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    ​​Certification Staffing Policy Guidelines (CSPGs)

    ​CSPG 95 - Principal (PK-12)

    ​Administrative Code 1115
    Modified: June 13, 2025

    Principal certification qualifies the holder to provide instructional leadership and administrative supervision of any school when working with students in grades PK-12 within a school entity.

    Grade Level Scope of Certificate

    A person holding a valid Pennsylvania certificate as a PK-12 Principal is qualified to serve at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels (grades PK through 12).

    Certification Assignment

    An educator holding a valid Pennsylvania certificate as a PK-12 Principal is qualified to perform the following:

    1. Provide instructional leadership focused on teaching and learning.
    2. Assess performance of certified staff.
    3. Provide direct input to school superintendent regarding matters which substantially affect the employment, assignment, transfer, promotion, layoff, discharge, or other similar personnel actions of certified professional-level employees.
    4. Coordinate school interactions with school boards, community organizations, special interest groups, parents/family members and other members of the community.
    5. Strategically plan for fiscal operations, resource management, and technology management for school building.
    6. Supervise and direct certified and non-certified staff required for school operation, excluding the directing of health services controlled by the Nurse Practice Act.
    7. Supervise the district’s curriculum and instruction program or pupil personnel services program.
    8. Serve as the supervisor of a single instructional or single pupil service area.

    Certificate Clarification

    Older Pennsylvania public school certificates which are applicable for these duties include: K-6 Elementary School Principal and 7-12 Secondary School Principal.  These certificates allow service as an administrator within the grade level scope of the certificate, principal of a middle level (5-8) building, and as a Director of Elementary Education or Director of Secondary Education under the appropriate administrative certificate.

    References

    See the Certification Test and Score Requirements chart at Certification Testing for current testing information for this certification.

    Email the staffing specialist at ra-edcertstaff@pa.gov with any questions you may have regarding this certification and staffing.

    Program Specific Guidelines for Certification.

    2 PA Code: Chapter 4: §4.22, §4.23, §4.31;

    Chapter 49: §49.11

    PA Public School Code: §1202, §1212, §1604, §1101

    This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject.  Previous printing dates on this subject: 1973, 3/1975, 3/1978, 2/1982, 1/1987, 5/1992, 7/2004, 6/2010, 8/2013

    Summary of Changes

    ​Date of Revisions
    		​Major Changes to CSPG #95
    6/2025Format revisions
    ​10/2019​Updated grade scope for consistency and clarification.
    ​8/2013​Removes the requirement for a principal to serve five years in an instructional or educational specialist certificate area in order to be assigned as a Single Area Supervisor.
    ​6/2010​An Elementary K-6 certified Principal or a Secondary 7-12 certified Principal may serve as a Principal or Assistant Principal in a 5th-8th grade middle school building.
    ​7/2004
    • Addresses Principal K-12, Elementary Principal K-6, Secondary Principal 7-12 certificates only.
    • No. 95:8 – A certified Principal K-12 (or an educator who is certified as an Elementary K-6 Principal and a Secondary 7-12 Principal) may serve as a Single Area Supervisor if he/she has served at least five service years on a single area instructional or educational specialist certificate.
    • A certified Elementary K-6 Principal may serve at the 7th and 8th grade level in a middle level building.
    • A certified Secondary 7-12 Principal may serve at the 6th grade level in a middle level building.
    ​5/1992 CSPG #60

    ​No. 69:6 – The policy is discontinued and effective with the beginning of school year 1987-88 that those holding a Principal’s certificate or Vocational Administrative Director’s certificate and a teaching certificate or educational specialist certificate, who, in accordance with Department of Education policy, were assigned to a supervisory position in their area/field of specialization. Persons assigned as a supervisor of a single curriculum or pupil service area must hold the appropriate supervisory certificate.

    ​1975 CSPG #69
    • ​Certified Elementary and Secondary Principals may serve as Principals or Assistant Principals at approve middle schools.
    • Certificates no longer issued but still valid for service (No. 69:2): Director of Vocational Education; Supervising Principal; Comprehensive Principal; Assistant to the Superintendent – Business Affairs; and Assistant to the Superintendent-Instruction.
    ​1956​Addresses the following Principal certificates: Elementary Principal; Secondary Principal; and Comprehensive Principal (issued as Provisional or Permanent).