How to Become a Principal in Tennessee

Tennessee principal requirements, step by step

Instructional Leader License (ILL); also ILL-A (Aspiring) and ILL-P (Professional). Each requirement is stated as Tennessee Department of Education publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Choose among ILL-A, ILL, and ILL-P

   Tennessee issues an Instructional Leader License (ILL), an Aspiring Instructional Leader License (ILL-A), and a Professional Instructional Leader License (ILL-P). ILL-A is for candidates with a bachelor’s degree who are enrolled in an approved program and is valid no more than four years. ILL is valid no more than four years. ILL-P is valid no more than eleven years and is an advancement from ILL.

   Source: tn.gov

2. 2

   Meet the ILL academic and experience requirements

   For ILL, hold an advanced degree from an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education, and document at least three years of qualifying educator experience.

   Source: regulations.justia.com

3. 3

   Complete a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program

   Finish a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program and obtain the provider’s recommendation. Rule 0520-02-03-.10 (official compilation dated June 2025) is the current regulatory text.

   Source: publications.tnsosfiles.com

4. 4

   Earn qualifying scores on all required assessments

   Present qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. Confirm the current instruments and scores on that policy rather than assuming a single vendor test.

   Source: tn.gov

5. 5

   Apply and renew through TNCompass; practicing administrators use TASL for renewal

   File ILL-A, ILL, and ILL-P applications and renewals in TNCompass. Tennessee Academy for School Leaders (TASL) credits apply to renewal of ILL and ILL-P for practicing administrators.

   Source: tn.gov

Tennessee does not call the building-level credential a principal license. The Tennessee Department of Education and Rule 0520-02-03-.10 issue an Instructional Leader License, then split it into Aspiring (ILL-A), standard ILL, and Professional (ILL-P). Those suffixes change what a candidate may hold and for how long. ILL-A is the enrollment credential: a bachelor’s degree plus current enrollment in an approved instructional leader program, valid no more than four years. Using ILL-A as a long-term principal license after leaving a program is outside the rule. ILL itself is also capped at no more than four years. ILL-P, the advancement from ILL, is valid no more than eleven years.

The June 2025 official compilation of 0520-02-03 is the rule text to keep bookmarked, with 0520-02-03-.10 as the instructional-leader section. ILL requires an advanced degree from a CHEA- or U.S. Department of Education-recognized institution, at least three years of qualifying educator experience, a State Board-approved instructional leader preparation program, a provider recommendation, and qualifying scores on every assessment the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy names. “Qualifying educator experience” is a defined idea in the rule, not a synonym for any three years on a school payroll. Instructional assistants and unlicensed staff should not assume those years count.

Assessment language is deliberately policy-referenced. TDOE’s instructional-leaders page points candidates to the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy rather than embedding a single cut score on the license page. Do not invent a passing score. Read the current policy for the instruments and qualifying scores that apply to the application date. Provider recommendation is a separate gate: finishing coursework without the program’s recommendation leaves the TNCompass application incomplete.

TNCompass is the system for issuance and renewal of all three instructional-leader documents. For practicing administrators, Tennessee Academy for School Leaders credits apply to renewal of ILL and ILL-P. ILL-A holders still enrolled in a program should not ignore the four-year validity cap while they wait to finish internships. Moving from ILL to ILL-P is an advancement with its own eleven-year validity, not an automatic conversion when the fourth ILL year arrives. File the advancement in TNCompass before the ILL expires.

Required exams and fees

Tennessee uses Required assessments under the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 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 Instructional Leader License (ILL); also ILL-A (Aspiring) and ILL-P (Professional). Verify approval with Tennessee Department of Education.

Moving an administrator credential to Tennessee

Confirm out-of-state administrator evaluation rules directly with Tennessee Department of Education. This site does not republish NASDTEC interstate-agreement text.

Tennessee Department of Education