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Principal License Program

The Principal License Program prepares aspiring educational leaders to have the knowledge, values, skills/tools, and courage to practice leadership as collective discourse, make inquiries, and take action designed to disrupt the status quo, make structural disparities visible, and create fairness in opportunities and outcomes for minoritized students, families, and communities across the P-20 spectrum.

In the Principal License Program, candidates will grapple with issues of equity related to race, gender, economic status, language, and ability at the intersection of school, district and national policy. Candidates in the Principal License Program are practicing professionals who come to the program with rich experiential knowledge to interrogate toward designing better equitable practices.

Program Overview

The on-campus program is a semi-structured cohort in that students begin the course sequence in the fall semester. As practicing professionals, students advance through the on campus program at their own pace, but scheduling allows for possible completion in six (6) terms. Program completion depends on the number of courses taken per semester and the students’ own timeline for finishing the requirements.

Summer Class Schedule

Program Details

Credit hours: 27 semester hours
Program start: Fall
Program length: 6 semesters
Class schedule: Evening and summer classes
Location: On-campus (see tab for regional options)
Program director: Megan Barrett

View the current program of study or the current course planning sheet.

EdD with PK-12 Concentration and Principal License

An option for students to complete the coursework necessary to be recommended for their principal license alongside their doctorate is also available.

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Why our program?

Equity-Driven

Being an equity-driven program means that in every course, text, and assignment, we will center discussions on identifying systemic inequality that exists in the system of school, districts, consider strategies for fostering equitable practices and policies, and develop leadership approaches that enable you to achieve more socially just classroom, schools and districts.

Comprehensive Practicum

A highlight of the Principal License Program is the practicum, which gives you in-depth working experiences of leadership. Each course allows candidates to investigate a problem of practice through the context of each course. Also, the school-site practicum, is designed for candidates to intersect the school context and practice with theory and policy necessary to engage impactful school leadership both inside and outside the building.

What to Expect

Our approach to instructional leadership is practical, inquiry-centered and firmly rooted in best practices. In this program, you learn how action leadership supports teachers, students, and parents.

Classroom dialogues are rich because students bring with them varied experiences, values, and the philosophies and orientation of their districts. On-campus courses draw from across the Portland metro area and outlying districts. Off-campus courses are even more diverse, with students coming together from eastern, central, and southwestern Oregon counties. Exemplary practicing administrators serve as adjunct faculty in the program, in addition to full-time faculty. Class sizes run from small seminars up to 20-24 students.

Depending on the site, the program offers evening and/or weekend classes during the school year and summer day sessions. The majority of applicants work full-time as Oregon educators and attend classes at night during fall and spring semesters or during summer day sessions. Students advance through on-campus courses at their own pace; off-campus cohorts usually complete the program in two years. Program completion depends on the number of courses taken per semester and the students’ own time line for finishing the requirements.

For Current Students

*On February 7, 2019, the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) voted to adopt a new set of rules for the administrative licensure system. These rules went into effect March 1, 2019. This includes transitioning the Preliminary Administrator License (PreAL) to the Principal License. You will see this change reflected on our website and in our catalog. If you have questions about how this affects your license or program, please contact Sharon Chinn at schinn@lclark.edu or 503-768-6008. Information can also be found on TSPC’s website.