Sec. 80-5.15. Alternative requirements for school district leader certificates

(a) Requirements for the transitional D certificate for service as a school district leader, applicable to a candidate enrolled in an alternative school district leader certification program pursuant to section 52.21(c)(4) of this Title.

(1) General requirements.

(i) Time validity. The transitional D certificate shall be valid for five years from its effective date and shall not be renewable.

(ii) Limitations. The transitional D certificate shall authorize a candidate to serve as a school district leader in a school district or board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) which has provided a commitment for employment under an alternative school district leader certification program pursuant to section 52.21(c)(4) of this Title. The transitional D certificate shall only be valid as long as the candidate is matriculated in good standing in a registered alternative school district leader certification program and under the supervision of that program.

(2) To qualify for the transitional D certificate, the candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following subparagraphs:

(i) Demonstrated potential through prior leadership experiences. The candidate must be approved by the department as an exceptionally qualified candidate for a school district leadership position with the substantial equivalent of three years of experience as a teacher, administrator, or pupil personnel provider in a public or non-public school, and the candidate shall submit to the department adequate evidence demonstrating such exceptional qualifications. The candidate shall demonstrate at least three years of exemplary service in a leadership position in an organization or organizations in which the candidate has demonstrated strong performance. Through this equivalent prior experience, the candidate shall demonstrate the following accomplishments:

(a) developed and promoted a vision for an organization;

(b) collaboratively identified goals and objectives for achieving that vision;

(c) communicated effectively to promote goals;

(d) lead comprehensive long-range planning, informed by multiple data sources for achieving goals;

(e) effected any needed change through ethical decision making based upon factual analysis even in the face of opposition;

(f) established accountability for achieving goals and objectives;

(g) developed staff capability for their roles in achieving goals;

(h) supervised the management of finances and facilities to support achievement of goals; and

(i) applied statutes and regulations in accordance with law and developed and implemented policies in accordance with law.

(ii) Program endorsement. The candidate shall submit to the department adequate evidence of the registered alternative school district leader certification program's endorsement of the candidate for a transitional D certificate, including the program's description of how the candidate met each criterion used by the program to determine that the candidate had exceptional qualifications for becoming a school district leader with the substantial equivalent of three years of experience as a teacher, administrator, or pupil personnel provider in a public or non-public school.

(iii) Employment and support commitment. The candidate shall submit satisfactory evidence of a written commitment from a school district or BOCES for district mentored and college supervised employment as a school district leader under the transitional D certificate, with mentoring of candidates for superintendent of schools to be provided by the regional BOCES District Superintendent or the New York City Regional Superintendent, or a superintendent identified by the regional BOCES District Superintendent or New York City Regional Superintendent, subject to the approval of the employing authorities.

(iv) Education. The candidate shall hold a graduate degree (academic or professional) from an accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Board of Regents to confer degrees and submit satisfactory evidence of matriculation in a registered alternative school district leader certification program leading to a professional certificate.

(v) Examination. The candidate shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State assessment for school district leadership, provided that such assessment is available at the time the candidate applies and upon application qualifies for the transitional D certificate. The department shall determine the date on which such assessment is available and required.

(b) Requirements for the professional certificate as a school district leader, applicable for a candidate holding a transitional D certificate and matriculated in an alternative school district leader certification program pursuant to section 52.21(c)(4) of this Title.

To qualify for the professional certificate, the candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following paragraphs:

(1) The candidate shall hold the transitional D certificate.

(2) Education. The candidate shall hold a graduate degree (academic or professional) from an accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Board of Regents to confer degrees and submit satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an alternative school district leadership program leading to the professional certificate, registered by the department pursuant to section 52.21(c)(4) of this Title. Such registered alternative school district leadership program shall include a mentored experience, in accordance with the requirements of section 52.21(c)(4) of this Title. Upon program completion, the candidate shall have successfully completed at least 60 semester hours of graduate study that may include graduate study completed prior to admission to the registered alternative school district leadership program and graduate study completed in such program.

(3) Experience. The candidate shall have successfully completed three years of educational leadership service and/or classroom teaching service and/or pupil personnel service experience in public or non-public schools N-12, which must include at least one year of service in a position that requires certification as a school district leader under the transitional D certificate.

(4) Examination requirement. Any candidate applying for a professional certificate as a school district leader on or after May 1, 2015, shall also achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the educating all students test.