Quick Highlights
- Arkansas recognizes three administrator license tiers, not two: Building-Level, Curriculum/Program and District-Level.
- Building-Level Administrator covers a single school (principal, assistant principal and vice principal).
- District-Level Administrator covers an entire district (superintendent and assistant superintendent) and requires already holding a Building-Level or Curriculum/Program license first.
- Building-Level and Curriculum/Program candidates pass the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, score 151; District-Level candidates pass the School Superintendent Assessment, score 157.
A building-level administrator license and a district-level administrator license cover different scopes of authority and require different Praxis exams, and, in Arkansas, one is built directly on top of the other. Arkansas State University (A-State) offers a Building-Level Principal Administration Certificate and a full set of credentials that map to every tier of the state’s licensure structure.
A-State is a Carnegie R2 “High Research Activity” research university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and licensure programs within its College of Education & Behavioral Science are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The programs are taught by people who have held these jobs: Dr. Nicole Covey served 20 years in public school education, 12 of them as an administrator, and Dr. Jackie McBride was a K-12 teacher, principal and superintendent from 1969 to 2002.
Building-Level vs. District-Level Licensure Comparison
The table below compares scope, exams and prerequisites for all three tiers. These are Arkansas rules. If you plan to lead schools in another state, check that state’s department of education, because the tiers, exams and cut scores vary:
| License Tier | Scope and Typical Roles | Exam Required | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building-Level Administrator | A single school: principal, assistant principal and vice principal | SLLA (6990), Arkansas DESE passing score 151 | Teaching license, four years’ teaching experience, graduate degree, state-approved program with internship |
| Curriculum/Program Administrator | A specific program area across a school or district: special education, gifted and talented, career and technical education, or curriculum | SLLA (6990), Arkansas DESE passing score 151 | Same base requirements as Building-Level, specific to the program area |
| District-Level Administrator | An entire district: superintendent, assistant superintendent and deputy superintendent | SSA (6991), Arkansas DESE passing score 157 | Must already hold a current Building-Level or Curriculum/Program license, plus an advanced program of study |
The next three sections cover each tier in more detail, including who typically holds it and the exam it requires. Start with whichever tier matches the role you’re targeting, or read straight through to see how the three connect.
What a Building-Level License Actually Covers
A Building-Level Administrator license authorizes leadership of a single school, most commonly as a principal, assistant principal or vice principal. It is the credential most classroom teachers pursue first when they move into school leadership, and it is the license the Building-Level Administration Certificate is designed to prepare candidates for. Arkansas’s licensure assessment requirements, per the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), set the passing score for this license at 151 on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA), the same cut score used for the Curriculum/Program Administrator license described below.
A-State’s certificate prepares students for this license through eight courses totaling 18 credit hours, including a supervised internship focused on site-based management and the day-to-day responsibilities of a building leader. Because the program is designed for educators who already hold a graduate degree, it functions as a standalone add-on credential rather than a full second degree.
Where a Curriculum/Program Administrator License Fits
A Curriculum/Program Administrator license authorizes leadership of a specific program area, such as special education, gifted and talented education, or career and technical education, rather than a single school or an entire district. Curriculum directors, special education directors and gifted and talented directors typically hold this license. It uses the same SLLA exam and passing score as the Building-Level, but the scope and specialty focus of the credential differ.
Arkansas’s DESE recognizes six Curriculum/Program specialty areas: special education, gifted and talented education, career and technical education, adult education, content area specialist and curriculum specialist. A single district can have separate license holders for each area, which is why a school might have both a principal holding a Building-Level license and a curriculum director holding a Curriculum/Program license who both report to the same superintendent.
What a District-Level License Actually Covers
A District-Level Administrator license authorizes leadership of an entire district, most commonly as a superintendent, assistant superintendent or deputy superintendent. It sets a higher bar than the other two tiers. Candidates take the School Superintendent Assessment rather than the SLLA, with a passing score of 157, and the license and it builds on an advanced degree or program of study designed to district-level standards.
Important Note: District-Level Licensure Builds on the Other Two
A District-Level Administrator license cannot be a candidate’s first administrator credential. Arkansas’s Rules Governing Educator Licensure require candidates to hold a current Building-Level or Curriculum/Program Administrator license before they can pursue District-Level licensure. If you are planning a path toward a superintendent role, expect to earn one of the other two licenses first, not in parallel.
How A-State’s Credentials Match Each License Tier
For the Building-Level tier, A-State’s Building-Level Principal Administration Certificate is the most direct route if you already hold a master’s degree: 18 credit hours, $6,300 in total tuition and about 12 months, with an education-related master’s and at least two years of P-12 experience required for admission. Please note that this program information is current as of August 2026. For candidates who don’t yet hold a master’s degree, the Master of Science in Education (MSE) in Educational Leadership builds Building-Level licensure into a full master’s program. Candidates who already hold a master’s degree and want a deeper credential than the standalone certificate can pursue the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership, Principalship instead.
For the Curriculum/Program tier, A-State offers a matching certificate for each specialty: a Curriculum Director Certificate, a Special Education Director Certificate and a Gifted, Talented Director Certificate, each with a parallel Ed.S. track for candidates who want the credential built into a full graduate degree.
For the District-Level tier, the Ed.S., Superintendent and Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership are designed for candidates who already hold a Building-Level or Curriculum/Program license and are ready to move into district leadership. Every pathway, regardless of tier, runs on seven-week terms in fall and spring and five-week terms in summer and has the same flat rate of $350 per credit hour with all fees included, whether you live in Arkansas or out of state.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a building-level and a district-level administrator license?
A building-level license authorizes leadership of one school. A district-level license authorizes leadership of an entire district and requires that a building-level or curriculum/program license be held first.
What is a curriculum/program administrator license?
It is a third Arkansas administrator license, separate from building-level and district-level, that authorizes leadership of a specific program area, such as special education, gifted and talented education or career and technical education.
Do I need a building-level license before I can get a district-level license?
Yes. Arkansas rule requires candidates to hold a current building-level or curriculum/program administrator license before they can pursue a district-level license.
Is a principal license the same as a superintendent license?
No. A principal license is a building-level license, scoped to a single school. A superintendent license is a district-level license, scoped to an entire district, and requires a different, higher-scoring exam.
What exam do I need to pass for a building-level vs. a district-level license?
Building-level and curriculum/program candidates take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, with a passing score of 151. District-level candidates take the School Superintendent Assessment, with a passing score of 157.
Building-Level, Curriculum/Program and District-Level administrator licenses each open a different set of roles, and A-State offers a matching credential for every one of them. Whichever license tier fits your next move, the clearest starting point is A-State’s online Building-Level Administration Certificate program page, where you can see current tuition, term dates and admission requirements.
Request information about A-State’s online Building-Level Administration Certificate program today.