Requirements For Instructional Leader Licenses

(1) All principals, assistant principals, and supervisors serving as instructional leaders in Tennessee shall hold the appropriate instructional leader license. (2) Dual assignment personnel whose work assignment includes more than fifty percent (50%) instructional leadership responsibilities shall hold the appropriate instructional leader license. (3) Educators seeking the Instructional Leader License (ILL) shall meet the following requirements: (a) Hold an advanced degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); (b) Have at least three (3) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department; (c) Have completed a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program; (d) Be recommended by the State Board-approved instructional leader preparation provider; and (e) Submit qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. (4) Educators from a state other than Tennessee who are seeking the ILL shall meet the following requirements: (a) Out-of-State Pathway 1: The out-of-state prospective instructional leader shall: 1. Hold an advanced degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Have at least three (3) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department; 3. Submit qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy; and (i) Have completed an instructional leader preparation program approved by a state other than Tennessee as demonstrated by a provider recommendation from the out-of-state instructional leader preparation program where the educator completed preparation; or EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 (ii) Hold a full and valid license, comparable to the Tennessee ILL, from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement. (5) Educators from a state other than Tennessee who are seeking the Instructional Leader License - Professional (ILL-P) shall meet the following requirements: (a) Out-of-State Pathway 2. The out-of-state prospective instructional leader shall: 1. Hold an advanced degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Have at least three (3) years of qualifying out-of-state experience as an educator as defined by the Department, of which, one (1) year must be as a school principal, assistant principal, or instructional supervisor; and 3. Hold a full and valid license comparable to the ILL-P from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement. (6) Educators holding the ILL may renew the license through one (1) of the following pathways: (a) Serve in a Tennessee Academy for School Leaders (TASL)-mandated position for at least two (2) years of the validity period of the license and be current in all TASL requirements; or (b) Successfully complete a Department-approved instructional leadership training. (7) Educators enrolled in a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program may apply for the Instructional Leader License–Aspiring (ILL-A). Educators holding the ILL-A may only serve as an assistant principal and may not serve as a principal or instructional supervisor. Educators seeking the ILL-A shall meet the following requirements: (a) Have at least three (3) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department; (b) Be enrolled in a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program; and (c) Be recommended by the State Board-approved instructional leader preparation provider. (8) Candidates from a state other than Tennessee who are seeking the ILL-A shall meet the following requirements: (a) Have at least three (3) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department; and (b) Have completed an instructional leader preparation program approved by a state other than Tennessee as demonstrated by: 1. A full and valid license, comparable to the Tennessee ILL, from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement; or 2. A provider recommendation from the out-of-state instructional leader preparation program where the educator completed preparation. EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 (9) The ILL-A shall expire at the end of the validity period. The ILL-A is not renewable and cannot be reactivated. (10) Educators currently holding the ILL may seek advancement to the ILL-P through one (1) of the following advancement pathways: (a) Tennessee Academy for School Leaders (TASL) Pathway. Educators seeking advancement through the TASL pathway shall meet the following requirements: 1. Be recommended by the TASL director and be current in all TASL requirements; 2. Successfully complete the Beginning Principals’ Academy or the Beginning Supervisors’ Academy; and 3. Be recommended by the educator’s director of schools or director of the public charter school verifying the educator has a minimum of two (2) years of successful experience as a principal, assistant principal, or an instructional supervisor as demonstrated by an overall evaluation rating of at expectations or higher on a state-approved administrator evaluation model during the most recent validity period of the ILL. (b) Individual Professional Learning Plan (IPLP) Pathway. Educators seeking advancement through the IPLP pathway shall meet the following requirements: 1. Be recommended by the TASL director; 2. Successfully complete an Individual Professional Learning Plan in coordination with an approved instructional leader preparation program; and 3. Be recommended by the educator’s director of schools or director of the public charter school verifying the educator has a minimum of two (2) years of successful experience as a principal, assistant principal, or an instructional supervisor as demonstrated by an overall evaluation rating of at expectations or higher on a state-approved administrator evaluation model during the most recent validity period of the ILL. (11) Educators may renew the ILL-P through one (1) of the following pathways: (a) TASL Pathway. Educators who currently serve in a TASL-mandated position shall meet all TASL requirements. (b) Instructional Leadership Training Pathway. Educators who do not currently serve in a TASL-mandated position seeking renewal shall successfully complete a Department- approved instructional leadership training. (12) If the educator has not met the requirements for renewal or advancement at the end of the validity period of the instructional leader license, then the license shall become inactive. Educators who fail to apply for renewal prior to the expiration of the license shall have a grace period until October 1 following the date of expiration to apply for renewal. Applications for renewal submitted during the grace period shall demonstrate that the educator completed all requirements for license renewal (except for submission of the application) prior to the end of the validity period. (13) In order to reactivate an instructional leader license and endorsements held (with the exception of the ILL-A which is not eligible for reactivation), an educator shall submit to the EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 Department evidence of completion of an approved leader preparation program (if not already provided) and shall either: (a) Submit qualifying scores on all State Board-required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy 5.105; or (b) Present a full and valid professional-level instructional leader license from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement. (14) Out-of-state prospective educators who are military spouses and who hold an active instructional leader license (initial or professional) from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement shall be issued the ILL-P upon providing documentation of active military dependent status and a recommendation from an approved educator preparation provider verifying completion of an approved instructional leader preparation program in a state other than Tennessee.