Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

High school principal skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Hamlet Hernandez,

Nathan Boles

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical high school principal skills. We ranked the top skills for high school principals based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.6% of high school principal resumes contained student achievement as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a high school principal needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 high school principal skills for your resume and career

1. Student Achievement

Here's how high school principals use student achievement:

Coordinated student achievement and program assessment and created placement process for incoming junior high students.
Oriented new staff members; assisted with/monitored development to increase student achievement.

2. Curriculum Development

Here's how high school principals use curriculum development:

Create schedules, curriculum development, facility logistics and emergency procedures.
Assisted with scheduling, programming and curriculum development.

3. Staff Development

Here's how high school principals use staff development:

Analyzed student performance as basis for curriculum improvement and staff development; oversaw and directed faculty.
Supervised, and evaluated staff; provided appropriate staff development activities to ensure job effectiveness.

4. Instructional Program

Here's how high school principals use instructional program:

Observed and supervised all faculty to improve instructional program.
Monitor all instructional programs and extracurricular offerings.

5. Professional Growth

Professional growth refers to gaining more skills and work knowledge that helps you reach an objective in your career. This can be achieved by learning to earn/maintain professional credentials like academic degrees, formal projects, attending conferences, and utilising informal learning opportunities. This gives one candidate a better chance to distinguish themselves over others.

Here's how high school principals use professional growth:

Assisted in developing and monitoring an in-service program which meets the needs for professional growth.
Conducted teacher observations, wrote detailed evaluations, and assisted staff in developing measurable professional growth goals.

6. Student Learning

Here's how high school principals use student learning:

Incorporated common school-wide instructional strategies to support optimal student learning.
Implemented Common Core, APPR and Student Learning Objectives and processes for faculty and staff supervision and evaluation.

Choose from 10+ customizable high school principal resume templates

Build a professional high school principal resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your high school principal resume.

7. Professional Development

Professional development means to have the essential training certification or education with the purpose of earning and having a successful career. Every job requires a different set of skills. However, new skills may be needed in the future. Professional development, in this regard, helps people to develop and polish the skills and become efficient workers.

Here's how high school principals use professional development:

Delivered school-wide professional development workshops on such topics as data-driven instruction and department-wide training on such topics as backwards curriculum mapping.
Created and conducted professional development for teaching techniques, creating effective assessments, and using assessments for improved performance.

8. Classroom Management

Here's how high school principals use classroom management:

Coached teachers on effective classroom management tools and techniques.
Attend a variety of professional development workshops centered on learning goals, classroom management, student motivation and engaging learning activities.

9. School Administration

Here's how high school principals use school administration:

Communicate goals, policies and procedures between school administration, students, teachers, parents, and the local community.
Worked with Chester County Middle College High School Administration for school merger.

10. Learning Environment

Here's how high school principals use learning environment:

Fostered a collaborative learning environment and provided exemplary leadership to all students and faculty.
fostered a learning environment that encouraged students to develop and fulfill their full academic potential.

11. Public Schools

Public schools are available for everyone. They are funded and controlled by the government. With state guidance, each school board determines the curricula, finances, and jobs for schools within its borders. The government also decides on academic standards and standardised tests.

Here's how high school principals use public schools:

Project superintendent responsible for construction, commissioning and project close out of public schools and educational facilities.
Represented Alexandria City Public Schools in multiple teacher recruitment events.

12. Board Policies

Here's how high school principals use board policies:

Monitored and implemented board policies, administrative procedures and school budget.
Conducted school district business and activities in accordance with board policies and procedures, and state and federal policies.

13. Master Schedule

A master schedule determines when specific products are formed when customer orders are filled, and if the system is equipped to manufacture more in case the customer demands. The purpose of a master schedule is to monitor, schedule, and deliver transformation, at the designated time and in the desired condition. It ensures proper time management, quality management, and scheduling work breakdown components.

Here's how high school principals use master schedule:

Altered master schedule to incorporate SAT preparation program for mathematics, critical reading and writing components.
Developed a plan of action for administration of state assessment while monitoring Master Schedule.

