Section 25.338  Designation as Master Principal

An individual who has served as a principal for at least three years may participate in a program approved under this Section in order to qualify for a "master principal" designation, as provided in Section 21-7.10 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-7.10].  The master principal designation shall be an optional, advanced credential and shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 25.100 of this Part, except that payment of the fee specified in Section 21-12 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-12] shall be required.  Each individual seeking the designation shall apply for admission to the program through a provider approved pursuant to this Section.  An individual may transfer between programs approved under this Section.

a)         Statewide organizations representing principals, institutions of higher education, regional offices of education, and a school district or organization representing principals employed in a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 34] shall be eligible to apply for approval to offer the master principal program under this Section (see Section 21-7.10 of the School Code).

b)         The approved program to be offered under this Section shall be designed to help public school principals increase their knowledge and skills related to their role in school leadership, including change management, teaching and learning, collaborative relationships, and accountability systems.  The program will consist of a modular sequence of experiences lasting approximately two to three years for most participants and including a mixture of interactive, electronic professional development with structured face-to-face observations and working sessions.  Participants will apply the approaches learned to specific, immediate and long-term issues within their schools.

c)         Each entity that is approved as a provider under this Section shall have the following responsibilities:

1)         receiving applications for admission to the program, verifying applicants' eligibility to participate, and maintaining documentation of their eligibility;

2)         delivering the standardized training program furnished by the State Superintendent of Education and owned by the State Board of Education as described in subsection (b) of this Section and in conformance with the prescribed sequence and timetable;

3)         ensuring that participants meet the performance benchmarks throughout the program before they are allowed to progress to subsequent modules; and

4)         verifying whether participants complete the entire program, recommending successful participants for the master principal designation, and maintaining records to substantiate these recommendations.

d)         Each entity seeking approval to offer the program for purposes of this Section shall submit an application to the State Superintendent of Education, in a format prescribed by the State Superintendent.  Each application shall be required to address:

1)         the organization's qualification for and experience with the provision of professional development to educators;

2)         the organization's capacity and plans for delivering the standard program as specified by the State Superintendent, including a description of relevant personnel and their expertise, available physical facilities, and telecommunications capabilities; and

3)         the minimum number of principals the organization must enroll in order to offer the program cost-effectively, the maximum number the organization can serve, and any applicable geographic focus or limitations.

e)         Approval of an entity as a provider of the master principal program shall be contingent upon the level of need in various parts of the State and the provider's demonstration of:

1)         on-going involvement with the work of public school principals;

2)         the ability to deliver on-line instruction and interactive communication;

3)         sufficient capacity for conducting the required face-to-face sessions, performing observations, and providing feedback to the principals served in one or more geographic areas of the State, in keeping with the requirements of the standardized program; and

4)         access to trainers who hold administrative certification and have experience as public school principals within the previous five years.

f)          Each approved entity shall be required to enter into a contract with the State Board of Education to offer the standard program on behalf of ISBE and to perform the duties enumerated in subsection (b) of this Section.  An entity approved pursuant to this Section shall be authorized to charge a fee not to exceed $3,500 of each eligible individual who is seeking the master principal designation.  No other entity shall be authorized to charge any fee for offering the standard program discussed in this Section.

g)         The State Superintendent of Education may evaluate any approved provider at any time to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Section and Section 21-7.10 of the School Code.  Each approved provider must permit ISBE staff to attend or observe any portion of the program at no charge to ISBE.

h)         The State Superintendent of Education shall maintain a current list of approved providers for the master principal program on the web site of the State Board of Education.  Notwithstanding the fact that the standard program is in the public domain, the master principal designation shall be available only to candidates who complete the program under the supervision of a provider approved under this Section.  No other entity shall advertise or claim that the master principal designation is available under its auspices, and no other entity shall charge a fee of any individual for completing the program.

(Source:  Added at 32 Ill. Reg. 3413, effective February 22, 2008)