Local boards of education shall have authority to employ supervisors in addition to
48 those that may be furnished by the State when, in the discretion of the board of education, the
49 schools of the local school administrative unit can thereby be more efficiently and more
50 economically operated and when funds for the same are provided in the current expense fund
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1 budget. The duties of such supervisors shall be assigned by the superintendent with the approval
2 of the board of education.
3 (h) All principals and supervisors employed in the public schools of the State or in
4 schools receiving public funds, shall be required either to hold or be qualified to hold a certificate
5 license in compliance with the provision of the law or in accordance with the regulations of the
6 State Board of Education."
7 SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-238.68(1) reads as rewritten:
8 "(1) Principal. – The board of directors shall employ and contract with a principal
9 for a term not to exceed three years. The principal shall meet the requirements
10 for certification licensure set out in G.S. 115C-284, G.S. 115C-270.20(b),
11 unless waived by the State Board of Education upon submission of a request
12 by the board of directors. The principal shall be responsible for school
13 operations and shall exercise those duties and powers delegated by the board
14 of directors."