14. K-12

K12 is a term that incldues all 12 years of education in the US education system. It includes the education offered at the primary stage, middle stage, and secondary stage. It includes children of ages as young as 5 to 18 years. The grades included in K12 are Kindergarten, the initial 5 stages, grades 6 to 8, and 9 to 12. This system is followed specifically followed in the US and may vary in other countries.

Here's how high school principals use k-12:

Served as the High School Principal and Director of Admissions for East Wake Academy's K-12 student population of 1100.
Facilitated school s change in Phase III budgeting and spending (K-12 Phase III committee).

15. Community Relations

Community Relations refers to the relationship-building strategies companies use with surrounding communities. These relationships are often mutually-beneficial, where a company will support local organizations and communities and receive a stronger customer basis. This differs from public relations, as the focus of community relations is building relationships and goodwill within a community rather than presenting a company's work to the public.

Here's how high school principals use community relations:

Developed and implemented effective community relationships to increase enrollment and expand brand of school.
Partnered with Circle K to help develop stronger community relations.

5 High School Principal resume examples

Build a professional high school principal resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your high school principal resume.

Create my resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help High School Principals find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What high school principal skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Hamlet Hernandez

Assistant Teaching Professor of Education, Website

This is difficult question to answer. If money is your driver, you may be frustrated. Clearly having a Sixth-Year
diploma in education is much more marketable than simply having the 092 certification. It is my hope that the
demos see the great value of and connection to, education has on a thriving democracy. Recognizing this
importance may result in higher wages but it may not....do the right thing, for the right reasons, and the right
way and you will be rewarded intrinsically and maybe even monetarily.

What type of skills will young high school principals need?

Nathan Boles

Assistant Professor of INS (Intervention Specialist) Program, Central State University

The current state of our country, due to COVID-19, will be a challenge for current and future graduates from the college of education. Rethinking and revising how instruction can be delivered to students, especially those with disabilities, has been one of the main topics for providing a safe learning environment. Graduates will need to have the tenacity to face various challenges that our local schools face during virtual learning and classroom changes.

Creativity, flexibility, and being a system thinker is imperative for young graduates entering the workforce. Having the ability to make critical adjustments to their mental models for creating a conducive and productive learning environment for their students is crucial. Recent and future graduates who have or will obtain their teaching license must understand and empathize with their teaching students, how our country's condition has had a tremendous effect on the families of the students they will be serving. Being a highly qualified teacher (HQT) in the specific content area is vital, but using technology and different learning management systems (LMS) will be of great importance to the schools they serve.

What technical skills for a high school principal stand out to employers?

Marie Leahy

Associate Professor, Chestnut Hill College

The suddenness of the onset of the pandemic made all employers realize that it is absolutely critical for their workers to be able to mobilize quickly and adapt to an entirely new situation with relative ease. Recent graduates in the field of education will need to be able to use Microsoft Office and be able to use interactive whiteboards and maintain a classroom website. In addition, they will need to be able to utilize learning management systems, live streaming, and document cameras/visual presenters. Each school/district has its own learning management system, but if someone is experienced in using a learning management system, then getting accustomed to a different one is pretty seamless. The same is true for live streaming services and document cameras/visual presenters.

What soft skills should all high school principals possess?

Colleen Wilkinson

Associate Professor, Program Director, Medaille College

Teaching is not a silo profession. We are in constant communication and collaboration with many stakeholders. Teacher Candidates need to be flexible in order to work well with all the different players in the game to make sure the student wins!

Do you want to know more?

List of high school principal skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a high school principal resume and required skills for a high school principal to have include:

Student Achievement
Curriculum Development
Staff Development
Instructional Program
Professional Growth
Student Learning
Professional Development
Classroom Management
School Administration
Learning Environment
Public Schools
Board Policies
Master Schedule
K-12
Community Relations
Student Performance

Educational Programs
Leadership
Data Analysis
Strategic Plan
Student Discipline
Mathematics
Professional Learning Communities
Student Body
Colleges
Academic Achievement
Instructional Practices
IEP
Test Scores
Academic Performance
Student Attendance
Academic Programs

Student Data
Standardized Testing
Oversight
RTI
School Management
Accreditation Process
Blended Learning
Social Studies
Student Enrollment
Fine Arts
IB
Fiscal Management
Course Offerings
Progress Monitoring
Child Left Behind

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs