Diverging Paths to the Principalship: The Growth of Waiver and Test-Only Credentials in California

WestEd. 730 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107-1242. Tel: 877-493-7833; Tel: 415-565-3000; Fax: 415-565-3012; Web site: http://www.wested.org

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Principals; Credentials; Alternative Teacher Certification; Administrator Qualifications; Certification; Management Development; Administrator Education; Administrators; Educational Policy; State Policy; Educational Change; Career Pathways; Educational Attainment; Enrollment Trends; Educational Trends

This paper examines California's increasingly divided system for preparing principals and other administrative leaders, highlighting the tension between strengthened, practice-based performance standards and the rapid rise of alternative entry routes such as emergency waivers and the test-only CPACE pathway. It further shows how these less-comprehensive routes now account for 62% of new administrative credentials, reshaping a credential landscape that has remained stable in volume but shifted sharply in structure. The analysis underscores how this bifurcation challenges the consistency and quality of administrator preparation, raises fairness concerns for students, and expands the burden on induction and district supports to ensure that leaders are adequately prepared.

As Provided

2026

ED677574