School Principal I to IV: Promotion Under the ECP

Under DepEd’s Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System, a teacher becomes School Principal I in one of two ways: by applying for a vacant principal item, or by having his or her own position reclassified. Assistant School Principal II and Head Teacher VI incumbents may instead be retitled. For reclassification, DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025 lists who may move up to School Principal I: Master Teacher I and II, and, only during the transition period, Assistant School Principals I and II and Head Teachers I to VI (Form No. 1-B). Every applicant must meet the qualification standards in DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025 and hold at least a Very Satisfactory rating. A first appointment as principal also requires passing the DepEd-administered school head assessment (DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 13). That assessment, the NQESH, has been renamed the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) (DM 069, s. 2025, para. 1). The NASH reports competency levels, not a pass or fail (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 5). The division’s selection board scores applicants out of 100 points, with no cut-off. Under DO 034, s. 2025, principals moving up to School Principal II, III or IV no longer need the assessment or its Certificate of Rating (para. 16), though the Joint Circular that DBM applies still lists both (Sec. 7.5.2.4; Form No. 1-B).

The steps below are as of October 31, 2026. Two conflicts run through them. DepEd memoranda processed teachers-in-charge for School Principal I and let School Principal I incumbents apply for School Principal IV. The Joint Circular’s Form 1-B lists neither move: it names no teacher-in-charge or Teacher I to VII position as a source for School Principal I, and it lists School Principal I as a source for School Principal II and III only. School Principal V is in Republic Act No. 12288 but is not yet in use.

In what follows, “the JC” is DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025; “DM 0802” is Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802 (March 13, 2026); “the FAQ” is DepEd’s ECP FAQs (Annex A to DM-OUHROD-2025-3003, updated November 6, 2025); and “the HRMPSB” is the division’s Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board.

Key findings

• Four positions, one item per school. School Principal I to IV are salary grades (SG) 19 to 22 (DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Sec. 12). “One (1) School Principal item, regardless of position title or level, shall be authorized for every unique school (i.e., school with School ID)” (Sec. 28).
• Form 1-B names who may be reclassified to School Principal I. It lists Master Teacher I (SG 18) and II (SG 19), plus Assistant School Principals I–II and Head Teachers I–VI (SG 14 to 19) “only … within the 3-year transition period”, which ends February 24, 2028. No Teacher I to VII position and no teacher-in-charge appears (JC, Form No. 1-B, PDF p. 48; DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Sec. 31).
• For teachers-in-charge, the memos went further than the JC. In DepEd’s HRMO–TCE checkpoint deck of November 20, 2025, 914 head teachers, assistant principals and teachers-in-charge processed for School Principal under DepEd’s 2025 memoranda were listed as pending DBM approval (p. 43). In March 2026 DBM had still not approved them (DM 0802, Sec. II(1)). The JC governs.
• First appointments need the assessment; DepEd exempts sitting principals. DO 034 exempts incumbent principals in four categories (para. 16); the FAQ lists three (DepEd ECP FAQs, updated November 6, 2025, Q14). The JC still lists the COR and a passer at every principal level (Sec. 7.5.2.4; Form No. 1-B).
• 100 points, no cut-off. Education, training and experience carry 30 points, performance 25, Outstanding Accomplishments 10, Application of Education 10, Application of Learning and Development 10, and Potential 15 (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 32). “For school principal positions, no cut-off scores will be applied” (FAQ, Q35).
• School Principal I to IV is a memo-level route. DM 0802 lets School Principal I incumbents apply to any of School Principal II to IV (Sec. V(4)). Form 1-B lists School Principal I as a source position for II and III only.
• School Principal V is law but not in use. RA 12288 adds it (Secs. 5 and 7) and its implementing rules put it at SG 23 (Sec. 5). DepEd targets its qualification standards for “Q1 of 2027” (DepEd orientation deck on funding strategies, August 24, 2026, p. 34).

The School Administration career line: School Principal I to IV

Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022 created the School Administration line of School Principal I to IV (Sec. 3). They are SG 19 to 22 (DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Sec. 12) and equivalent to Master Teacher II to V (EO 174, Sec. 4); see ECP Salary Grades for Teachers, MTs and Principals.

To advance to School Principal I, the implementing rules of EO 174 say the teacher must “(a) meet the CSC-approved QS for the position, (b) meet the desired proficiency level for school head as defined by the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), and (c) have passed the DepEd-administered school head assessment” (Sec. 17). The line starts at Master Teacher I: “Upon achieving the qualifications and proficiency level required for Master Teacher I under Section 2 hereof, a teacher may choose to pursue the Classroom Teaching Career Line or the School Administration Career Line” (EO 174, Sec. 6).

A teacher who goes on to Master Teacher II stays on the Classroom Teaching line (DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Sec. 23), and DO 024 allows a switch between lines “once” (Sec. 24), a limit EO 174 does not set (Sec. 6). A Master Teacher II who moves to School Principal I would then use that one switch, though no issuance says so in those words. DO 024 places School Principal I and II at PPSSH Career Stage II, III at Stage III and IV at Stage IV, and its Figure 1 shows Career Stage I, “Aspiring Principals”, beside SG 14 to 18 (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 22(b); Figure 1 under Sec. 18, PDF p. 12). The PPSSH was adopted by DO 024, s. 2020.

