Texas Principal Leadership Academy

Rigorous Candidate Selection Process

Requirements:

• Recommendation from current principal
• Leadership experience in school or district
• Displays qualities of an effective and equitable school leader
• Teacher certificate and a minimum of 2 years teaching experience
• Successful completion of the Assessment Center—a data presentation, interview and teacher evaluation session

Teacher-Leaders as Administrative Interns

Students must be employed in a district with a certified principal who will serve as a principal supervisor while the student is in the program to ensure the successful completion of the program and principal certification requirements.

To be eligible for the principal certification exam, students must:

• Meet with their principal and UT Field Supervisor in the first few weeks of the fall semester of their internship course to discuss and plan leadership opportunities and clinical experiences.
• Complete 160 internship hours, 80 hours in the fall semester and 80 hours in the spring semester.
• Complete three formal and six informal observations with their UT Field Supervisor in the fall and spring semesters.
• Comply with all TEA-required forms and class assignments.

Students will apply the leadership skills learned during the program on their campus, access their campus data to determine student and teacher needs, and lead campus professional development and professional learning communities to demonstrate leadership contributions that impact school improvement in collaboration with their principal.

If a student loses their position with the school district, the student is responsible for finding new employment and/or a certified campus principal supervisor. If not, this may lead to dismissal of the program. Enrolled students who do not meet program expectations, certification requirements, or do not comply with the Texas Code of Ethics may be dismissed from the program.

Cohort Structure

Candidates are part of a cohort of learners committed to improving student outcomes and school systems through equitable and effective school leadership.

Practical Experience Through Collaborative Inquiry

Candidates conduct inquiry projects to gain practical experience in collecting, analyzing, and making equity-centered decisions about data to improve student outcomes. These projects can be applied to their current school settings, and are aimed at eliminating educational inequities and opportunity gaps for all students, especially those who have been traditionally underserved.

Students will conduct:

• a collaborative case study of a school as a cohort
• an equity audit
• a community-based equity audit of their individual school/community setting

District-Specific Curricula

The Leadership Academy co-develops rigorous learning modules and curricula with our district partners to ensure candidates are learning content relevant for their school districts and schools.

Multi-Tiered Levels of Support

TPLA students are supported by a team of strong teacher-leaders, including a faculty advisor, a principal supervisor from their home district and a UT field supervisor. The roles and responsibilities of each are provided in the TPLA Handbook, Principal Certification Portfolio Checklist. Students will also review this information further during their first meeting with the principal and the field supervisor. The roles and responsibilities are also reviewed at the Information Session presented to candidates.

The core curriculum and values of the Texas Principal Leadership Academy (TPLA) are to prepare equity-minded, socially just school leaders who:

• Develop capacity for equitable teaching and learning practices
• Advocate for and ensure equitable support systems for all
• Foster a school culture that values inclusiveness, diversity and cultural proficiency
• Build executive leaders to promote ethical policies and practices
• Partner authentically and equitably with families and communities
• Understand self, community and political context to navigate equity issues

Important Notice

This program requires additional materials beyond the Graduate School Application, including pre-requisites, program-specific documents and other information. Check with the graduate coordinator to ensure you have submitted all required application materials on or before the deadline.

Program Application Pre-requisites

All applicants must be certified to teach and have a minimum of two years of teaching experience before entering the program.

A nomination form must be submitted before beginning the formal application. The nomination deadline is December 15. Interested individuals may self-nominate, though it is preferred that nominees be recommended by a school, district or university leader who is familiar with the nominee’s work.

General Graduate School Application Requirements

All graduate students are required to apply to the Graduate School. We strongly encourage you to start this process well in advance of the deadline to allow us time to process your information.

All requirements must be received by the January 15 application deadline, including: 

• Completed application. This program starts in the Summer semester only, so be sure to select “Summer” in the application.
• 3 Letters of Reference (one must be from current supervisor)
• Statement of Purpose
• GRE scores
• Official Transcripts
• Your resume in TPLA Format as required by the Texas Education Agency (template included in our Application Checklist) must be uploaded to your graduate school application via the MyStatus page. This may be done 24-48 hours after submitting the initial application.
• An unofficial copy of your District Service Record.

Applicants also must comply with all UT-Austin Graduate School application requirements.

