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New standards complete the educator career ladder, providing high-quality, funded pathways from entry-level tutoring to school leadership

BROOKLYN, N.Y., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire-ÌÇÐÄVlog/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approved the National Guideline Standards (NGS) for K–12 Principal Apprenticeship Programs, a project led by and a coalition of leading education organizations. This landmark framework provides states and school districts with a formal roadmap to develop high-quality, registered apprenticeship pathways, ensuring school leaders are prepared to anchor the next generation of the educator pipeline.

Developed through the , the Principal NGS builds on the success of the previously established K–12 Teacher Apprenticeship standards, which helped expand teacher apprenticeships across the nation. This new framework establishes a recognized, scalable model for school leadership that combines rigorous on-the-job learning with related technical instruction, completing a vital link in the educator career ladder.

"The release of these National Guideline Standards marks a pivotal shift in how we prepare school leaders and sustain the educator workforce," said Erin More, CEO of . "By establishing a national framework for principal apprenticeships, we are not only strengthening the leadership pipeline but also ensuring that aspiring principals, regardless of their background, have an accessible and funded path to school leadership that values their expertise from day one."

The Principal NGS is designed to help states and districts create a sustainable flow of highly prepared leaders who are ready to meet the unique challenges of modern K–12 schools and to support the retention of the teachers they lead. It also aims to remove financial and structural barriers to leadership roles for candidates through an "earn-while-you-learn" model that reflects the communities they serve. Leadership programs now have a clear pathway to access federal apprenticeship and workforce development funding streams that are sustainable over the long-term.

To facilitate the adoption of these standards, the Pathways Alliance and its partners provide resources for state education agencies, school districts, and higher education institutions to design and register their own programs. This includes work with three states and two districts, funded by the Wallace Foundation, to expand current apprenticeship offerings for principals and the development and release of PAL, a state-of-the-art chatbot assistant trained on vetted resources, to provide evidence-backed, research-based resources to the sector for free. These resources will help stakeholders navigate the registration process with the U.S. Department of Labor and ensure programs meet the high bar set by the national standards.

To learn more about the National Guideline Standards for K–12 Principal Apprenticeships and how to begin implementation, visit .

About the Pathways Alliance

, led by InnovateEDU, is an uncommon coalition of leading education organizations dedicated to supporting and implementing quality, sustainable, and diverse educator preparation pipelines, including teacher residency programs and apprenticeships. Now more than ever, effective and affordable education preparation programs and pathways are essential for teachers, schools, and students. We're working together to make this possible.

Principal Apprenticeship Working Group Members

The development of the National Guideline Standards was led by co-chairs from the Learning Policy Institute and ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers' College. This effort was supported by a robust coalition of national leadership and policy organizations, including: AACTE, AIR, CCSSO, Deans for Impact, Education Commission of the States (ECS), Education Counsel, the Education Leadership Network/EdCounsel, Elevate 215, NAESP, NASSP, the National Center for Teacher Residencies, New Leaders, and Public Impact; research partners such as the CEEDAR Center (University of Florida), Educator Registered Apprenticeships (RTI–ERA), the NYS Educator Workforce Development HUB, Prepared to Teach, and RTI International; as well as several higher education institutions, including Austin Peay State University, the Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Washington, Colorado State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Western Kentucky University.

Media Contact

Jessica Duff, The Pathways Alliance, 1 501-319-4901, [email protected],

SOURCE The Pathways Alliance