Two routes. School Administration applicants “may apply through natural vacancy or reclassification” (DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Sec. 22). Natural vacancy follows Enclosure No. 3 to DO 007, s. 2023, as amended; reclassification follows Enclosure No. 3 to DO 024. DepEd prefers the second: “Teachers and school leaders shall be promoted primarily through reclassification of position” (Sec. 20). Reclassification upgrades the item you already hold, applies “only … to incumbents of teaching and school head positions” (Encl. No. 3, Sec. 1), and pays the first step of the new grade (JC, Sec. 7.6.1.1).

Who can be reclassified to School Principal I

The JC’s Form No. 1-B, “Basis and Pre-requisites for Classification of School Principal Positions”, sets the source (“FROM”) positions for each level. The qualification requirements for each position are “specified in” Forms 1-A and 1-B (JC, Sec. 7.4.5), and the DBM regional office processes reclassifications from the regional Plantilla Allocation List under the JC (Sec. 7.5.3.2).

Source: DBM-DepEd JC No. 01, s. 2025, Form No. 1-B, PDF pp. 48–50.

The transition rows carry the footnote: “*Reclassification of Head Teacher and Assistant School Principal positions to School Principal positions shall only be allowed within the 3-year transition period (Sec. 24 of EO 174 IRR)”. DO 024 reckons that period from February 25, 2025 to February 24, 2028 (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 31). Form 1-B prints Assistant School Principal III at SG-19, though the JC’s retitling table puts it at SG 20 (Sec. 8.5).

Form 1-B’s last column, headed “School Head Assessment” (PDF p. 48) and “Qualifying Examination” (pp. 49–50), lists “Principals’ Test or National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) Passer; or its equivalent” for every level, School Principal II to IV included.

On-stream candidates. During the transition, Assistant School Principal I and Head Teacher I to V incumbents, whether they keep or retitle their positions, “shall be allowed to be promoted or reclassified to School Principal I without passing through the Master Teacher I position” (IRR of EO 174, Sec. 24; JC, Sec. 8.5.2). DO 024 calls them on-stream candidates and gives them priority in promotion to School Principal I “during the three (3)-year transition period” (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 14(x); FAQ, Q21). After it, “incumbents shall no longer be regarded as on-stream candidates” (JC, Sec. 8.5.2).

Retitling is a separate route. Assistant School Principals II and III and Head Teachers VI who meet the standards and passed the school head assessment are retitled to School Principal I or II at the same grade, without a comparative assessment (JC, Sec. 8.5.1.1; FAQ, Q22). DO 034 says that for retitling, incumbents “shall only be required to meet the minimum QS of the equivalent position” (para. 17, under its heading on documentary requirements); it does not mention the assessment that the JC requires, and no issuance reconciles the two. See Head Teacher Retitling: Options Under ECP and RA 12288.

A point the documents leave open. Form 1-B lets a Head Teacher I (SG 14) or II (SG 15) be reclassified to School Principal I (SG 19), five or four grades up (computed). DO 024 says “Promotion, whether through reclassification or natural vacancy, shall not exceed three (3) salary grades higher than the applicant’s present position”, unless a CSC exemption applies (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 20(b)). The CSC’s rules say the limit does not apply to “Reclassification of position” (2025 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions, Sec. 101). DepEd’s FAQ applies the three-grade limit to all reclassification (Q9). The IRR, which ranks above DO 024, lets Head Teacher I to V incumbents move to School Principal I “without passing through the Master Teacher I position” (Sec. 24). The rows of the JC, the joint and higher instrument, likely stand for reclassification, but no issuance reconciles them with DO 024’s limit. A Head Teacher I or II should ask the HRMO in writing how the division will treat the application.

Teachers-in-charge and the 914 pending cases: which text governs

A teacher-in-charge runs a school by designation, not by holding a separate position (see Principal, Head Teacher or Teacher-in-Charge in DepEd). Form 1-B lists positions. Teacher-in-charge is not one of them, and no Teacher I to VII position is a source position for School Principal I. DepEd’s memoranda went further:

Sources: as named in each row, circulated to the field in DepEd’s Career Progression Toolkit folder; DM 0802 as posted by SDO Nueva Vizcaya.

Which governs. The JC governs reclassification. It is a joint DBM-DepEd circular, the DBM regional office processes reclassifications under it, and a DepEd memorandum cannot amend it. The 914 is a count in a deck, not an approval; DBM had not approved the batch by March 13, 2026, and no later issuance, through August 2026, reports a decision. So:

• A teacher-in-charge who holds a Master Teacher I or II position fits Form 1-B.
• A teacher-in-charge who holds a Teacher I to VII position does not, and the memos’ processing of that group depends on a DBM approval the documents do not show.
• The shortcut to School Principal I “without passing through the Master Teacher I position” is written for assistant principals and head teachers (IRR of EO 174, Sec. 24). It does not name teachers-in-charge.

