How to Become a Principal in Florida

Florida principal requirements, step by step

Educational Leadership (Administrative Class) — Level I; Level II Principal program. Each requirement is stated as Florida Department of Education Bureau of Educator Certification publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Earn a master’s degree or higher from an acceptable institution

   Hold a master’s or higher degree from an acceptable institution as required by Rule 6A-4.0082, Florida Administrative Code, for Educational Leadership coverage.

   Source: flrules.elaws.us

2. 2

   Complete the Florida Educational Leadership Core Curriculum

   Finish the Florida Educational Leadership Core Curriculum through an approved Level I program. Rule 6A-4.0082 allows the program to be offered by an institution of higher education or by a district or charter provider operating under Rule 6A-5.081.

   Source: flrules.elaws.us

3. 3

   Pass all Florida Educational Leadership Examination subtests

   Pass every FELE subtest. Beginning January 2026, FELE is aligned to the 2024 Florida Educational Leadership Standards and is organized as four subtests covering eleven standards. Partial batteries do not satisfy Administrative Class Educational Leadership.

   Source: fldoe.org

4. 4

   Apply for Educational Leadership (Administrative Class), Level I

   Submit the certification application to the Bureau of Educator Certification for Educational Leadership coverage in the Administrative Class. Level I is the certificate that authorizes service in educational leadership; it is not the Level II Principal program.

   Source: flrules.elaws.us

5. 5

   Complete a Level II Principal program for the principalship

   Level II is the Principal program, a subsequent step after Level I Educational Leadership. Do not treat Level I as a principal license; Florida separates the Administrative Class Educational Leadership coverage from the Level II Principal program.

   Source: flrules.elaws.us

Florida splits school leadership into numbered levels that out-of-state applicants routinely collapse into one word: “principal.” Educational Leadership in the Administrative Class is Level I. It is the coverage that Rule 6A-4.0082 describes: a master’s or higher from an acceptable institution, completion of the Florida Educational Leadership Core Curriculum through an approved Level I program, and passage of every Florida Educational Leadership Examination subtest. The Level II Principal program is a later, distinct step. Completing Level I does not by itself mean the Bureau of Educator Certification has issued a principal credential, and job postings that say “Educational Leadership certified” are not interchangeable with “completed Level II.”

Level I programs are not limited to universities. Rule 6A-4.0082 points to approved programs offered by institutions of higher education and to district or charter programs authorized under Rule 6A-5.081. Teachers already employed in a large Florida district sometimes finish the Core Curriculum through a district Level I program rather than a campus-based master’s cohort. The degree requirement still stands; the delivery site of the Core Curriculum is what 6A-5.081 opens up. Candidates who hold a master’s in an unrelated field still need an approved Level I program that covers the Core Curriculum—Florida does not treat any graduate degree as a substitute for that curriculum.

FELE is the statewide gate, and the form of the test changed with the 2024 Florida Educational Leadership Standards. The Department’s FELE page states that beginning January 2026 the examination aligns to those standards and is organized as four subtests covering eleven standards. Older score reports that show a different subtest map should be checked against current FLDOE guidance before a candidate assumes a prior pass still covers all required subtests. The Bureau requires all subtests; a single failing domain blocks Educational Leadership coverage even when the rest of the Level I program is complete.

Application runs through the Bureau of Educator Certification’s teaching-certification portal, not through a separate administrator-only site. Because Florida uses the same certification infrastructure for classroom and Administrative Class coverages, candidates should confirm that the application requests Educational Leadership rather than adding a random endorsement code. District HR offices often want both the Level I coverage and a timeline for Level II before placing someone as principal. Plan those as sequential credentials, and use the official FELE page plus Rule 6A-4.0082—not informal principal-prep brochures—as the source of record for what Level I actually requires.

Required exams and fees

Florida uses Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). 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 Educational Leadership (Administrative Class) — Level I; Level II Principal program. Verify approval with Florida Department of Education Bureau of Educator Certification.

Moving an administrator credential to Florida

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

Florida Department of Education Bureau of Educator Certification