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Principal as Instructional Leader Certification (already have a master’s degree)

For applicants who already have an M.Ed. in Educational Administration or a related field, a separate application and review process must be completed. Applications from students with master's degrees in related fields, will be reviewed by a faculty committee to determine course credit, if applicable.  

On a case-by-case basis, graduate-level coursework completed during the certification program that has not been used to meet other degree requirements can be recommended by the departmental Graduate Advisor to the Graduate School to count toward an advanced degree under certain circumstances. These courses are limited to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours in which a grade of B or higher has been earned within the time limits and other restrictions detailed in this Graduate Catalog.

Eligibility

Minimum Requirements for Admission to a Principal Preparation Program. Prior to admission to an educator preparation program leading to the Principal Certificate, an individual must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education that at the time was accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. For more information please visit

Required Documents Needed for Application

When applying to the Program students must submit the following:

• Application for admission to the Graduate School
• Completion of a bachelor’s degree and master's degree from an accredited university
• Transcripts: Applicants Attainment of an undergraduate cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 or attainment of an undergraduate GPA of no less than 3.0 in all upper division undergraduate coursework;
• Written Letter of Intent: A written statement indicating why you are interested in the Principal as Instructional Leader program in addition to describing personal and professional goals as related to the focus of the M.Ed. in Educational Administration;
• Interview: An interview will be conducted after the application review;
• Three professional letters of recommendation from current or recent supervisors;
• Valid Texas teaching certificate;
• District Service record showing a minimum of two years of teaching experience

Screen 1 – Application Packet Review: The admission criteria will be reviewed holistically using a rubric to assess the potential of the applicant in terms of maturity and commitment to leadership at the principal level. 

Screen 2 - Interview: Successful applicants of Screen 1 will be invited for an interview. The interview will determine commitment to the principal certificate program as well as fit to the program.

Transfer Courses on the Program of Study

Upon recommendation of the Graduate Advisor or Program Director, students pursuing an M.Ed. in Educational Administration with a focus on K-12 School Administration may transfer up to nine semester credit hours from an accredited institution towards the fulfillment of the master’s degree.

TEA Required Fee

Candidates will pay a $35 Technology fee to TEA for the  as required by TAC 229.9.7.

Criminal Background Information

Students who participate in internships with agencies or school districts requiring background checks must successfully pass the background check in order to complete this requirement.

Pursuant to the Texas Education Code TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to student teaching; and pursuant to the TEC, §22.083, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator. A candidate may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate on completion of the EPP if an individual has been convicted of an offense.

A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in an educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person's potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

Foundation Courses

All Foundation Courses must be taken prior to completing courses at the next level. All four courses will be offered every term throughout the academic year:

Course List

Internship/Practicum

Students pursuing the principal certification program are required to complete EDAD 5375 and EDAD 5376

Course List

Are you Ready to Test?

Candidates pursuing certification for Texas Principal as Instructional Leader must complete all the requirements to including passing the appropriate Texas Examinations for Educator Standards (TExES). To ensure that candidates have developed the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to perform successfully on the state certification exams, the EPP requires candidates to first pass a qualifying exam. In addition to completing all other program requirements, candidates must successfully complete all TExES exams required for the Principal as Instructional Leader.

Candidates will take three exams; 1) a qualifying exam, 2) the 268 – TExES Principal as an Instructional Leader, and 3) the 368 – Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL).

Texas Principal as Instructional Leader Certification Information

Upon completion of program coursework and successfully passing the 268 – Principal as Instructional Leader and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) exams, candidates will meet with their major advisor during the final semester to verify that all principal certification requirements have been completed.

Students pursuing the Texas Principal Certification will be required to complete program requirement, training certificates, and professional documents before applying for the TExES Principal as Instructional Leader Certificate to include the following: 

• Master’s degree in Educational Leadership;
• Curriculum vitae / resume;
• ;
• Service record reflecting two years of teaching experience;
• Successful mastery (>=70%) of the ;
• Successful mastery (>=240 scale score) of the ;
• Successful mastery of the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL);

268 – TExES Principal as Instructional Leader

Candidates take two exams to be certified as a Texas as an Instructional Leader – the (268) Principal as Instructional Leader and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL).

The exam framework for the Principal as Instructional Leader (268) exam is included in the  at

During a preparation program, each candidate should expect to experience multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in coaching teachers. Preparation program instructions should include course assignments that allow candidates to plan coaching conferences, video record themselves, reflect, and receive feedback from instructors and/or peers. Candidates should visit with instructors and/or program directors if additional authentic experiences are desired as part of the program.

The interactive practice exam provides candidates with test-taking experience that simulates the operational exam, and with automated results reporting on the selected-response questions.

Candidates who attempt the 268 exam will receive their scores within four weeks. This exam can be retaken after 45 days. The score for your best attempt on each Subject Exam is always retained. You are required to pay the exam fee when registering to retake an exam. You are limited to five attempts to take a certification exam. The five attempts include the first attempt to pass the exam and four retakes. If you are unable to successfully pass the examination after five attempts, you will not be allowed to take the examination again unless the Texas Education Agency approves a .

Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL)

School leadership candidates are now required to submit a performance assessment, the developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The PASL assessment allows the candidate to demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills identified as relevant and important for beginning school leaders.

The assessment contains three tasks requiring written commentary and submission of required documents called artifacts. A video of the candidate facilitating a collaborative team during your internship experience is required as one of the components for Task 3. Task responses can be created throughout the clinical experience rather than at the end, allowing the candidate to continually refine their professional practice.

This assessment is administered twice per year during pre-established submission windows. Candidates have approximately two months to upload and submit their task responses to the online submission system. Dates and deadlines can be found at

Additional Requirements for Certification

Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS)

Texas has developed a new evaluation system for teachers, the . The system consists of an evaluation rubric, a goal-setting and professional development plan, and a student growth measure embedded in processes of support that encourage professional growth, goal identification, and the establishment of strengths, as well as professional development needs.

T-TESS was designed to extend beyond the current teacher evaluation system, the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS), so that the evaluation process promotes professional growth at all levels of the organization.

Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL) Training

Administrators must be knowledgeable in curriculum and instruction, must be skillful in data gathering and analysis, must be able to set goals, must be skillful in conducting effective conferences, must have team-building skills and conflict resolution skills, and have mentoring and coaching skills. In order to meet these expectations, the Texas Education Agency and ESC Region 13 have developed . This three-day engaging and research-based training is required for teacher appraisers along with T-TESS evaluation training.

For any additional information, please contact the Educational Leadership Program Advisor at 915.747.5300.