A qualified teacher-in-charge may still apply for a vacant School Principal I item (DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Secs. 22 and 25), and those not reclassified “are not precluded from applying to any vacant School Principal position” (DM-OUHROD-2025-1669, item d). DepEd’s three-grade limit covers vacancies too (Sec. 20(b)). A Teacher III (SG 13) moving to School Principal I rises six grades (computed), which needs a CSC exception such as candidates who “passed through a deep selection process” (2025 Omnibus Rules, Sec. 100(e)). Do not tell a teacher-in-charge that the 2025 memoranda settled the question.

The school head assessment (NQESH, now NASH) and who is exempt

The requirement. EO 174 makes “passing the school head assessment” a condition of advancing to School Principal I (Sec. 3), and its rules repeat it (IRR, Sec. 17(c)). The JC says “the passing of the school heads assessment or its equivalent shall be required, subject to applicable guidelines set by DepEd” (Sec. 7.4.3), and lists the Certificate of Rating (COR) among the documents “for School Principal positions only” (Sec. 7.5.2.4). DO 024, citing Item 27 of DO 021, s. 2024, says that “first appointments to School Principal positions, whether through natural vacancy or reclassification, shall require candidates to pass the DepEd-administered school head assessment” (Encl. No. 3, Sec. 13).

The older rule no longer applies. DO 007, s. 2023 had said: “The applicant’s inability to take the principal’s test shall not be considered grounds for disqualification” (Encl. No. 3, item 8.a). DO 021, s. 2024, which amends DO 007, now requires first appointees to pass (Item 27, PDF p. 8). That overrides the older sentence, though DO 021 does not delete it in words, and the IRR of EO 174 ranks higher still. A first-time applicant must have passed a DepEd-administered school head assessment. For the NASH, DepEd’s results memo treats takers who meet the PPSSH standards in four or three domains as “Prospective candidates” (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 5); no issuance calls this a pass in those words. DepEd’s documents do tie the NASH to the passing rule: DM 069 anchors it on IRR Sec. 17(c), JC Sec. 7.4.3 and DO 021 Item 27 (para. 4), and the FAQ lists the NASH among the assessments to “Pass” (Q13).

The NASH. DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025 (August 11, 2025) says the NQESH “has been refocused and renamed the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH)”, a PPSSH-aligned “developmental assessment tool” (paras. 1–3). In FY 2025 Batch 2, 6,180 of 23,848 completers (25.91%) met the PPSSH standards in four domains and 2,591 (10.86%) in three (DM 044, s. 2026, paras. 3 and 5). Both groups are “Prospective candidates for entry-level school principal positions, subject to assessment and evaluation against the prescribed qualification standards and applicable DepEd hiring guidelines”. The three-domain group must also join a NEAP Targeted Development Program “within three months of appointment”, and the other 15,077 takers (63.22%) must first complete professional development interventions. A NASH result opens the door; it is not an appointment. FY 2025 Batch 2 takers receive an Individual Certificate of Rating through the DepEd LMS (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 7); keep it for the COR that first-time applicants submit (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 6.h). DepEd’s FAQ adds that FY 2021 NQESH Category B qualifiers who meet the standards and finished the shadowing and immersion program under DM 059, s. 2024 “may apply for reclassification to School Principal I” (Q38). See NASH Results 2025 Explained.

Who is exempt. Three texts describe the exemption for sitting principals, and they differ:

Which governs. DO 034 governs: it is an Order, later than DO 024, and outranks the FAQ and the deck. “All incumbent School Principals shall no longer be required to pass the school head assessment or to submit a Certificate of Rating (COR) when applying for reclassification or promotion to higher School Principal positions.” The HRMO “shall validate their appointment based on the existing records available in the 201 files at the Records Division” (para. 16). The exemption is for incumbents moving up, not for first appointments.

What is not settled. DO 024’s own document lists still include the COR (Encl. No. 3, Secs. 6.h and 50.l), which DO 034, the later Order, overrides for incumbents. The JC also still lists the COR (Sec. 7.5.2.4), and its Form 1-B prints an assessment-passer requirement for School Principal II, III and IV; no amended JC had been issued by October 31, 2026. The JC makes the assessment “subject to applicable guidelines set by DepEd” (Sec. 7.4.3); DO 034 appears to be such a guideline, but no document shows how DBM regional offices treat an exempt principal’s file. RA 12288 will make a Standards-Based Assessment “a prerequisite to their promotion and increase in salary” (Sec. 3(i)); no guidelines for it had been issued by October 31, 2026.

Qualification standards for School Principal I to IV

Under DO 019, s. 2025, which adopts CSC Resolution No. 2500471 (May 28, 2025), all four levels need a master’s degree in Education, Educational Management or Educational Leadership, or a master’s in a relevant learning area with 9, 12, 15 or 18 units in Management. They need 5 years of teaching plus 1, 2, 3 or 4 years of further experience, and 32 or 40 hours of training “acquired within the last 5 years”. The eligibility is “RA 1080, as amended (Teacher)” (pp. 12–13). The full tables are in ECP Qualification Standards Under DO 019, s. 2025, and the proof for each requirement in NASH Qualification Standards for School Principal I: FAQ.

Two rules help. “Experience as Head Teacher shall be considered as teaching experience” toward the five years, subject to “validation and approval by the CSC” (DO 034, para. 14). And principals promoted before DO 019, s. 2025 are treated as meeting the new “five (5) years teaching experience” when the board sets their baseline for experience points (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 33.b).

