Part I

Amends GS 115C-270.5 (pertaining to the State Board of Education (Board) establishment of licensure requirements) to grant the Board entire control over licensing of school administrator positions, in addition to professional educator positions. Amends the licensure requirements pertaining to administrators and student services personnel (GS 115C-270.2) to set forth requirements and application requirements for administrator licenses and provisional assistant principal licenses (“provisional AP license”) as follows. Sets forth the following requirements for administrator licenses: (1) submission of a complete application to the Board; (2) payment of the applicable fee; (3) a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; (4) complete an accredited school administrator preparation program listed in GS 115C-284(c2) as amended by the act (discussed below) or approved by the Board; (5) at least four years of experience as a licensed professional educator and certain graduate degrees; (6) submission of a portfolio to the Board for approval. Bars the Board from issuing a provisional license for principals. Permits the Board to issue a one-year provisional AP license to an employee of a local board only if (1) the local board determines there is a demonstrated need for administrators and the employee enrolls in an approved school administration program leading to a master’s degree in school administration or educational leadership before the provisional license expires; or (2) the employee is enrolled in an approved master’s program in school administration and participates in the required internship under the master’s program. Permits extension of the provisional license for no longer than two years while the employee is completing the program.

Requires the Board to adopt rules for the renewal and extension of all licenses and to determine and to fix the salary for each grade and type of license which it authorizes. Requires the Board to include continuing education in high-quality, integrated digital teaching and learning as a requirement of licensure renewal.

Amends GS 115C-284 as follows. Deletes the requirements pertaining to: (1) certification as a school administrator set forth in GS 115C-284(b1); (2) the Board’s control of certifying all applicants for supervisory and professional positions in all secondary schools in the State set forth in subsection(c); (3) outdated language set forth in subsection (c1). Amends the school administrator internship requirement from a yearlong internship to 1,000 hours in duration. Makes technical and conforming changes. Removes outdated language. Requires the Board to issue rules to determine whether or not applicants who completed a school administrator program outside the State meet or exceed the requirements to hold a State license. Removes language requiring applicants to hold a master’s degree in education administration. 

Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-238.68 (pertaining to regional school employees), GS 115C-278.1 (method of employment of principals, assistant principals, supervisors, and directors), and GS 116-239.10 (laboratory schools) to refer to GS 115C-270.20 as amended by the act.

Applies to applications for licensure submitted on or after July 1, 2025.

Part II

Directs the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC), in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission, to develop a portfolio-based assessment system for use in applications for administrator licensure. Requires PEPSC to present recommendations to the Board for approval by June 15, 2024.

Part III

Requires DPI, in consultation with PEPSC, to study ways to improve school administrator licensure and preparation processes to ensure that all school administrators in the State are prepared to lead schools that provide high-quality instruction to all students. Requires DPI to recommended changes to the licensure and preparation processes based on the study and to submit the results and recommendations to the specified NCGA committee by February 15, 2024.