Administrative Services Credential Out-of-State Prepared (CL-574)

Administrative Services Credential
For Administrators Prepared Out-Of-State

California has a two-tier credential structure. A five-year preliminary credential is the first credential issued after an individual meets basic credential requirements. A clear credential is issued when all credential requirements have been completed.

The Administrative Services Credential authorizes the holder to provide the following services in grades 12 and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults:

• Develop, coordinate, and assess instructional programs.
  
• Evaluate certificated and classified personnel.
  
• Provide students’ discipline, including but not limited to, suspension and expulsion.
  
• Provide certificated and classified employees discipline, including but not limited to, suspension, dismissal, and reinstatement.
  
• Supervise certificated and classified personnel.
  
• Manage school site, district, or county level fiscal services.
  
• Recruit, employ, and assign certificated and classified personnel.
• Develop, coordinate, and supervise student support services, including but not limited to extracurricular activities, pupil personnel services, health services, library services, and technology support services.

An individual must hold an Administrative Services Credential to provide the following services in grades preschool, K-12 and adults:

• Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of instructional services at the school site level.
• Evaluate of certificated personnel employed at the school site level, with the exception of the site administrator.
• Student and certificated personnel employee discipline services at the school site level.
  

Your Application Packet

Individuals who have completed their professional preparation program outside of California may apply directly to the Commission for their initial credential by submitting an application that includes of all of the following items:

1. Completed application ( Form 41-4).
   
   
2. Completed Live Scan receipt (Form 41-LS). Out-of-state residents must submit two fingerprint cards in lieu of a Live Scan receipt. If submitting fingerprint cards, current fingerprint processing fees must accompany the application packet in addition to the application processing fee. Fingerprint cards may be ordered by sending an email to the Commission at OutofStateFPs@ctc.ca.gov.
   
   
3. Application processing fee.
   
   
4. All applicable documentation, including official transcripts (original college issued documents, not photocopies), letters verifying experience, exam score reports verifying completion of the basic skills requirement (as applicable), photocopies of out-of-state credentials, and performance evaluations. 

The credential routes outlined below provide detailed information regarding the documentation required when submitting an application packet to the Commission for this type of certification. 

Requirements for the Administrative Services Credential

Individuals prepared outside of California may apply for a California Administrative Services Credential based on one the following credential routes:

Route 1: Five or More Years of Out-of-State Teaching Experience 
Candidates using this route to apply for the five-year preliminary Administrative Services Credential must satisfy all of the following requirements:

1. Possession of a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Satisfy the basic skills requirement. See Commission leaflet CL-667, entitled Basic Skills Requirement, for additional information.
   
   
3. Complete a professional teacher preparation program in another state.
   
   
4. Possession of a professional-level teaching credential issued by another state.
   
   
5. Verify five years of full-time teaching experience earned at a public school or private school of equivalent status located in another state. (See Terms and Definitions).
   
   
6. Completion of an administrator preparation program at a regionally-accredited college or university located in another state (alternative administrator programs are not acceptable).
   
   
7. Possession of, or eligibility for, an administrative services credential in another state.

Possession of a prerequisite California teaching or services credential and verification of employment in an administrative position in California are not required for candidates who qualify via this route.

Candidates who are issued a preliminary Administrative Services Credential via Route 1 must complete a Commission-approved Administrative Services Clear Induction program, verify two years of successful, full-time administrative experience with a California employing agency, and obtain a recommendation from the induction program sponsor to qualify for the clear Administrative Services Credential. Enrollment in a clear administrative induction program is expected upon placement in an administrative position but must occur no later than one year from activation of the preliminary credential.

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Route 2: Less than Five Years of Out-of-State Teaching Experience
Candidates using this route to apply for the five-year preliminary Administrative Services Credential must satisfy all of the following requirements:

1. Possession of a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Satisfy the basic skills requirement. See Commission leaflet CL-667, entitled Basic Skills Requirement, for additional information.
   
   
3. Possession of a clear or life teaching or services credential in California.
   
   
4. Verification of five years of successful, full-time teaching and/or school services experience earned at a public or private school of equivalent status located in California and/or another state (See Terms and Definitions).
   
   
5. Completion of an administrator preparation program at a regionally-accredited college or university located in another state (alternative administrator programs are not acceptable).
   
   
6. Possession of, or eligibility for, an administrative services credential in another state.
   
   
7. Verification of an offer of employment in an administrative position from a California employing agency or apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (See Terms and Definitions).

Candidates who are issued a preliminary Administrative Services Credential via Route 2 must maintain possession of a valid California prerequisite teaching or services credential, complete a Commission-approved Administrative Services Clear Induction program, verify two years of successful, full-time administrative experience with a California employing agency, and a obtain recommendation from the induction program sponsor to qualify for the clear Administrative Services Credential. Enrollment in a clear administrative induction program is expected upon placement in an administrative position but must occur no later than one year from activation of the preliminary credential.

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Route 3: Out-of-State Teaching and Administrative Experience
Candidates who meet all the requirements under Route 3 may apply directly to the Commission for a five-year clear Administrative Services Credential. They must satisfy all of the following requirements:

1. Possession of a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Satisfy the basic skills requirement. See Commission leaflet CL-667, entitled Basic Skills Requirement, for additional information.
   
   
3. Completion of a teacher preparation program in another state.
   
   
4. Possession of a professional-level teaching credential issued by another state.
   
   
5. Verification of five years of successful, full-time teaching experience earned at a public or private school of equivalent status located in another state (See Terms and Definitions).
   
   
6. Completion of an administrator preparation program at a regionally-accredited college or university located in another state (alternative administrator programs are not acceptable).
   