How the HRMPSB scores School Principal applicants

A special HRMPSB handles all principal positions. The Assistant Schools Division Superintendent chairs it, and its members include a union representative “belonging to the school heads group”; unlike the teaching board, it has no school head member (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 20). See The School Head’s Role in ECP Reclassification.

The 100 points are Education 10, Training 10, Experience 10, Performance 25, Outstanding Accomplishments 10, Application of Education 10, Application of Learning and Development 10, and Potential 15 (Sec. 32). Education, training and experience score only above the qualification standards (Sec. 33.d). The teaching system is set beside this one in ECP Point System: How the HRMPSB Scores Applicants.

Performance (25 points) is the rating ÷ 5 × 25; DO 024’s School Principal I example is 4.356 ÷ 5 × 25 = 21.78. The rating comes from the IPCRF “or School’s Office Performance Commitment and Review Form (OPCRF), whichever is applicable”, and “a performance rating of at least Very Satisfactory (VS) in the last rating period prior to the date of assessment or screening shall be required” (Sec. 34). See OPCRF for DepEd School Heads in 2026.

Outstanding Accomplishments, Application of Education, and Application of L&D

These 30 points count only what was “acquired after the last promotion” (Sec. 31).

Source: DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 35 and Table 4 (PDF pp. 69–72).

The ceilings add up to 18 (computed), but the total may not exceed 10. “National level individual awards acquired from a thorough search process and given by reputable award giving bodies … shall be given maximum points” (Sec. 35). In DO 024’s worked example, a Master Teacher I applying for School Principal I scores 4: 2 and 1 for two winning-coach awards (a regional press conference and a division celebration), 1 as a resource speaker, and nothing for an Outstanding Employee Award submitted without the required MOVs (PDF p. 72). The example credits both coach awards, although Sec. 35 says “only the highest award shall be given points in cases where applicants submit multiple awards from different award giving bodies”. Under that rule the total would be 3 (computed). Ask the HRMPSB which reading it applies.

Source: DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Secs. 36–37 (PDF pp. 72–73).

An intervention is relevant when it is “directly applicable to the functional unit where the position applied for is lodged” (Sec. 36). For FY 2026 promotions, the HRMPSB “may require” MOVs for the three criteria “acquired since the last appointment” (DM 0802, Sec. V(4)).

Potential: the written exam and the interview

For appointment to School Principal I, the written exam is worth 10 points and the Behavioral Events Interview (BEI) 5; for higher positions, 5 and 10 (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 38). For School Principal I, “the applicant’s score in the NQESH, Principal’s Test, or a similar standardized examination administered by DepEd shall be the basis”. For a percentage score, DO 024 multiplies the percentage by the weight; its example prints “82.5 * 10 = 8.25”, which holds only if 82.5 is read as 82.5%, or 0.825 (computed). For higher positions, the HRMPSB or experts it calls on develop the exam: 85 ÷ 100 × 5 = 4.25 in DO 024’s example. The BEI uses the STAR approach, and the HRMPSB sets its areas (Sec. 38.b).

A gap to know about. DO 024 gives formulas for raw and percentage scores, but the NASH reports an overall score “normalized to a 1 to 100 scale” (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 4.d). DO 021, s. 2024, Item 28, which DO 024 follows, applies the percentage method to “all NQESH results that may use the percentage score in the COR”; it does not mention the NASH. None of DO 024, DO 034 or the FAQ says how a NASH score enters the 10-point written exam. Ask the HRMPSB before the assessment.

No cut-off score

Results go to the SDS “ranked from highest to lowest based on the total scores”, with a Plantilla Allocation List of only those who fit the slots (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 41). DO 034 speaks of candidates “who have obtained the minimum 50-point cut-off score” (para. 26), and DM 0802 uses the same cut-off when it describes the queue under both enclosures (Sec. IV) and its priority groups, which include head teachers and assistant principals (Sec. III(2)). Neither sets a cut-off for principal positions: DO 034 para. 26 speaks of candidates who already met one, and DM 0802, a memorandum, cannot amend an Order. Encl. No. 3 sets none. Its Sec. 41 ranks principal candidates by total score, while Encl. No. 2, Sec. 42 ranks teaching candidates “who meet the cut-off score of 50 points”. DepEd’s FAQ, issued after DO 034, says principal positions have no cut-off (Q35). Applicants not accommodated are “‘in the queue’” for the next year without a new assessment (Sec. 44), and they may carry their scores over to the next round or to an equivalent vacancy (Secs. 45–46).

School Principal I to II, III or IV in 2026

Until a career stage recognition system or PPSSH-based OPCRF and IPCRF forms for principals exist, DM 0802 says “career stage-based promotion through reclassification or natural vacancy, shall not yet be implemented”. It continues:

“In the interim, School Principal I incumbents shall be allowed to apply for promotion to any higher School Principal positions (i.e., School Principal II–IV), subject to QS, competency assessments, applicable staffing standards, and availability of fund in the case of reclassification.” (DM 0802, Sec. V(4))

Two higher texts point the other way. DO 024 says: “Under no circumstance shall an applicant be allowed to jump to higher career stage/s for promotion without progressing through each of the career stages” (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 20(a)). DepEd’s FAQ says the same (Q11). And Form 1-B lists School Principal I as a source for School Principal II and III, not IV.

