Professional Administrative Certificate or Provisional Administrative Certificate

The Professional Administrative Certificate is valid for five (5) years. 

If you have not completed the Evaluation Leadership Institute and/or are not currently employed as an administrator, you may be granted a Professional Provisional Administrative Certificate until all requirements below are met.

Candidate Requirements

Form 19 requires an official recommendation from a designated official from your college or university.  If you are employed by a county school system, it also requires an official recommendation from the Superintendent. If you are not employed by a county school system, you must also submit Form 4B. 

General Requirements

To apply, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or hold eligible documentation (see Policy 5202, Minimum Requirements for the Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel and Advanced Salary Classifications)
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be physically, mentally, and emotionally qualified
• Have successfully completed a West Virginia college or university's state-approved educational leadership program
• Have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Have a minimum of three (3) years of management level or teaching experience
• Have passing grades on all West Virginia Board of Education required exams for the requested certificate and endorsement area
• Have successfully completed the Evaluation Leadership Institute (ELI) in evaluation skills approved by the West Virginia Board of Education (includes online ELI and in-person ELI after being hired).

To send official transcripts to our office, please have your college or university email them to cert.transcripts.wvde@k12.wv.us. Transcripts must be received from the college or university, not the applicant.

Application Instructions

Form 19 must be completed online. If this is your first time using our Certification Portal, you will need to register. Follow the instructions for first-time applicants.

1. Log in to the portal and select apply for licensure, the license type, and the certification.
2. Fill in the applicant information and attach any required documentation. You will need to provide personal information, such as your name and address, respond to legal disclosure questions, and indicate the county where you're employed, if applicable. You will also need to select the WV college or university that will recommend you for your certificate. Please note that you may need to submit documentation verifying your education and experience.
3. Submit the application.
4. Your application will go to your college or university for approval. It will also be sent to your county, if you are employed in the West Virginia school system. Following school and county approval, you will receive an email for payment. Log back in to the portal to pay the application fee.
5. If you are not employed, the "pay now" button will appear on your dashboard, and you will be able to pay immediately.
6. Following the receipt of the application by the Office of Certification, you will receive an email with instructions for completing your background check.
7. When your background check is complete and your application is approved, you will receive an email with instructions to download your certificate. You may follow the status of your application on the Certification Portal or by checking the Application Status feature.

User Guides

• Applicant User Guide - Form 19
• College or University User Guide - Form 19
• County User Guide - Form 19

$35