How to Become a Principal in Alabama

Alabama principal requirements, step by step

Class A Professional Leadership Certificate in Instructional Leadership (P–12). Each requirement is stated as Alabama State Department of Education — Educator Certification Section publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Hold a valid professional educator certificate and the required P–12 experience

   Unconditional admission to a Class A Instructional Leadership program requires a valid bachelor’s- or master’s-level professional educator certificate and at least three full years of full-time P–12 educational experience, including one full year of full-time classroom teaching. Certified library media specialists and school counselors may instead document four full years in that role plus a superintendent’s recommendation.

   Source: alabamaachieves.org

2. 2

   Pass the program’s portfolio, interview, and background check

   Submit an admission portfolio with three recommendation letters (including your principal or supervisor), your most recent performance appraisal, and evidence of improving student learning and leadership potential. Pass an interview by a committee of P–12 leaders and faculty, and clear a criminal history background check.

   Source: alabamaachieves.org

3. 3

   Earn a master’s in instructional leadership through an approved Class A program

   Complete at least 30 semester hours of graduate instructional leadership credit not used for a prior certificate or degree, finishing an Alabama State Board-approved program with a minimum 3.0 GPA and an earned master’s degree in instructional leadership.

   Source: alabamaachieves.org

4. 4

   Complete the internship, 10-day residency, and Survey of Special Education

   Field or clinical experiences are required in every instructional leadership course, plus an uninterrupted residency equal to 10 full days in a school while students are present. A Survey of Special Education course is required if you have not already completed one.

   Source: alabamaachieves.org

5. 5

   Pass Praxis 5412 at 146

   Meet the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program requirement. ALSDE’s Educator Assessment Policies Manual A lists Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412) with a required score of 146 for Instructional Leadership (P–12).

   Source: alabamaachieves.org

In Alabama the gate is admission, not graduation. Rule 290-3-3-.34 requires unconditional admission to a Class A Instructional Leadership program before any instructional leadership course is taken, and admission is selective by rule. Candidates need a valid professional educator certificate; three full years (or six full semesters) of full-time P–12 educational experience including at least one full year of classroom teaching; a portfolio with three recommendation letters, the most recent performance appraisal, and evidence of improving student learning and leadership potential; an interview before a committee of P–12 leaders and faculty; and a criminal history background check. Admission to graduate school is explicitly not the same thing.

School counselors and library media specialists have a defined route in. A certified counselor or library media specialist with four full years (eight full semesters) of full-time work in that role, plus a written recommendation from the current employing superintendent, meets the experience requirement without a year of classroom teaching. The program itself is at least 30 semester hours of graduate instructional leadership credit not already used for another certificate or degree, completed with a 3.0 GPA. It requires field or clinical experience in every leadership course and an uninterrupted residency equal to 10 full school days while students are present. A Survey of Special Education course is required if not previously completed. Educators who already hold a Class A Professional Educator Certificate may qualify for a reduced-hour option of at least 18 semester hours.

Testing runs through the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program. ALSDE’s Educator Assessment Policies Manual A (effective September 15, 2025) lists Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412) at a required score of 146 for Instructional Leadership (P–12). An Interim Employment Certificate lets a superintendent employ a candidate who is still completing a State-approved Class A program at an Alabama institution. Continuation is cycle-specific: ALSDE’s 2026 guidance took 2 Professional Learning Units or a passing Educational Leadership Praxis score, but warns it does not carry past 2026. Alabama’s row in the cross-state principal comparison and the M.Ed., EdS, and EdD guide put the Class A master’s in context.

Alabama principal requirements at a glance

Required exams and fees

Alabama uses the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP): Praxis Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5412). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (rule revised May 15, 2025; as of October 2026).

Institutions with educational leadership programs

The table lists educational leadership CIP codes and award levels from IPEDS. This extract reported no completion counts, so none are shown. An award conferred does not mean the program is approved to recommend candidates for Class A Professional Leadership Certificate in Instructional Leadership (P–12). Verify approval with Alabama State Department of Education — Educator Certification Section.

Moving an administrator credential to Alabama

An educator admitted to an Alabama Class A program on the strength of another state’s professional certificate must hold at least a valid Class B Alabama Professional Educator Certificate before applying for Class A certification. Confirm out-of-state leadership certificates with the ALSDE Educator Certification Section.

Official Alabama reciprocity guidance