Hawaii Administration/Principal Certification
Hawaii principal certification runs through the Hawai’i Certification Institute for School Leaders (HICISL), not the Hawai’i Teacher Standards Board. Current Department employees complete a HICISL residency program, while administrators already licensed in another state apply through Track IV or Track V. Every path requires a master’s degree and leads to an Initial or Professional School Administrator Certificate.
Sponsored School(s)
Hawaii doesn’t route principal and vice principal certification through the same board that licenses classroom teachers. The Hawai’i Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) issues and renews teaching licenses (see Hawaii teaching certification if you’re still working toward your initial license), but administrator certification runs through the Hawai’i Department of Education (HIDOE), delivered through the Hawai’i Certification Institute for School Leaders (HICISL). If you’re a current teacher or vice principal working toward a principal position, the pathway you qualify for determines your timeline, coursework, and paperwork for Hawaii principal certification. HIDOE’s Licensure & Certification page is the authoritative source for current requirements.
How Hawaii Certifies School Administrators
Education Requirements
Every path to Hawaii administrator certification requires at least a master’s degree in educational administration or educational leadership from an accredited university. The Department certifies its own school administrators through HICISL, a two-year hybrid program built around coaching, coursework, and residency components. The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s Department of Educational Administration (EDEA) delivers the coursework, but the Department of Education selects who enters the program.
Learn more about the graduate school process. Contact schools offering educational administration degree programs in Hawaii.
Certification Pathways
Hawaii certifies administrators through separate pathways depending on whether you’re already a Department employee or bring an out-of-state administrator license with you. If you’re weighing options across states, see how principal certification requirements in other states compare.
Internal Pathway: HICISL Vice Principal and Principal Certification Programs
Department employees selected into HICISL start with the Vice Principal Certification Program, a one-year residency internship under a mentor principal. Completing it earns an Initial School Administrator Certificate (ISAC) and clears you to apply for vice principal or equivalent positions. Tenured Department vice principals can then move into the HICISL Principal Certification Program, a one-year preparatory program that leads to a Professional School Administrator Certificate (PSAC) and clears you to apply for principal or equivalent positions.
External Pathway: Track IV and Track V
Administrators already licensed in another state skip the residency internship and apply directly based on their experience. Track IV, for licensed administrators with vice principal experience, requires a valid out-of-state K-12 administrator license, a master’s degree in educational administration or leadership, and at least three years of experience as a licensed school administrator. It leads to an ISAC. Track V, for licensed administrators with principal experience, requires the same license and degree along with at least five years of K-12 administrative experience, including at least four years as a principal. It leads directly to a PSAC.
Provisional to Professional Certification
External candidates typically receive their ISAC or PSAC on a provisional basis first, valid for two years, while completing a probationary period with the Department. Candidates on the External Principal Certification pathway who are appointed to a principal position must also complete the New Principal Academy during this window before the provisional certificate converts to a full Professional School Administrator Certificate.
Principal-Specific Requirements
New Principal Academy
Holding an ISAC or PSAC doesn’t automatically clear you for a principal position. The New Principal Academy applies specifically to external candidates on a provisional Principal Certification pathway who are appointed to a principal role. They must complete the Academy during their probationary period before receiving a full, non-provisional PSAC. Department employees moving from vice principal to principal instead complete the one-year HICISL Principal Certification Program described above, which serves the same preparatory purpose internally.
Examinations
Hawaii’s school administrator certification pathways don’t include a standalone licensure exam. Eligibility instead depends on which pathway applies to you: your degree, your HICISL program completion or years of licensed administrative experience, and, for external applicants, the out-of-state administrator license you already hold.
Experience Requirements
Experience requirements depend on your pathway. HICISL selection for Department employees is based on your record as an educator, without a single published minimum-years threshold. Track IV, for administrators licensed in another state, requires at least three years of experience as a licensed school administrator. Track V requires at least five years of K-12 administrative experience, including at least four years specifically as a principal.
Application and Background Check
Document and Application Requirements
External applicants start by determining their qualifying pathway, often through PDERI’s “Leader Support – Finding Your Way” quiz, then submit a School Administrator External Certification application along with supporting documentation. Once you hold a provisional certificate, open principal and vice principal positions are posted through HawaiiSchoolJobs.org.
- Determine your leadership pathway before applying. This decides whether you’re applying under Track IV or Track V, and which supporting documents you’ll need.
- Submit official transcripts and a copy of your out-of-state administrator license if you’re applying as an external candidate.
- Active-duty military personnel and spouses relocating to Hawaii under military orders may qualify for license portability under the Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA), converting an out-of-state administrator license into a provisional Hawaii license.
Criminal History Background Check
A criminal history background check isn’t part of the certification application itself. As with other Hawaii public school hiring, expect a criminal history background check, which may involve fingerprinting, once a school system offers you a position. The hiring school district provides instructions on this process at the time of hire.
Contact Information
For questions about HICISL programs, certification pathways, and the application process, contact the Professional Development and Educational Research Institute (PDERI) at 345 Puuhale Road, Room 106, Honolulu, HI 96819, or by phone at 808-784-5300.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board certify principals?
No. The HTSB issues and renews teaching licenses but doesn’t issue administrator licenses or certifications. Principal and vice principal certification runs through the Hawaii Department of Education, delivered through HICISL.
What degree do I need to become a principal in Hawaii?
You need at least a master’s degree in educational administration or educational leadership from an accredited university, regardless of which certification track you qualify for.
Do I need to pass an exam to become a principal in Hawaii?
No standalone licensure exam is required. Eligibility depends on your pathway: your degree, your HICISL program completion or administrative experience, and, for external applicants, any existing out-of-state administrator license.
Can an out-of-state administrator get certified in Hawaii?
Yes. Administrators holding a valid K-12 administrator license from another state can apply through Track IV (vice principal experience) or Track V (principal experience), both of which require a master’s degree in educational administration or leadership.
Is a Professional School Administrator Certificate the same as a principal license?
A PSAC qualifies you to apply for principal or equivalent positions. External candidates typically hold it on a provisional basis first and, if appointed to a principal role, complete the New Principal Academy before it converts to a full certificate.
- Different board, different process. The Hawaii Department of Education and HICISL certify administrators, not the Hawai’i Teacher Standards Board.
- Internal and external pathways differ. Department employees complete a HICISL residency program; out-of-state licensed administrators apply directly through Track IV or Track V based on their experience.
- External principal candidates complete more than a certificate. Externally certified principals hold a provisional PSAC and must complete the New Principal Academy before it converts to a full credential.
Explore accredited educational administration and leadership programs that meet Hawaii’s certification requirements for principals and vice principals.