Sources: JC, Form No. 1-B (PDF pp. 49–50); DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 1, Secs. 20 and 22(b); DM 0802, Sec. V(4).

Which governs. For School Principal II and III the texts agree. For School Principal IV by reclassification, the JC governs, and a DepEd memorandum cannot add a row to its form. By natural vacancy, the move is within the three-grade limit, and DM 0802 is DepEd’s operating instruction for FY 2026. It rests on a real gap: DO 024 checks PPSSH proficiency through the assessment “and/or Certificate of Competency Level”, and that certificate is “Applicable only upon establishment of a system of recognition” by the Teacher Education Council (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 22(b) and fn. 14). Still, an Order outranks a memorandum, and no Order has amended Sec. 20(a). Treat the route to School Principal IV as a memo-level rule, and ask the HRMO in writing which route and basis the division will use.

DM 0802 set the FY 2026 timeline: endorsement to regional offices “on or before August 15 of the current fiscal year” and appointments “only within the period of January to March of the succeeding fiscal year” (Sec. III(3)). DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789 (August 5, 2026) replaced it with a “NEW PROCESSING TIMELINE FOR FY 2026 ONWARDS” in its Annex A (Sec. IV). For FY 2026, in the six regions with remaining budget, Annex A shows NOSCA and appointment in November and the salary adjustment in December. From FY 2027, NOSCA and appointment fall in January to March and the salary adjustment in April (Annex A; months read off DepEd’s chart). In August 2026, DepEd deferred applications without a NOSCA in 11 deficit regions, except retitling (DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789, p. 4); see Why ECP Reclassification Was Deferred in 2026.

One School Principal item per school

“One (1) School Principal item, regardless of position title or level, shall be authorized for every unique school (i.e., school with School ID)” (DO 024, Encl. No. 1, Sec. 28). The JC sets “One (1) plantilla item per school regardless of position title” (Sec. 9.1). The standard runs through the process: the SDS sets slots from the budget and the “Applicable staffing standards for School Principal position” (Encl. No. 3, Sec. 5), and the SDO sends a “Report on the Number of School Principal Position within the Division” (Annex S-2) listing every school’s principal item (Sec. 50.m).

It follows from “regardless of position title or level”, though DO 024 does not spell it out, that moving a School Principal I to II changes the level of an existing item, while reclassifying a master teacher or head teacher to School Principal I adds one, so it fits only where a school lacks one. DepEd’s 2025 supplemental memo said as much: reclassified principals are “subject to redeployment or reassignment … to schools with no School Principal item”, and other qualified head teachers and assistant principals are considered only “in the event when there are remaining schools within the Schools Division with no School Principal item” (DM-OUHROD-2025-1669, items a and c).

Where retitled principals serve: two texts. The IRR lets an assistant principal or Head Teacher VI retitled to principal “Perform their existing functions in the same school by virtue of designation” (Sec. 23(a)(i); also JC, Sec. 8.5.1.1.1). DO 024 says: “Retitled School Principals shall be assigned to any Elementary or Secondary school within the SDO with no School Principal item” (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 34(b)(i)(a)). The IRR and the JC rank higher; DO 024 is how DepEd applies them, and no issuance reconciles the two.

Where School Principal V stands under RA 12288

Republic Act No. 12288, approved on September 12, 2025, directs the DBM to “create the new teaching position titles of Teacher IV, Teacher V, Teacher VI, Teacher VII, Master Teacher V, Master Teacher VI, and School Principal V” (Sec. 5). It makes Master Teacher VI and School Principal V “equivalent in all salaries, benefits, and other privileges” (Sec. 7). The Act sets no salary grade; its implementing rules, “Done this 17th day of August 2026”, place both at SG 23 (IRR of RA 12288, Sec. 5). The rules also put School Principal V at PPSSH Career Stage IV and School Principal III and IV at Stage III (Sec. 6).

School Principal V is not operational as of October 31, 2026:

• No qualification standards. DepEd’s August 2026 deck targets “Issuance New Qualification Standards for School Principal V and Master Teacher VI” for “Q1 of 2027” (p. 34).
• No implementing order or amended JC. None had been issued; the deck’s targets are not results.
• Effectivity unknown. The Act takes effect 15 days after publication (Sec. 15), and its rules 30 days after newspaper publication and filing with the Office of the National Administrative Register (IRR, Sec. 20). DepEd’s ECP issuances do not give the Act’s publication date. As of October 31, 2026, the IRR had not been published in the Official Gazette or on deped.gov.ph, so its effective date is not yet known.
• FY 2026 stops at School Principal IV. DM 0802 lists “Teacher II–VII; Master Teacher I–V; School Principal I–IV” (Sec. III(1)), and “All ongoing reclassification assessments prior to the effectivity of this IRR shall remain valid and effective and shall continue to be governed by prior laws, rules, and issuances” (IRR, Sec. 17).

