(a)(1) Beginning January 1, 2008, every school or system leader shall meet the continuing professional education requirements of section 1205.2¹ through participation in programs approved in accordance with this section.

(2) For any school or system leader who serves in both administrative and nonadministrative positions during a compliance period as defined in section 1205.2, the school or system leader's continuing professional education requirements shall be earned in programs approved in accordance with this section in no less than the same proportion as the proportion of the compliance period during which the school or system leader served on an administrative certificate or letter of eligibility.

(c)(1) The Department of Education shall design and offer continuing professional education programs at no cost to school or system leaders who are required by this section to participate and at no cost to their employer school entities.

(2) In the event that school or system leaders are unable to access these programs because all available slots are filled, the school or system leader may request and shall be granted upon review by the department an extension of the compliance period.

(h)(1) Beginning on the effective date of this subsection,³ the requirements of subsections (a), (c) and (d) shall be suspended until June 30, 2013.

(2) Notwithstanding this subsection, the provisions of sections 1003(a)(3) and (c) and 1207.1(d)(1)(iv)⁴ requiring that candidates for appointment as a district superintendent or assistant district superintendent and candidates for administrative and career and technical director certificates complete a leadership development program that meets the Pennsylvania school leadership standards under section 1217 shall not be suspended.