Licensure for Administrators and Student Services
Special Service Personnel include administrators, student services personnel, and instructional support personnel. For this personnel, there may be tenure differences, term contracts, unique salary schedules, and restrictions on provisional licenses available.
An Initial Professional Educator’s License is issued to Special Service Personnel who have:
- Completed a state-approved educator preparation program (EPP),
- Not satisfied NC State Board of Education (SBE) testing requirements
- When SBE testing requirements are met and submitted as part of a complete application to the NCDPI, the license is converted to a Continuing Professional License.
A Continuing Professional Educator’s License is issued to Special Service Personnel who have:
- Completed a state-approved EPP AND
- Satisfied SBE testing requirements
Begin the Process for Educator Licensure
Professional Educator's License Areas and Requirements
Below you will find the specific requirements that must be met for employment in North Carolina. These positions DO require the individual to hold a valid state professional educator's license.
School Administrator - Superintendent
Note: Eligibility to serve as a superintendent must be verified by the State Board of Education prior to the election by a local board of education.
- Must hold a North Carolina principal’s and superintendent’s license issued under the authority of the State Board of Education (NCSBE)
- Advanced graduate-level (sixth-year) or doctoral license in school administration.
OR - At least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and five years of leadership or managerial experience considered relevant by the employing local board of education.
School Administrator - Principal
- Completion of an approved program in school administration at the master's level or above.
- No provisional principal's licenses are issued for service as a principal.
School Administrator - Assistant Principal
- Completion of an approved program in school administration at the master's level or above.
- Provisional principal's licenses are issued for service as an assistant principal if the local board determines there is a shortage of individuals with principal licensure.
- Affiliation with a master's school administrator program must occur before the expiration of the provisional license. Provisional principal licenses shall be issued for three school years during which time program requirements must be met.
Curriculum Instructional Specialist
- Completion of an approved program for a curriculum instructional specialist at the master's degree level or above
- NTE/Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Career-Technical Director
- Completion of an approved program for a career-technical education director at the master's level or above
Exceptional Children Program Administrator
* Licensure as an exceptional children's program director is a supervisory classification.
- A master's level license in an exceptional children’s area or an advanced (sixth year) level license in school psychology
- Three graduate semester hours of credit in each of the following:
- Administration
- Curriculum development
- Supervision
- NTE/Praxis Educational Leadership: Administrative and Supervision. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
OR - A master's level license in school administration and/or curriculum instruction
- Nine semester hours of course work in exceptional children
- NTE/Praxis Educational Leadership: Administrative and Supervision. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Instructional Technology Specialist – Computers
- Completion of an approved college or university program for instructional technology specialist computers at the master's level or above
Instructional Technology Specialist – Telecommunications
- Completion of an approved college or university program for instructional technology specialist - telecommunications at the master's level or above
Media Supervisor
(in addition to a master's degree in school media)
- Completion of three graduate semester hours in each of the following:
- Administration
- Curriculum development
- Supervision
- NTE/Praxis Educational Leadership: Administrative and Supervision. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Media Coordinator
- One of the following:
- Completion of an approved program for a media coordinator at the master's degree level or above
- Completion of an approved program after July 1, 1984, allows a provisional license upon employment with the requirement to update to master's degree level
- Obtain a provisional media coordinator license as outlined in SBE Policy LICN-001
- NTE/Praxis Library Media Specialist. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Associate Media Coordinator
- New licenses are not issued in this area
- Established licenses based on completion of an approved program prior to July 1, 1984, at the bachelor's level license (no requirement to upgrade to the master's level)
School Counselor
- Completion of an approved program in school counseling at the master's level or above
- NTE/Praxis Professional School Counselor test. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
School Social Worker
- Completion of an approved program in school social work at the bachelor's level or above
School Psychologist
- Completion of an approved program in school psychology at the sixth-year level
- NTE/Praxis School Psychology. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
School Speech-Language Pathologist
- Effective July 1, 2011 the North Carolina State Board of Education will accept only a current valid North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists (NCBOESLPA) license as the qualifying credential for service in public schools.
- Once the speech-language pathologist has a NCBOESLPA license, they may apply to the Licensure Section of DPI
- Must provide the Licensure Section of DPI the following:
- Form V if the degree is issued at the Advanced level or higher
- Copy of current NCBOESLPA license
- All official degree dated transcripts including the bachelor's level
- Form E if teaching experience credit is applicable
- Form RN and NE if non-teaching experience credit is applicable and is being recommended by an employing NC public school system
- Must provide the Licensure Section of DPI the following:
School Audiologist
- One of the following:
- An audiology Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- A license from the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologist and Audiologist
- Completion of an approved program in audiology at the master's level or above
- NTE/Praxis Audiology. Educational Testing Service (ETS)
School Nurse
- The credentialing standard for school nursing in North Carolina, set by the State Board of Education, is licensure as a registered nurse (RN), and national school nurse certification within three years of date of hire. The National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) is the only current credentialing agency. There are a small number of nurses who are historically credentialed through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
* All personnel in supervisor or director assignments with specific responsibilities as instructional leaders, who consult with and advise teachers, administrators and other professional personnel, must hold a curriculum-instructional specialist license.