Once in force, RA 12288 says “The evaluation of applicants in the School Administration Line shall consider organizational and managerial effectiveness, in terms of productivity, performance, utility, efficiency, and other requirements of the professional standards” (Sec. 9). School leaders who fail the Standards-Based Assessment twice in a row must undergo a NEAP support program (Sec. 10). See What RA 12288 Changes in Teacher Career Progression.

What this means for school heads

If you are a principal aiming higher:

1. Have your exemption validated early. Ask the HRMO to confirm your DO 034, para. 16 category from your 201 file. If the HRMO cites the FAQ’s shorter list, point to category (b).
2. Check the standards for your target: 12, 15 or 18 management units and 2, 3 or 4 years in school management for School Principal II, III or IV (DO 019, s. 2025, pp. 12–13).
3. Keep your OPCRF or IPCRF at Very Satisfactory or better. It supplies 25 points and is mandatory (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 34).
4. Build MOVs from your last promotion forward. Keep the search criteria with every award, get research proposals approved before you start, and collect certifications of utilization and adoption (Secs. 35–37).
5. Before applying from School Principal I to IV, get the HRMO’s answer in writing on the route and its basis.

If you lead teachers who want to become principals:

1. Match the route to the position, not the designation. Master Teacher I and II may be reclassified to School Principal I; head teachers and assistant principals may be until February 24, 2028; a teacher-in-charge’s chances depend on the position held.
2. Point them to the NASH and the PPSSH. Self-assessment against the PPSSH is the start; see PPSSH Domain 4: Developing Self and Others.
3. Give them leadership work that produces evidence. Your approved action plan, verified accomplishment report and certification of utilization earn the full 10 points for Application of Education when relevant (Sec. 36). Designations are covered in Department Head, Assistant School Head and MT Duties.

Records to keep: appointment papers and the 201-file entries the HRMO will check; OPCRFs and IPCRFs; NASH or NQESH results, including the NASH Individual Certificate of Rating; training certificates; and, for each accomplishment, the full set of MOVs listed in Encl. No. 3, Secs. 35–37.

The wider work of managing people is in Human Resource Management for DepEd School Heads.

How the NASH may test this

The two items below are original practice items, scored 3 (Relational), 2 (Multistructural), 1 (Unistructural) or 0 (Prestructural). An option that breaks a rule scores 0.

Question 1

Indicator 2.4.1, Management of staff. Career Stage 1, Conceptual, Moderate.

Principal Reyes was appointed School Principal I in 2019 after passing the NQESH. In 2026 she applies for reclassification to School Principal II. The division HRMO, reading DepEd’s FAQ, asks her for a Certificate of Rating in the school head assessment. Which response is most consistent with the ECP issuances?

• A. She should attach the NQESH Certificate of Rating she already holds, since the HRMO has asked for it and the document is easy to produce.
• B. She must take the next NASH, because DepEd’s FAQ exempts only principals appointed before the Principal’s Test, NQESH and NASH were introduced.
• C. She is exempt, because DO 034, s. 2025 waives the assessment and the COR for incumbent School Principals, so she should submit her other documents and ask the HRMO to check her appointment in her 201 file.
• D. Under DO 034, s. 2025 she is not required to submit it, because the Order covers principals appointed during the implementation of the Principal’s Test, NQESH and NASH, which the HRMO validates from her 201 file; since the Joint Circular still lists the COR, she may attach the one she holds while citing the exemption. She still needs the School Principal II standards, a Very Satisfactory rating in the last rating period, and the HRMPSB’s comparative assessment, where a division-developed written exam is worth 5 points.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: D. Points: A = 1, B = 0, C = 2, D = 3.

• A (1 point, Unistructural). Attaching the old certificate breaks no rule, but it misses why no certificate is needed.
• B (0 points, Prestructural). It follows the FAQ over the Order. DO 034, para. 16(b) exempts principals appointed during the NQESH, so requiring a new assessment contradicts the governing text.
• C (2 points, Multistructural). The exemption and the validation are right, but it treats the exemption as the whole application and leaves out the standards, the rating and the comparative assessment.
• D (3 points, Relational). It applies DepEd’s governing Order, identifies her category, allows for the Joint Circular that DBM still applies, and connects the exemption to the requirements that still apply.

Why. DO 034, s. 2025 says that “All incumbent School Principals shall no longer be required to pass the school head assessment or to submit a Certificate of Rating (COR) when applying for reclassification or promotion to higher School Principal positions”. It names principals “Appointed during the implementation of the Principal’s Test, NQESH, and NASH” (para. 16(b)). DepEd’s FAQ omits that category (Q14), and an Order outranks an FAQ. The Joint Circular still lists the COR (Sec. 7.5.2.4) and no amended JC had been issued, so keeping the certificate on file costs nothing. School Principal II still requires the DO 019, s. 2025 standards, a Very Satisfactory rating (DO 024, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 34) and a 5-point written exam developed by the HRMPSB or experts (Sec. 38).

Indicator 2.4.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of laws, policies, guidelines and issuances on managing school staff.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025, para. 16; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Secs. 13, 34 and 38; DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025, Sec. 7.5.2.4; DepEd ECP FAQs (updated November 6, 2025), Q14.

Question 2

Indicator 4.6.2, Leadership development in individuals and teams. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.

