To become a school principal in Kentucky, educators must first apply for and receive a Statement of Eligibility for School Principal. Once a position requiring school principal has been attained, educators can apply for the professional certificate.

Qualifications for a Statement of Eligibility (SoE) for School Principal

To qualify for the Statement of Eligibility for School Principal, educators must meet all of the following requirements:

• Hold or qualify for a valid Kentucky teaching certificate.
• Have at least three (3) years of full-time teaching experience.
• Have completed an approved program for Instructional Leadership – School Principal.
• Receive a recommendation from an EPSB approved institution.
• Successfully pass the School Leadership Licensure Assessment (SLLA) (6990).

Applying for Statement of Eligibility for School Principal

STEP 1: Log into the KECS Portal
STEP 2: Follow the prompts in the application wizard to apply for Principal Statement of Eligibility (CA-1).
STEP 3: Provide official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
STEP 4: Pass the School Leadership Licensure Assessment (SLLA) (6990)
STEP 5: Verify completion of educator preparation program from the preparing college, university, or institution.
STEP 6: Complete the Character and Fitness review.
STEP 7: Submit the application.

Renewal of a Principal Statement of Eligibility

Renewal shall require:

• Completion of an online CA-2 application on the KECS Portal
• Official transcripts showing six (6) new semester hours of graduate level coursework completed in educational leadership*; OR
• New passing SLLA (6690) scores required for the Principal certification.
• Appropriate payment through the KECS system via the online payment service for certification fees. Please note that any other forms of payment are not accepted and will be returned to the applicant.

*Renewal of a Principal Statement of Eligibility based on six (6) semester hours is a one time option.

Applying for the School Principal Professional Certificate

STEP 1: Obtain a position that requires school principal certification.
STEP 2: Work with the hiring district to start the application for Confirmation of Employment: Principal SoE. Upload Confirmation of Employment form to the application.
STEP 3: Complete the Character and Fitness review.
STEP 4: Make the appropriate payment for certification fees through the KECS online payment service. Please note that any other forms of payment are not accepted and will be returned to the applicant.
STEP 5: Submit the application.

Renewal of a Professional Certification for Principals and Assistant Principals

The first renewal shall require the completion of a Level II program approved by the Education Professional Standards Board pursuant to 16 KAR 5:010. Each five (5) year renewal thereafter requires the completion of:

STEP 1: Log into the KECS Portal
STEP 2: Follow the prompts in the application wizard to apply for Renew Certificate(s) (CA-2).
STEP 3: Provide one of the following:

• Two (2) years of experience in a principal position OR
• Three (3) semester hours of additional graduate credit related to educational leadership for each year of experience the applicant has not completed; OR
• Forty-two (42) hours of approved Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) training.

STEP 4: Complete the Character and Fitness review.
STEP 5: Submit the application.