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Credentialing school leaders in North Dakota is the responsibility of the NDDPI Office of School Approval & Opportunity. To be employed as a superintendent in an accredited North Dakota school, a person must hold a superintendent's credential issued by the department. The NDDPI processes two types of superintendent credential, along with renewals:
- Professional Superintendent Credential
- Provisional Superintendent Credential
- Superintendent Credential Renewals
All superintendent credential applications are completed online through ND Teach.
A superintendent's credential is valid only while the holder also holds a current North Dakota educator's professional teaching license. The teaching license must remain current for the entire life of the credential. If the license lapses, the credential is not recognized as valid.
The Professional Superintendent Credential is the standard, renewable credential for individuals who have completed all coursework and experience requirements. It is issued to coincide with the period of the applicant's North Dakota teaching license.
To qualify for a Professional Superintendent Credential, an applicant must:
- Hold a valid North Dakota teaching license, maintained throughout the life of the credential.
- Have at least three years of teaching experience, verified in a letter of recommendation from a supervisor or employer with firsthand knowledge of the applicant's work.
- Have at least two years of administrative experience, comprised of at least half time as an elementary or secondary principal, a central office administrator, or an administrator of an approved school with a twelve-year program. This experience must be verified by a supervisor or employer with firsthand knowledge of the applicant's work.
- Have completed the requirements for the Level I elementary or secondary principal credential.
- Have completed eight additional semester hours of coursework specific to the superintendency, drawn from the content areas listed below.
Required superintendency coursework (8 semester hours)
Coursework must be drawn from the following content areas:
- Field-based experience in the superintendency
- Seminar in the superintendency
- Advanced school law
- Advanced revenue, finance, and business management
- Facilities and facilities planning
- Policy, politics, and community relations
- Personnel administration
Because program design varies by institution, we recommend applicants work directly with an advisor from a state-approved educational leadership program to confirm that their coursework aligns with these content areas.
The Provisional Superintendent Credential allows an individual to serve as a superintendent while completing the remaining coursework or experience needed for the Professional credential. It is issued to applicants who hold a Level I principal credential but who still need some of the superintendency coursework, the required administrative experience, or both.
To qualify for a Provisional Superintendent Credential, an applicant must:
- Hold a valid North Dakota teaching license, maintained throughout the life of the credential.
- Have at least three years of teaching experience at the applicable grade levels.
- Have completed the requirements for the Level I elementary or secondary principal credential.
The two years of administrative experience are not required for the Provisional credential.
Term: The Provisional Superintendent Credential is issued as an initial credential and is valid until the end of the second school year following the year in which it is issued. It is not renewable. Applicants are expected to complete the requirements for the Professional credential during this period.
In North Dakota, the teaching license and superintendent credential are renewed at the same time, but through separate processes. Most individuals fall under a five-year renewal schedule for both. In some cases, the credential is renewed on a prorated schedule, depending on when it was first issued in relation to the teaching license. Individuals holding a lifetime educator's professional license renew their credential every five years.
Along with a renewal application filled out on the ND Teach portal, the full renewal schedule is below:
| Renewal term | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Five-year renewal (most common) | 8 semester credits earned OR 6 semester credits earned and verification of attendance at 6 education-based workshops or conferences |
| Four-year renewal | 4 semester credits earned OR verification of attendance at 6 education-based workshops or conferences OR 3 semester credits earned and verification of attendance at 4 education-based workshops or conferences |
| Three-year renewal | 4 semester credits earned OR 2 semester credits earned and verification of attendance at 2 education-based workshops or conferences |
| Two-year renewal | 2 semester credits earned OR verification of attendance at 2 education-based workshops or conferences OR 1 semester credit earned and verification of attendance at 1 education-based workshop or conference |
| One-year renewal (or less) | Renewal application on ND Teach, with no further credits or documentation required |
*Please note that renewal requirements are determined by the length of your current credential's term. Applicants cannot choose a renewal schedule from this list.
Acceptable workshops and conferences include those offered by the North Dakota Association of School Administrators, the American Association of School Administrators, the North Central Association, the Department of Public Instruction, and the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders. Verification must be a signed statement from the conference or workshop sponsor, the employer, or a school district business manager.
For renewals, unofficial copies of transcripts are acceptable. Renewal documentation, including unofficial transcripts and conference or workshop verifications, can be uploaded into the application.
All superintendent credential applications, provisional and professional, are submitted online through ND Teach.
- Complete the superintendent credential application on the ND Teach portal. Submit a separate application for each credential you are seeking.
- Upload a copy of your official transcripts to the application.
- Include a letter of recommendation from a supervisor or employer with firsthand knowledge of your professional work, verifying your teaching and administrative experience.
Aside from the online application, required documentation can be uploaded directly into the application.
Note: ND Teach has a transcript upload feature. Once transcripts are uploaded to an application, a to-do item may still appear asking for mailed copies of official transcripts. That item will be overridden by NDDPI staff when your documents are downloaded and viewed during processing.