You are the principal of a large secondary school. Teacher M is a Master Teacher I with a master’s degree in Educational Management and seven years of teaching, including two years as learning area coordinator. She met the PPSSH standards in four domains in the FY 2025 NASH Batch 2 and plans to apply for reclassification to School Principal I next year. Which plan best supports her?

• A. Tell her that her NASH result makes her a prospective candidate for School Principal I, and that she should watch for the SDO’s call for applications.
• B. Give her a leadership role with an action plan you approve and an accomplishment report you verify, so that she can earn points for Application of Education, and tell her to wait for the SDO’s call.
• C. Confirm with the HRMO that Master Teacher I is a source position for School Principal I and that she meets the standards, including 32 training hours within the last five years. Give her a school-level role with an action plan you approve, an accomplishment report you verify and, if the school adopts the result, a certification of utilization, and remind her that only work after her last promotion earns points.
• D. Tell her that her NASH result qualifies her for appointment, so she need not go through the HRMPSB’s comparative assessment if a school in the division has no principal item.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: C. Points: A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 0.

• A (1 point, Unistructural). The status is right, but the advice stops there and gives her no opportunity to lead.
• B (2 points, Multistructural). It provides a leadership role with evidence, but it skips the eligibility check and the rule that only work after her last promotion counts.
• C (3 points, Relational). It connects her eligibility, the standards, a real leadership role and the evidence the HRMPSB will score.
• D (0 points, Prestructural). A NASH result is not an appointment. DepEd makes prospective candidates “subject to assessment and evaluation against the prescribed qualification standards and applicable DepEd hiring guidelines”.

Why. JC Form 1-B lists Master Teacher I as a source position for School Principal I. DO 019, s. 2025 requires 32 hours of training “acquired within the last 5 years”. DO 024, s. 2025 counts Application of Education only when “acquired after the last promotion”, and the three Head of Office documents earn 10 points for a relevant intervention (Encl. No. 3, Secs. 31 and 36). DM 044, s. 2026 makes four-domain takers prospective candidates, subject to assessment (para. 5).

Indicator 4.6.2: Provide opportunities to individuals and teams in performing leadership roles and responsibilities.

Sources: DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025, Form No. 1-B; DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025, p. 12; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Secs. 31 and 36; DepEd Memorandum No. 044, s. 2026, para. 5.

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

Frequently asked questions

Can a teacher-in-charge be reclassified to School Principal I?

Only if the position held is on the JC’s Form 1-B: Master Teacher I or II, or, until February 24, 2028, an Assistant School Principal I or II or Head Teacher position. No Teacher I to VII position is listed. DepEd’s 2025 memoranda processed teachers-in-charge anyway, and in March 2026 those cases still awaited DBM approval (DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Sec. II(1)).

Do principals need the NASH to move to a higher School Principal position?

Not under DepEd’s rules. Incumbent School Principals “shall no longer be required to pass the school head assessment or to submit a Certificate of Rating (COR)” when applying to higher principal positions (DO 034, s. 2025, para. 16), whether appointed before, during or outside the Principal’s Test, NQESH and NASH. The Joint Circular still lists the COR and an assessment passer for every principal level (Sec. 7.5.2.4; Form No. 1-B), and no amended JC had been issued by October 31, 2026, so keep any certificate you hold. A first appointment as principal still requires passing the assessment (DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 13).

Is there a cut-off score for School Principal reclassification?

No. Applicants are ranked from highest to lowest, and the board recommends as many as the slots and funds allow (DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Sec. 41). DepEd’s FAQ says “no cut-off scores will be applied” for principal positions (Q35). The 50-point cut-off is for teaching positions.

Can a School Principal I apply for School Principal IV?

DepEd’s FY 2026 memorandum lets School Principal I incumbents apply for “any higher School Principal positions (i.e., School Principal II–IV)” (DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Sec. V(4)). But Form 1-B does not list School Principal I as a source for IV, and DO 024’s rule against skipping career stages is unamended. Get the HRMO’s position in writing before relying on that route.

Is School Principal V available now?

No. RA 12288 adds School Principal V (Secs. 5 and 7), and its implementing rules place it at SG 23 (Sec. 5), but no qualification standards exist yet; DepEd targets them for “Q1 of 2027”. FY 2026 reclassification stops at School Principal IV (DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Sec. III(1)).

Download the data

• sp-reclass-from-positions.csv: the 22 source-to-target pairs printed in JC Form No. 1-B, with salary grades as printed, the grade steps (computed) and transition-only flags, plus the memo’s interim School Principal I to IV route, marked as not in Form 1-B (DBM-DepEd JC No. 01, s. 2025, Form No. 1-B, PDF pp. 48–50; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Sec. V(4)).
• sp-only-scoring.csv: the Outstanding Accomplishments component ceilings, their computed sum and the 10-point cap, and the Potential split by target position (DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. No. 3, Secs. 32, 35 and 38).

The CSVs and charts may be reused only with written permission: email support@nash.com.ph. The rules themselves come from DepEd’s issuances, which you can cite directly.

