(a)  The department of elementary and secondary education (the “department”) shall establish a fast-track principal certification program.

(b)  The fast-track principal certification program shall include, but need not be limited to, the following courses:

(1)  School finance;

(2)  School law; and

(3)  Program evaluation, including data analysis.

(c)  Participants will earn a principal certification after successful completion of the courses, from a program approved by the department, required in subsection (b) of this section, and successful completion of the following three (3) requirements:

(1)  A year-long internship shadowing a principal in the district where the participant is currently employed;

(2)  Leading a districtwide or schoolwide initiative; and

(3)  Successfully passing assessment requirements for Rhode Island principal certification.

(d)  To be eligible for admission into the fast-track principal certification program, an applicant shall:

(1)  Have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience as a teacher rated “effective” or “highly effective”;

(2)  Have a recommendation from the superintendent(s) of the local education agency (LEA) or agencies in which the applicant worked as a teacher previously, or is working currently;

(3)  Have a record of consistent leadership within an LEA, demonstrated through serving as a facilitator of professional development, a dean, a district coach, a department chair, or in another leadership position within a school or LEA; and

(4)  Possess a master’s degree or higher.

(e)  Participants who earn a principal certification pursuant to this section shall complete a department-approved leadership development program to build leadership skills that support teaching and learning within the first renewal cycle of their certification.

(f)  For the purposes of this section, “local education agencies” shall include all of the following within the state:

(1)  Public school districts;

(2)  Regional school districts;

(3)  State-operated schools;

(4)  Regional collaborative schools; and

(5)  Charter schools.