You’re an innovator, trailblazer, catalyst of change. Never one to sit back and accept the status quo, you’re always committed to progress, both for you and for your students. You’re a Connecticut educator, and you’re vital to the success of its public education system, which has long been ranked among the nation’s best.
Like you, the Connecticut Department of Education is laser-focused on creating positive change throughout the state’s public education system. In 2022 alone, the Department of Education launched the No Matter What campaign to highlight the support and resources available to students experiencing homelessness and housing instability… announced a partnership with the state’s tribal nations to create a new Native American studies model curriculum… and invested $12 million in high-quality summer enrichment programs.
It’s a great time to be part of Connecticut’s public education system, which is why your future career plans remain in education. But a move out of the classroom and into administration is how you envision your career evolving. Whether you have plans to become a principal or superintendent, you’ll likely need a higher degree to get you where you want to be.
Fortunately, there are a large number of master’s, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees in education leadership and administration, both in Connecticut and across the country, that will prepare you to become a successful education administrator in Connecticut.
How to Become a Principal in Connecticut – School-level Educational Leadership
The time has come to make a change in your career and begin pursuing the education you’ll need to become a principal in Connecticut. To take this next step, you’ll need to earn an Administrator Certification – Intermediate Administration and Supervision endorsement (092) through the Connecticut Bureau of Certification.
To become a program director, assistant principal, academic dean, curriculum director, principal, or assistant superintendent, you’ll need to have at least 50 months of teaching experience.
Once you’ve met this experience requirement, you can begin completing the steps necessary to become a principal in Connecticut.
Step 1. Earn at Least 18 Graduate-Level Credits Beyond a Master’s Degree
You likely have already earned your Connecticut Professional Educator Certificate, which means you’ll also have already earned a master’s degree from an accredited college or university. Now it’s time to complete an educational specialist or doctorate program to become a principal in Connecticut.
These programs are usually designed as:
- EdD Educational Leadership
- EdD Educational Leadership – Intermediate administrator
- EdS Educational Leadership – K-12 Leadership
A number of Connecticut colleges and universities also have sixth-year diploma programs that include the graduate-level credits required to earn an Administrator Certification with an Intermediate Administration and Supervision endorsement. Like educational specialist and doctoral degrees, these programs include the coursework and practical components in educational administration necessary for certification.
Whichever program you choose, you’ll need to complete at least 15 graduate-level credits in each of the following areas of educational administration:
- Psychological and pedagogical foundations of learning
- Program monitoring and curriculum development
- School administration
- Personnel supervision and evaluation
- Contemporary educational problems and solutions from a policy-making perspective
You’ll also need to complete at least three credits in special education, including gifted and talented.
Upon graduation, you’ll need to earn a formal institutional recommendation to be eligible for certification.
Step 2. Pass the Connecticut Administrator Test
The Connecticut Administrator Test (6412), which is administered through Educational Testing Service (ETS), questions your knowledge on the following topics:
- Strategic Leadership
- Instructional Leadership
- Climate and Cultural Leadership
- Ethical Leadership
- Organizational Leadership
- Community Engagement Leadership
You can take this exam online or at a testing center near you.
Step 3. Apply for an Initial Administrator Certification with an Intermediate Administration and Supervision Endorsement
You can apply for your Initial Administrator Certificate with an Intermediate Administration and Supervision endorsement by either completing a paper application or applying online through the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS).
Step 4. Advance to a Provisional Administrator Certificate
To advance to a Provisional certificate, you’ll need to have at least 10 months of experience in a full-time administrative position under your Initial certificate.
Step 5. Advance to a Professional Administrator Certificate
To advance to a Professional certificate, you’ll need to have at least 30 months of experience in a full-time administrative position under your Provisional certificate. You’ll also need to have completed at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit beyond your master’s degree. This requirements includes the 18 semester hours of graduate credit you have already completed. Therefore, if you earned an educational specialist or doctorate degree, you will have already meet the education requirements to advance to a Professional Administrator Certificate.