Sources

• Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, Establishing the Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers, June 23, 2022, Secs. 3, 4 and 6.
• Implementing Rules and Regulations of EO No. 174, s. 2022, registered with ONAR August 1, 2024, Secs. 17, 23(a) and 24.
• DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025, Modified Position Classification and Compensation Scheme and System of Career Progression of Teachers and School Heads in the Public Basic Education System, February 19, 2025, Secs. 7.4.3, 7.4.5, 7.5.2.4, 7.5.3.2, 7.6.1.1, 8.5, 8.5.1.1, 8.5.2 and 9.1; Form No. 1-B (PDF pp. 48–50).
• DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025, Amended Qualification Standards for Teacher I-III, Master Teacher I-IV, and School Principal I-IV Positions, and the Qualification Standards for Newly Created Teacher IV-VII and Master Teacher V Positions, June 24, 2025, pp. 12–13 (CSC Resolution No. 2500471, printed pp. 9–10).
• DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System for Teachers and School Heads in the Department of Education, August 28, 2025, Encl. No. 1, Secs. 12, 14(x), 18 (Figure 1), 20, 22–25, 28, 31, 34(b) and 36(b)(iv); Encl. No. 2, Secs. 21 and 42; Encl. No. 3, Secs. 1, 5, 6, 9, 13, 20, 31–38, 41, 44–46 and 50; Annex S-2.
• DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025, Amendments and Clarifications to DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, October 14, 2025, paras. 14, 16, 17 and 26.
• DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2023, Guidelines on Recruitment, Selection, and Appointment in the Department of Education, Encl. No. 3, item 8.a (PDF p. 54).
• DepEd Order No. 021, s. 2024, Amendments to DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2023, December 23, 2024, Items 27–28 (PDF p. 8).
• DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025, Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025, August 11, 2025, paras. 1–4, 7 and 9–10.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 044, s. 2026, Results of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025 (Batch 2), July 4, 2026, paras. 3–5 and 7 (PDF pp. 2–4).
• Republic Act No. 12288, An Act Institutionalizing the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders, approved September 12, 2025, Secs. 3(i), 5, 7, 9, 10 and 15 (also on Lawphil).
• Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA No. 12288, “Done this 17th day of August 2026”, Secs. 5, 6, 17 and 20: the DepEd-certified copy (certified true copy of August 24, 2026) in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder, which DepEd shares through DM-OUHROD-2025-3003. As of October 31, 2026, the IRR had not been published in the Official Gazette or on deped.gov.ph, so its effective date is not yet known.
• 2025 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions, CSC Resolution No. 2500358, promulgated April 30, 2025, Secs. 100–101 (PDF pp. 66–67), in DepEd’s Career Progression Toolkit folder.
• Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Guidance on the Reclassification of Teaching and School Principal Positions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, March 13, 2026, Secs. II(1), III(1)–(3), IV and V(4), as posted by SDO Nueva Vizcaya.
• Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789, Funding Strategies and Interim Policy Directions for the Continuous Implementation of the ECP System, August 5, 2026, Secs. III.A and IV and Annex A (PDF pp. 4–5, 7), in DepEd’s Career Progression Toolkit folder.
• Memoranda DM-OUHROD-2025-0541 (March 3, 2025), item 6; DM-OUHROD-2025-1331, Reclassification of Qualified Personnel to School Principal I Position (May 27, 2025), pp. 1–4; and DM-OUHROD-2025-1669, Supplemental Memorandum to DM-OUHROD-2025-1331 (June 23, 2025), items a–d, in DepEd’s Career Progression Toolkit folder.
• DepEd ECP FAQs, Frequently Asked Questions for DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025 and DepEd Order No. 34, s. 2025 (Annex A to DM-OUHROD-2025-3003, October 24, 2025), the copy updated November 6, 2025 in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder, Q9, Q11, Q13, Q14, Q21, Q22, Q35 and Q38. The October 24, 2025 copy on deped.gov.ph numbers some answers differently.
• DepEd decks in the Career Progression Toolkit folder: National Orientation on the Implementation of the ECP System (DO 24, s. 2025), undated, p. 102; HRMO–TCE Checkpoint Meeting, November 20, 2025, p. 43; and Virtual Orientation on the Funding Strategies and Interim Policy Directions, August 24, 2026, p. 34.

The career progression series

• DepEd Expanded Career Progression (ECP): The Full Guide
• How to Be Reclassified to Teacher IV to VII in DepEd
• How to Become a Master Teacher Under DepEd’s ECP
• ECP Salary Grades for Teachers, MTs and Principals
• ECP Qualification Standards Under DO 019, s. 2025
• ECP Point System: How the HRMPSB Scores Applicants
• School Principal I to IV: Promotion Under the ECP (this post)
• The School Head’s Role in ECP Reclassification
• Head Teacher Retitling: Options Under ECP and RA 12288
• Why ECP Reclassification Was Deferred in 2026
• What RA 12288 Changes in Teacher Career Progression
• Department Head, Assistant School Head and MT Duties

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: EO 174, s. 2022 and its IRR; DBM-DepEd JC No. 01, s. 2025; DepEd Orders No. 019, 024 and 034, s. 2025; DepEd Memoranda No. 069, s. 2025 and 044, s. 2026; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802; RA 12288 and its IRR. Charts may be reused only with written permission from support@nash.com.ph.