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CSPG 9 - Service Requirements for Initial Supervisory and Administrative Certificates and Letters of Eligibility​

Modified: December 2022

General Policies

The Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality has the responsibility to determine creditable service towards the requirements of the regulations and these guidelines.

Requirements and Process

Basic requirements for issuance of supervisory/administrative certificates and letters of eligibility:

  • All requests must be made by submitting the appropriate application and fee.
  • All candidates for supervisory and administrative certificates and letters of eligibility must submit evidence of the requisite service; and
  • All service evaluated for any certificate/letter identified in this Certification Staffing Policy Guideline (CSPG) must be rated as satisfactory.

Supervisory Certificates

Single area supervisory certificates require five years of certified school service in the area for which the certificate is sought.

Curriculum and Instruction and Pupil Personnel Services supervisory certificates each require five years of certified service on a state issued public school certificate in the school program area for which the certificate is sought. A Curriculum and Instruction Supervisory certificate requires the service to be in an instructional area; a Pupil Personnel Services Supervisory certificate requires the service to be in an educational specialist area. The service for each must be (i) valid for the assignment in the state in which such service was performed, and (ii) comparable to Pennsylvania's Type 01 or 04 emergency permit or Intern, Level I or Level II certificate.

Two of the five years of certificated service for single area, Curriculum and Instruction, and Pupil Personnel Services supervisory certificates may be:

  1. Salaried service (minimally 50%) as a regularly appointed college teacher in the certificate area when the employing postsecondary school or college is either state-approved or regionally accredited.

  2. Salaried service (minimally 50%) as a regularly appointed college supervisor of student or intern teachers or other collegiate-supervised field practicum in a state-approved teacher preparation/certification program in an area(s) for which the candidate is seeking the Pennsylvania supervisory certificate.

  3. Non-certificated service (minimally 50%) in the area for which the Pennsylvania supervisory certificate is requested, when performed in the public schools of a state which requires no specific state certificate for employment or assignment in such capacity.

  4. Full-time (100%) salaried service as a professional-level employee of a federal or state educational agency or a professional education organization when such service is primarily that of a policy-making, administrative, or field consultant role directly related to elementary and secondary school-level programs.

  5. Service (minimally 50%) as a teacher of adult courses (within the area for which the Pennsylvania supervisory certificate is sought) when offered by a school entity which is recognized by the respective state educational agency as a public school, licensed private school, or registered non-public non-licensed school, provided that the applicant held appropriate state certification for service in such a position.

Candidates for a Supervisor of Comprehensive Career and Technical Education certificate shall provide evidence of three years of satisfactory service as a state-certificated teacher of secondary-level Agriculture, Business Education areas, Distributive Education, Health Occupations, Family and Consumer Science, or Trade and Industrial Education (including cooperative education activities and occupational/technical curricula within such fields of career and technical education).

To be counted toward the service requirement of any supervisory certificate, out-of-state service must have been in school entities recognized by the respective state educational agency as a public school, licensed private school, or registered non-public non-licensed school of secondary school level and on an appropriate state certificate.

Administrative Certificates

Principal certification requires three years of satisfactory instructional or student support experience completed in a public or private PK-12 school or accredited institution of higher education.

Career and Technical Administrative Director certification requires three years of professional education experience in a Career and Technical Education School.

Letters of Eligibility

Superintendent and Intermediate Unit Executive Director candidates must provide evidence of six years of satisfactory educational or student support service in private or public K-12 schools or an accredited institution of higher education of which at least 3 years must be service in supervisory or administrative positions.

Predetermination of Service

When a candidate for a supervisory certificate, administrative certificate, or letter of eligibility seeks departmental evaluation of their service before enrolling in a program of study to meet the educational requirements for such certificate, submission of a formal application with fee must be submitted to the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality.

Unacceptable Service

  1. Service including but not limited to, business manager, athletic director, attendance officer, and teacher aide/paraprofessional.
  2. Service without appropriate certification in a position requiring a specific certificate.

Reference

22 Pa. Code §§49.161, §§49.163, §§49.172, §§49.182, 24 P.S. 12-1207.1 (d) (1) (ii), 24 P.S. 10-1003 (a) (2)

This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject. Previous CSPG printing dates on this subject: 3/75, 1/87, 7/04,10/19

Summary of Changes

​Date of Revisions​Major Changes to CSPG #7
​12/2022​As per Act 49:
  • Changed professional service to certified service.
  • Defined experience needed for Career and Technical Director certification.
​2/1/2020​Updated terminology per Act 76 from “vocational” to “career and technical”
​10/1/2019
  • ​Removed certified service requirement for Principal, Vocational Administrative Director, and single subject supervisor certificates as well as Letters of Eligibility
  • Removed Assistant Superintendent/Assistant IU Executive Director.
  • Removed Certification Appeal Committee review of Pennsylvania Department of Education service.
​7/1/2004Added examples of non-professional service, non-creditable service.
​1/1/1987

CSPG 9 – Experience Requirements for Initial Supervisory and Administrative Certificates and Letters of Eligibility – includes experience requirements for:

  • Supervisory certificates;
  • Supervisor of Comprehensive Vocational Education;
  • Administrative certificates – Principal (Elementary and Secondary);
  • Vocational Administrative Director;
  • Letter of Eligibility – Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent;
  • Other policies affecting the crediting of experience; and
  • Non-applicable service for meeting requirements.
​3/1/1975
  • CSPG 9 – Determination of Qualifying Education Service to Meet Experience Requirements for Administrative and Supervisory Certificates. All requests to meet qualifying service were evaluated by the Certification Review Committee.
  • CSPG 15 – Experience Requirements for the Supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education and Director of Vocational Education Certificates:
    • Supervisor – five years in the trade/industrial area.
    • Director – five years in trade/industrial, industrial arts, business education, distributive education, home economics, or a combination.
​1960 -Administration Section, page 96

Contained separate requirement information for each specific title on the supervisory and administrative level; County and District Superintendent, Assistant County/Assistant District Superintendent; Supervising Principal, Assistant to Superintendent or Principal in Charge of Instruction or in Charge of Business Affairs, Principals – Elementary, Secondary, Comprehensive.