Principal Eligibility Process Overview

• Candidates must submit the following in the online application

  • Personal and contact information 

  • Education and employment history

  • PDF version of their resume

As part of the online application, candidates must complete the Principal Readiness Self-Assessment*, which consists of:

• • A checklist of experiences that candidates have had outside of the classroom

  • Two written descriptions of experiences, including: 

    • • One written experience aligned to Domain 1:  Component C - Continuous Improvement

      • One written experience aligned to Domain 2:  Component B - Instructional Strategies

      • Each description is no more than 500 words

      • The candidates' supervisor(s) will verify the experiences. Candidate must provide contact information for supervisor.

  • (Optional) Two written descriptions of experiences or abilities, including:

    • • One written description aligned to Domain 3 (applicant chooses component)

      • One written description aligned to Domain 4 (applicant chooses component)

      • Each description is no more than 500 words

      • These experiences/ability descriptions will not be verified by the supervisor

      • This activity is optional but encouraged to aid candidates in self-reflection 

NOTES: 

• Candidates who qualify for the Abbreviated Principal Eligibility Process will not be required to complete the Self-Assessment.  These candidates may select to complete the Self-Assessment to obtain the feedback report. However, they will not be required to have their essays verified. 

• Candidates reattempting the process within the previous 12 months will not complete the Self-Assessment.

• Employment Verification

  • • For external employees, CPS will contact the candidate's supervisor or organization to verify the candidate's employment

    • For internal employees, CPS will use internal mechanisms to verify employment

• Performance Evaluations

  • • The candidate's two most recent end-of-year performance evaluations within the last four years are "proficient" or higher (or equivalent for external candidates). Alternatively, the organization/supervisor can attest that the organization did not give two years of evaluations within the last four years and provide any performance evaluations given to the candidate within that timeframe

      • For external employees, CPS will contact the candidate's supervisor or organization to verify the candidate's employment

      • For internal employees, CPS will use internal mechanisms to verify employment

• Fingerprinting Completed

  • •  All candidates, regardless of their employment status or the recency of being fingerprinting, must complete fingerprinting to begin the background check

      • Internal 

• Discipline/Misconduct 

  • • CPS has received the candidate's discipline/misconduct record or letter confirming that the candidate does not have any discipline or misconduct on record**

• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Credentials

  • • Candidates must demonstrate they have an active ISBE Professional Educator License and meet one of the following criteria: 

      • Holds valid Administrative Endorsement (Principal, General Administrative, or Supervisor) 

      • The candidate is in the last credit-bearing academic term towards licensure which is verified through CPS;

      • The candidate is a current participant in Pathway 2 or Pathway 3 of the Chicago Leadership Collaborative (CLC)

Candidates must meet the following requirements to proceed to Step 2 of the Process:

• •  The candidate elected to proceed to the Step 2 On-Site Assessment after reviewing the self-assessment feedback, if applicable*

  • The candidate's supervisor(s) verified the Domain 1 and 2 experiences written as part of the Principal Self-Assessment Readiness Survey.

  • The candidate's two most recent end-of-year performance evaluations within the last four years are "proficient" or higher (or equivalent for external candidates). Alternatively, the organization/supervisor can attest that the organization did not give two years of evaluations within the last four years and provide any performance evaluations given to the candidate within that timeframe**

  •  The Candidate completed fingerprinting to begin the background check conducted through the Office of Safety and Security

  • CPS verified the candidate's employment

  • CPS received the candidate's discipline/misconduct record or letter confirming that the candidate does not have any discipline or misconduct on record (for external candidates)

  • CPS verified the status of the candidate's ISBE credentials (Professional Educator License) and  one of the following: 

    • The candidate holds a valid ISBE Administrator Endorsement (Principal, General Administrator, or Supervisor);

1. • • The candidate is in the last credit-bearing academic term toward their Administrative Endorsement;

     • The candidate is a current participant in Pathway 2 or Pathway 3 of the Chicago Leadership Collaborative (CLC)

* Candidates who qualify for the Abbreviated Principal Eligibility Process or who are reattempting the process at Step 2 will not be required to complete the Self-Assessment.  

**Current CPS employees will have their information verified internally.