What does a high school assistant principal do?
The High School Assistant Principal handles the educational growth of all enrolled students. They provide help to the principal in all administrative duties and molds students' behavior. Included in the tasks are instilling discipline in the youth and readying them to face the world upon graduation. Other tasks are organizing activities, instructor and teacher scheduling, subject, and other extracurricular activities. It is also the Assistant Principal's job to take the helm once the principal is absent or unable to perform duties.
High school assistant principal responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real high school assistant principal resumes:
- Facilitate teacher lead PBIS committee to implement effective school wide discipline campaigns and activities for students.
- Co-Design kindergarten readiness program that will bring in-home and wrap around services to academically at-risk kindergarten students.
- Provide effective oversight of the distribution and accuracy of report cards, course credits and transcripts.
- Provide oversight for all content areas, with special focus on history, math, and special education.
- Result in international interest in available ESL programs.
High school assistant principal skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of High School Assistant Principals are proficient in Professional Development, Curriculum Development, and Professional Growth. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Decision-making skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of High School Assistant Principals that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Professional Development, 9%
Developed comprehensive professional development calendar.
- Curriculum Development, 7%
Assisted with curriculum development and other related matters.
- Professional Growth, 6%
Engaged in professional growth and demonstrates professional ethics and effective leadership.
- Instructional Program, 6%
Assisted and assumed leadership role in the administration of instructional programs and in the implementation of educational activities
- Support Services, 5%
Established articulation with public and private sector support services for lifelong learning opportunities for students.
- Student Discipline, 5%
Maintained student discipline and scheduling.
Most high school assistant principals use their skills in "professional development," "curriculum development," and "professional growth" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential high school assistant principal responsibilities here:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a high school assistant principal to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "principals must communicate effectively with students, teachers, and parents." Additionally, a high school assistant principal resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "assisted the principal in school supervision, behavior/classroom management, professional development, and parent/district collaboration and communication. "
Decision-making skills. Another essential skill to perform high school assistant principal duties is decision-making skills. High school assistant principals responsibilities require that "because principals are responsible for students, staff, and the overall operation of the school, they consider many factors when making decisions." High school assistant principals also use decision-making skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide opportunities for individual and collaborative teams to analyze student data to make informed instructional decisions that impact student performance. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of high school assistant principals is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday high school assistant principal duties, as "principals work with teachers, parents, and superintendents and must develop positive working relationships with them." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "counseled students in improving academic performance, health and interpersonal relations. "
Leadership skills. high school assistant principal responsibilities often require "leadership skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "principals set educational goals and establish policies and procedures for the school." This resume example shows what high school assistant principals do with leadership skills on a typical day: "continue professional development to increase leadership skills and information to help students succeed. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for high school assistant principal responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of high school assistant principals all the time, as "teachers, students, and other staff report problems to the principal." An excerpt from a real high school assistant principal resume shows how this skill is central to what a high school assistant principal does: "collaborated with fellow teachers to share ideas and solutions as to train teacher aide in classroom management skills. "
The three companies that hire the most high school assistant principals are:
- Denver Public Schools3 high school assistant principals jobs
- Wayne RESA3 high school assistant principals jobs
- Paulding County High School2 high school assistant principals jobs
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Compare different high school assistant principals
High school assistant principal vs. Curriculum director
Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects. They also supervise school administrators or principals and are responsible for hiring and guiding them. Superintendents should be familiar with their constituents and must always be ready to listen to their needs. It is important that superintendents are good decision-makers and communicators. They are expected to lead their respective districts in achieving their vision. Superintendents drive the team towards their goals and create strategic steps to ensure success.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between high school assistant principals and curriculum director. For instance, high school assistant principal responsibilities require skills such as "professional development," "support services," "student discipline," and "school administration." Whereas a curriculum director is skilled in "professional development workshops," "k-12," "child care," and "language arts." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Curriculum directors really shine in the non profits industry with an average salary of $63,521. Comparatively, high school assistant principals tend to make the most money in the education industry with an average salary of $82,635.On average, curriculum directors reach lower levels of education than high school assistant principals. Curriculum directors are 10.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.High school assistant principal vs. Superintendent
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, high school assistant principal responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "curriculum development," "professional growth," "instructional program," and "support services." Meanwhile, a superintendent has duties that require skills in areas such as "osha," "quality standards," "construction management," and "logistics." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, superintendents earn a lower salary than high school assistant principals. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, superintendents earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $85,679. Whereas high school assistant principals have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $82,635.In general, superintendents achieve lower levels of education than high school assistant principals. They're 31.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.High school assistant principal vs. Director of physical education
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from high school assistant principal resumes include skills like "professional growth," "instructional program," "support services," and "student discipline," whereas a director of physical education is more likely to list skills in "physical education curriculum," "student athletes," "physical education," and "k-12. "
Most directors of physical education achieve a lower degree level compared to high school assistant principals. For example, they're 18.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.High school assistant principal vs. Director of special services
Types of high school assistant principal
Updated January 8, 2025
