State certification requirement are both an area of needed improvement and a vehicle for reform. A study was conducted to inventory the requirements for state certification of superintendents, to identify the similarities and differences between and among the states, and to compare the current status of superintendent certification to recommendations for improving the preservice preparation of school administrators. Requests for a detailed explanation of superintendent certification requirements were sent to the chief certification officers at state departments of education in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The response rate was 100 percent. The results indicated that no two states had exactly the same standards for the certification of superintendents; however, categories of requirements common to many states were identified from an analysis of the documents provided by the state education agencies. Specifically: (1) 41 states required the completion of a specific graduate degree as a requirement for certification of superintendents; (2) 22 states reported a specific number of graduate hours required for certification; (3) 38 state education agencies identified specific course requirements; and (4) only 26 of the 51 departments of education required a specific number of years of classroom experience. A discussion of the results is included. (15 references) (KM)