   
7. Possession of an administrative services credential in another state.
   
   
8. Verification of three years of successful, full-time administrative experience earned at a public or regionally-accredited private school located in another state (See Terms and Definitions).
   
   
9. Submission of photocopied performance evaluations from the last two years of the verified out-of-state administrative experience with ratings of “satisfactory” or better (See Terms and Definitions)

Possession of a prerequisite teaching or services credential and verification of employment in an administrative position in California are not required for candidates who qualify via Route 3.

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Terms and Definitions

Full-Time Experience
Full-time teaching, services, or administrative experience (as applicable) is defined as a minimum of four hours a day, unless the minimum statutory attendance requirement for the students serviced is less. Experience must be on a daily basis and for at least 75% of the school year. Experience may be accrued in increments of a minimum of one semester. No part-time experience will be accepted.

Up to two years of successful, full-time experience in an administrative position at a public or regionally accredited private school located in another state may be combined with teaching experience under Routes 1 and 3, or may be combined with teaching experience and/or experience in one or more of the services fields under Route 2. Administrative experience accepted to satisfy the teaching experience requirement cannot also be counted as administrative experience under Route 3.

Experience earned outside California must be verified on official letterhead of the out-of-state employer or employers by the superintendent, assistant superintendent, director of personnel, or director of human resources where the candidate was employed.

Experience from outside the United States is not acceptable for credentialing purposes in California.

Prerequisite Teaching or Services Credential
For the purposes of an Administrative Services Credential, a prerequisite credential is defined as:

• a valid clear or life California teaching credential that requires a baccalaureate degree and a program of professional preparation, including student teaching or the equivalent.
• a valid clear or life Pupil Personnel Services Credential, Teacher Librarian Services Credential, Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential, Clinical or Rehabilitative Services Credential, or clear School Nurse Services Credential.
• a valid clear or life Designated Subjects Teaching Credential, provided the holder also possesses a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally-accredited college or university, in which case the individual will be required to obtain and possess a valid equivalent California credential issued by the Commission.

Certificate of Eligibility
Individuals seeking to qualify for the preliminary Administrative Services Credential under Route 2 who do not have an offer of employment in an administrative position will be issued a Certificate of Eligibility if all other credential requirements are met. A person who has an offer of employment cannot apply for the Certificate of Eligibility.

The Certificate of Eligibility verifies completion of all requirements for the preliminary credential and authorizes the holder to seek employment as an administrator. Once securing an offer of employment in an administrative position, the holder of a Certificate of Eligibility may apply for the preliminary credential by submitting to the Commission an application ( Form 41-4), a Verification of Employment Form (CL-777), and current processing fee.

Administrative Services Clear Induction Program
The Commission approved new standards for candidate preparation for the second tier of California’s Administrative Services Credential in February 2014. The new standards require completion of a two-year induction program for candidates who hold preliminary Administrative Services Credential, a program of professional learning and development that is site-based and job embedded. Candidates issued their initial preliminary Administrative Services Credential effective July 1, 2015 or later must complete an Administrative Services Clear Induction program for the clear Administrative Services Credential. The last date to admit candidates into a clear standards or guidelines based program under the 2001 standards was June 30, 2015 and candidates must complete those programs by June 30, 2017.

Administrative Experience (to Earn a Clear Credential)
Educators holding the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential must complete two years of successful experience in a full-time administrative position in a California public school, nonpublic school, or private school of equivalent status. Verification of experience must be on the district or employing agency letterhead and signed by the superintendent, assistant superintendent, director of personnel, or director of human resources. School or district personnel other than the applicant must verify all experience.

Performance Evaluations
The evaluations must have been from each of the two last years while serving as an administrator. Evaluation ratings must be satisfactory or better. The performance evaluations must include, but are not limited to, all of the following areas:

1. Demonstration of leadership skills.
   
   
2. Verification of leadership in program implementation and instructional practices.
   
   
3. Implementation of effective procedure for smooth operations of the school.
   
   
4. Evidence of self-motivation and continuous professional development and the updating of skills in administration.

If any of these areas are not included in the evaluations, the individual may submit a supplemental letter on the employer’s letterhead and signed by the superintendent or his/her designee verifying satisfactory evaluation in these areas.

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One-Year Nonrenewable Credential

Out-of-state prepared administrators who meet all requirements for one of the three routes except for the California basic skills requirement may be issued a one-year nonrenewable (OYNR) Administrative Services Credential at the request of a California public school employer. An application for an OYNR must be submitted to the Commission for processing by the California public school employer and the OYNR will be restricted to
service with the employer that submitted the application.

Individuals Prepared Outside of the United States

The Commission does not have the authority to evaluate administrative programs completed outside the United States. Individuals prepared as administrators outside the United States or U.S. Territories must contact a California Commission-approved administrative services program sponsor for an evaluation to determine what requirements must be completed to obtain the program’s formal recommendation for the preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Out-of-country prepared administrators also have the option of passing the CPACE examination in lieu of completing a California administrative services program. See Credential Leaflet CL-574C Administrative Services Credential for Individuals Prepared in California for details.

Term of the Administrative Services Credential

The preliminary credential is valid for five years from the date of issuance. However, the valid period of the Administrative Services Credential may be limited by the expiration date of the prerequisite credential. It will expire and may be renewed for any time remaining up to the five full years allowed at the same time of renewing the prerequisite credential by submitting an application ( Form 41-4) and processing fee. By the end of the five year preliminary period, the holder must meet the requirements for the clear credential.

The term of the clear credential may not exceed five calendar years and may be limited to expire with the prerequisite credential. The clear credential is renewable online.

Appeal for Extension

Individuals who need additional time to complete program requirements for the clear credential may request a one-year extension by appeal. See Credential Leaflet AL-3 Extension by Appeal for Credentials and Permits for submission details.

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