This annual volume, conveniently organized by state, offers the most complete and current listings of the requirements for certification of a wide range of educational professionals at the elementary and secondary levels. Changes to requirements resulting from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, paired with state budget deficits and understaffed certification offices, have made it especially difficult to access this information. Now more than ever, Requirements for Certification is a valuable resource, making much-needed knowledge available in one straightforward volume.

Qualified school administrators, particularly district superintendents, are among the most sought after professionals of the new century. Due to a perceived national shortage, consultants, search firms, and state school board associations are courting these highly trained women and men with attractive salaries, lucrative benefits packages, and other perks usually reserved for chief executive officers in the corporate world. As a result, the long-held tradition by school administrators of practicing within a particular state for the duration of their career is no longer necessary. Historically, these educators were forced to accumulate total years of service in a particular state in order to maximize their retirement benefits. These benefits are most often based upon years of service within a system or state, and an average of the four or five highest years of salary. Because there are no nationally accepted certification requirements for either principals or superintendents, qualifications vary dramatically from state to state. Sherri Zimmerman has designed this handbook to provide school administrators with the information they need when considering positions in other states. Certification requirements for both the positions of principal and superintendent in all 50 states are included in this easy to use reference.