Program Application Fee

Mail the $50 Program Application Fee* (check or money order ONLY – no cash) to 
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, ATTN: ELP Accounting
The University of Texas at Austin, SZB 348
1912 Speedway, D5400
Austin, TX 78712-0374 
**Candidate name and UT EID must be indicated on the check or money order**

*Proceeds may be used in general support of the College of Education. Please note this is separate and in addition to the UT Austin Graduate School fee.

September – November

Nominations accepted for the next TPLA Program Cohort. Please remember you must be nominated as part of the application process. 

Take the GRE exam unless you have a valid score from an exam taken within the last five years.

Background Check: Please be aware that all university students who assist in K-12 classrooms as part of their university requirements must submit to a criminal history background check that is required by participating school districts. 

October – November

Work on your application! Information about the Graduate School, Department, and Program application requirements can be found on How to Apply.

December

Mandatory Application Information Sessions will address program requirements and answer nominee questions. Candidates must register to attend one session. Information session dates TBD. Check with program directors Debra Cantu or Terrance Green.

Financial Aid information and the FAFSA application are available online. Apply for Financial Aid Now!

Nomination Forms are due November 30.

January

Submit your FAFSA by January 15.

Submit ALL required application materials by January 15.

February

Assessment Center: Selected candidates will be invited to participate in an assessment center conducted by Principalship Program faculty and local leaders in education as part of the program selection process on Saturday, February 4, 2023. The assessment center may consist of several components such as a candidate interview, a data prompt presentation, and an observation/role-play exercise. Invitations will be sent to selected candidates at the end of January.

March – April

Official Notifications sent to candidates from the Graduate Advisor and from the Graduate School.

End of April: Acceptance deadline for new students. Candidates will be asked to submit a formal letter of acceptance to the graduate advisor by the end of the month.

Transition Camp for incoming admitted Principalship Program Cohort Members. All students are expected to attend this weekend session. Program directors will provide dates and details.

June

Classes begin in Austin.

Questions? Email one of the TPLA Co-Directors, Debra Cantu or Terrance Green.

Download our Application Checklist

All students must complete the degree requirements below regardless of previous higher education experience. Our classes may be taken on the UT Austin campus on weekends, online and on-site at students’ internship partner campuses.

Summer I: June – August (15 credit hours)

Summer Session I – 9 credit hours

• ELP 684E Public School Leadership
• ELP 394K Special Ed: Procedures and Process for Admin

Summer Session II – 6 credit hours

• ELP 384P Principalship
• ELP 394K ELL/Topics in Bilingual Education

Fall Semester: August – December (10 credit hours)

• ELP 384T School Improvement: Instructional Leadership
• ELP 384Q Leading for Equity and Justice in K-12 Schools
• ELP 384D Administration of the Individual School: Elementary & Secondary
• ELP 183N Internship – Requires a certified principal to serve as an intern’s supervisor

Spring Semester: January – May (10 credit hours)

• ELP 384L School Law
• ELP 384R School, Family, Community Engagement
• ELP 384D Administration of the Individual School: Elementary & Secondary
• ELP 183N Internship – Requires a certified principal to serve as an intern’s supervisor

Download the Program Plan Worksheet

Students will be recommended for the principal certification exam required by the Texas Education Agency upon successful completion of the program. Students will take the exam on their own time while enrolled in the program and are responsible for all exam fees. 

The Texas Principal Leadership Academy builds on our long legacy and commitment to preparing high-quality and effective leaders for a variety of schooling contexts. Our history means The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education is uniquely suited to prepare teacher-leaders for education’s current opportunities and challenges.

For more than 50 years, the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy has offered programs for executive leaders, anchored by the highly selective CSP and TPLA programs. These programs consistently rank among the top 10 programs for Educational Administration and Supervision, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Both programs work jointly to develop a unified vision for school leadership. Many school districts across Texas are led by graduates of these programs. 

Our curriculum is evidence-based, and we draw from the research and discovery of our highly acclaimed faculty who are not only experts in their fields but also partners within the communities they study and serve. Our program addresses both the individual needs of program candidates as well as the needs of their schools and communities.

We are committed to education.  We have created TPLA with an even stronger focus on training school leaders in partnership with school districts.

• Certification requirements from the Texas Education Agency
• Educational Leadership and Policy Wiki
• Frequently Asked Questions