School Principal Salary and Jobs in Connecticut
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Connecticut principals earned a median salary of $127,670 as of May 2021. The top-earning principals in the state during this time earned about $161,140.
Principals in the Danbury metro area earned one of the highest median salaries, at $150,330, followed by principals in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metro area, who earned about $149,720.
Some of the highest paid principals in Connecticut during this time were also in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metro area, where they earned about $162,700, followed by those in the Waterbury metro area, where they earned about $161,140.
How to Become a Superintendent in Connecticut – District-Level Educational Leadership
You’ll need to earn an Administration Certification – Superintendent of Schools endorsement (093) through the Connecticut Bureau of Certification to become a superintendent in Connecticut.
Note: If you want to become an assistant superintendent, you’ll apply for the Intermediate Administration and Supervision endorsement (092), which is the same endorsement as the principal endorsement in Connecticut (see above).
You’ll need a minimum of a master’s degree, along with at least 80 months of successful teaching or administrative experience and at least 30 months of full-time administrator experience under your belt to become a building-level superintendent in Connecticut.
Once you’ve met these requirements, you can begin taking the necessary steps to become a superintendent in Connecticut.
Step 1. Earn at Least 30 Graduate-Level Credits Beyond a Master’s Degree
You can meet the education requirements to become a superintendent in Connecticut by either earning an educational specialist or doctorate degree. These programs are usually designed as:
- EdD Educational Administration
- EdD Educational Leadership and Administration
- EdS Educational Leadership
Because you already hold an Administrator Certification – Intermediate Administration and Supervision endorsement (092), you’ll also be eligible to complete one of Connecticut’s advanced certificate programs leading to an Administration Certification – Superintendent of Schools endorsement (093).
These programs, which include 15 credits of coursework, also often require applicants who have at least three years of experience under the Intermediate Administration and Supervision endorsement. Most programs are completed in about a year.
Regardless of whether you seek an educational specialist, doctorate, or advanced certificate program, you must ensure that the 30 graduate-level credits cover the following areas:
- Psychological and pedagogical foundations of learning
- Program monitoring and curriculum development
- School administration
- Personnel supervision and evaluation
- Contemporary educational problems and solutions from a policy-making perspective
You’ll also need to complete at least three credits in special education, including gifted and talented.
Once you’ve completed your program, you’ll need to earn a formal institutional recommendation for certification.
Step 2. Apply for an Initial Administrator Certification with Superintendent of Schools Endorsement
You can apply for your Initial Administrator Certificate with an Superintendent of Schools endorsement by either completing a paper application or applying online through the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS).
Step 3. Advance to a Provisional Administrator Certificate
To advance to a Provisional certificate, you’ll need to have at least 10 months of experience in a full-time superintendent position under your Initial certificate.
Step 4. Advance to a Professional Administrator Certificate
To advance to a Professional certificate, you’ll need to have at least 30 months of experience in a full-time superintendent position under your Provisional certificate.
Superintendent Salary and Jobs in Connecticut
According to the BLS, superintendents in Connecticut earned about $167,840 as of May 2021 – that’s about $14,000 above the national average for these educational leaders.
The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metro area came out on top for its pay of superintendents, at $189,560.
Educational Leadership Degree Options in Connecticut: Doctorate and Master’s in Educational Leadership
Growth among Connecticut’s education administrators will be slow but steady in the coming years, with jobs rising about 2.3% in the years leading up to 2030. During the ten-year period leading up to 2030, the state should see about 290 annual job openings for principals and superintendents due to a blend of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.
As you look forward to advancing your career in education to administration, you’ll find a nice selection of master’s, educational specialist, and doctorate program to choose from. These programs are often delivered in partially or fully online formats, thereby allowing practicing educators and administrators to earn their graduate degrees from the comfort of their homes.
University of Bridgeport
School of Education
Accreditation: NECHE
Online
M.Ed in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
Also offers:
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
M.Ed in Teacher Leadership
2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed March 2023.