Kansas Principal Certification Requirements
Kansas issues a Building Leadership License for principals and a District Leadership License for superintendents through the Kansas State Department of Education. Candidates need a graduate degree, an approved school leadership program, a 3.25 GPA, five years of teaching experience, and a passing Praxis score before earning the Professional School Leadership License.
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The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) oversees licensure for every principal, assistant principal, and superintendent in the state. Kansas principal certification runs through KSDE, not through your local district, so the requirements below apply no matter where in the state you plan to work. If you already hold a Kansas teaching license and want to move into school leadership, here’s what KSDE requires, from your graduate program through your first professional license renewal.
Use the links below to jump to license types, education and exam requirements, experience rules, and the application process for Kansas school leadership certification.
- Kansas School Leadership License Types
- Education and GPA Requirements
- Praxis Exam Requirements
- Experience Requirements
- How to Apply for Your License
- Background Check Requirements
Kansas School Leadership License Types
KSDE issues two school leadership licenses. The Building Leadership License covers principals, assistant principals, and other building-level administrators at the PK-12 level. The District Leadership License covers superintendents and other district-level administrators. Both licenses require a currently valid Kansas professional teaching license, school specialist license, or clinical license as a prerequisite.
District Leadership candidates also need to have completed a building leadership program (or a director of special education program) before KSDE will issue the district-level credential. A Building Leadership License lets you serve as an elementary, middle, or high school principal, an assistant or vice principal, or an activities and athletics director. A District Leadership License opens the door to superintendent roles and other district-office administrative positions.
| Requirement | Building Leadership License | District Leadership License |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite license | Professional teaching, school specialist, or clinical license | Building Leadership License or director of special education program |
| Graduate GPA | 3.25 minimum | 3.25 minimum |
| Praxis exam | School Leaders Licensure Assessment (6990) | School Superintendent Assessment (6991) |
| Accredited experience | 5 years | 5 years |
Education and GPA Requirements
You need a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and completion of a state-approved graduate-level school leadership program. KSDE requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 in that graduate coursework, a higher bar than the GPA requirements for standard teaching licenses.
Examinations
Pursuing a Building Leadership License requires a passing score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (test code 6990), where Kansas’ passing score is 151 out of a possible 200. A District Leadership License requires a passing score on the School Superintendent Assessment (test code 6991), where Kansas’ passing score is 162. Both are Praxis tests administered through ETS, and Kansas sets its own qualifying score for each, since ETS does not set passing scores itself.
Praxis Exam Requirements for Kansas School Leaders
Register for your Praxis test directly through ETS and designate the Kansas State Department of Education as a score recipient so your results route automatically to your license file. If you’re completing your leadership program through a Kansas university, your program will typically give you a school-specific code to also send your scores directly to them for internal tracking.
Experience Requirements
KSDE requires five years of experience in a state-accredited school while holding a professional-level teaching license, school specialist license, clinical license, or full career and technical education certificate. You’ll also need at least one year of recent accredited experience, or eight semester hours of recent credit, completed within the last six years.
How to Apply for Your License
Once you’ve met the education, exam, and experience requirements, you apply for an Initial School Leadership License, valid for two years from the date of issuance. During that period, you complete a one-year supervised mentoring program through your hiring district, with an assigned mentor who’s already a licensed school leader, and go through the school leadership performance assessment. Passing that assessment lets you apply for the Professional School Leadership License using KSDE Form 21, and that license is valid for five years.
Applications now run through the Kansas License Application System (KLAS) rather than by mail. KSDE no longer prints or mails physical educator licenses, so budget time for the online submission and review process rather than a paper application. Once your license is issued, you’ll pull your own copy through the Kansas Educator License Lookup, which districts also use to confirm your credential is active before hiring you into a leadership role. If you need to reach the Teacher Licensure team directly, contact them at 900 SW Jackson Street, Suite 102, Topeka, KS 66612-1212, or by phone at 785-296-3201.
Background Check Requirements
Because you must already hold a Kansas professional teaching license to apply for a school leadership license, you’ll have already gone through the required criminal history background check, including fingerprinting, during that earlier licensure step. KSDE will not issue a school leadership license until your background check clears, and a lapse in your underlying teaching license can hold up your leadership application even if your coursework and experience are otherwise complete. Keep your teaching license current by renewing your Kansas teaching license on schedule, since your leadership license depends on it staying active.
If you’re coming from out of state and haven’t held a Kansas teaching license before, plan for the fingerprinting and background clearance process to run alongside your leadership license application rather than after it, since KSDE processes both together for first-time Kansas applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need to become a principal in Kansas?
You need a Building Leadership License, issued by the Kansas State Department of Education. It covers principals, assistant principals, and other building-level administrator roles at the PK-12 level.
How many years of teaching experience does Kansas require for a school leadership license?
KSDE requires five years of experience in a state-accredited school while holding a professional-level teaching, school specialist, or clinical license. You also need at least one year of recent experience or eight semester hours of recent credit within the last six years.
What Praxis test do I need for a Kansas school leadership license?
Building Leadership candidates take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (test code 6990) and need a score of 151 or higher. District Leadership candidates take the School Superintendent Assessment (test code 6991) and need a score of 162 or higher. Both are administered through ETS.
How long is a Kansas school leadership license valid?
The Initial School Leadership License is valid for two years. After completing a one-year mentoring program and a passing performance assessment, the Professional School Leadership License is valid for five years.
Can I become a Kansas superintendent without being a principal first?
You don’t need to have worked as a principal, but you do need to have completed a Kansas building leadership program (or a director of special education program) before KSDE will issue a District Leadership License.
- Two distinct licenses — Building Leadership covers principals and building-level administrators, while District Leadership covers superintendents and district-level roles.
- Graduate degree plus 3.25 GPA — you need a state-approved graduate-level school leadership program with a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA.
- Five years of experience — KSDE requires five years in a state-accredited school under a professional-level license before you can apply.
- Two Praxis tests to know — test code 6990 (passing score 151) for Building Leadership, test code 6991 (passing score 162) for District Leadership, both through ETS.
- Two-step licensure — the Initial License (two years) leads to the Professional License (five years) after an internship and performance assessment.
Find accredited educational administration programs in Kansas, including graduate school leadership tracks that meet KSDE’s licensure requirements.
