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NASH Reviewer

Enclosure No. 3 to DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025

Reclassification to School Principal

DepEd now promotes teachers and school heads mainly by reclassification, which upgrades the position you already hold. This guide covers who can apply for School Principal I to IV, what to submit, how the 100 points are scored, what happens to your pay, and each step from application to appointment.

Points in the comparative assessment
100
Points for performance, the heaviest criterion
25
Points scored only from evidence you submit
30
Year the Head Teacher and Assistant Principal paths close
2028

What reclassification is

A reclassification changes the title, salary grade, or level of a filled position. For teaching and school head positions, it follows the qualifications of the person who holds the item.

When you qualify and are selected, DepEd and DBM upgrade your own item instead of moving you to a vacant one. The order makes this the main route of promotion. Natural vacancies still fill newly created and vacated positions.

Selection stays competitive. Each year your division sets a number of slots from its budget and the staffing standard of one principal per school. The Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board (HRMPSB) then ranks qualified applicants for those slots.

Reclassification
The position you already hold is upgraded. Only incumbents of teaching and school head positions may use it, through the division’s yearly call under Enclosure No. 3.
Natural vacancy
You apply for a position someone else vacated or a newly created one. Any qualified applicant, inside or outside DepEd, may apply under DO 007, s. 2023.
Retitling
Your position takes a new title at the same salary grade, without an HRMPSB assessment. It covers titles the new system no longer uses, such as Head Teacher and Assistant School Principal.

From application to appointment

One cycle under Enclosure No. 3. Each stage is explained below.

  1. Call for applications

    By June 30

    The Schools Division Superintendent issues a memorandum with the slots, requirements, deadline, and schedule.

  2. You submit the RFSPP

    By the deadline

    You file the Reclassification Form for School Principal Positions and your documents with the HRMO, through the Records Unit.

  3. Initial evaluation

    HRMO

    The HRMO checks the qualification standards and the school head assessment, then posts who is Qualified and Disqualified.

  4. Comparative assessment

    10 or more days after the call

    A special HRMPSB scores every qualified applicant out of 100 points in an open ranking.

  5. Results and allocation

    Within 7 days

    The board posts the results and gives the Superintendent a ranked list and a Plantilla Allocation List of those the slots cover.

  6. Regional approval

    By the regional deadline

    The division endorses its candidates. The Regional Office evaluates them, and the Regional Director approves the list.

  7. DBM action

    List due November 30

    The DBM Regional Office processes the list and issues a Notice of Organization, Staffing and Classification Action (NOSCA).

  8. Appointment

    By March 30 the next year

    The division issues your appointment papers and adjusts your salary.

Who can apply

The Joint Circular lists which positions can be reclassified to each School Principal level. Paths from Head Teacher and Assistant School Principal positions are open only during the transition.

  • School Principal ISG 19 · Career Stage II

    Reclassified from

    • Master Teacher ISG 18
    • Master Teacher IISG 19
    • Head Teacher I to VSG 14–18 · until February 24, 2028
    • Head Teacher VISG 19 · until February 24, 2028
    • Assistant School Principal ISG 18 · until February 24, 2028
    • Assistant School Principal IISG 19 · until February 24, 2028

  • School Principal IISG 20 · Career Stage II

    Reclassified from

    • Master Teacher IISG 19
    • Master Teacher IIISG 20
    • School Principal ISG 19
    • Assistant School Principal IIISG 20 · until February 24, 2028

  • School Principal IIISG 21 · Career Stage III

    Reclassified from

    • Master Teacher IISG 19
    • Master Teacher IIISG 20
    • Master Teacher IVSG 21
    • School Principal ISG 19
    • School Principal IISG 20

  • School Principal IVSG 22 · Career Stage IV

    Reclassified from

    • Master Teacher IVSG 21
    • Master Teacher VSG 22
    • School Principal IIISG 21

  1. Incumbents only

    Reclassification applies only to incumbents of teaching and school head positions. Other personnel enter the School Administration line through natural vacancies.

  2. No skipped career stages

    You progress through each PPSSH career stage. School Principal I and II are Career Stage II, III is Stage III, and IV is Stage IV.

  3. Three salary grades at most

    A promotion cannot go more than three salary grades above your present position unless a CSC exemption applies. The division then sends a justification to DBM and CSC.

  4. One principal item per school

    Each school with a School ID gets one School Principal item, whatever its level. A principal may be assigned to any elementary or secondary school in the division.

The Joint Circular lists Head Teacher I (SG 14) and II (SG 15) among the paths to School Principal I (SG 19), more than three grades up. Ask your HRMO whether a CSC exemption covers that move; the division then sends a quantum leap justification with its papers.

What you must meet

Before any scoring, the HRMO checks three things. Miss any one and you are marked Disqualified.

Qualification standards
Education, training, experience, and RA 1080 (Teacher) eligibility under DO 019, s. 2025. A competency requirement applies only once the CSC adds one to the standards.
School head assessment
A pass in the NQESH, the Principal’s Test, or a later DepEd school head assessment such as the NASH. Your Certificate of Rating is the proof.
Performance rating
At least Very Satisfactory in the last rating period, covering one complete period in your current position. It comes from your IPCRF or the school’s OPCRF, whichever applies.

Qualification standards by level

DO 019, s. 2025, adopting CSC Resolution No. 2500471. Every level also requires RA 1080 (Teacher) eligibility.

  • School Principal ISalary grade 19

    Education
    Master’s in Education, Educational Management, or Educational Leadership; or a master’s in a relevant learning area with at least 9 units in Management
    Experience
    5 years of teaching, plus 1 year in learning area coordination, subject area supervision, school management and operations, or instructional supervision
    Training
    32 hours in curriculum, pedagogy, school management and operations, or instructional leadership, within the last 5 years

  • School Principal IISalary grade 20

    Education
    Master’s in Education, Educational Management, or Educational Leadership; or a master’s in a relevant learning area with at least 12 units in Management
    Experience
    5 years of teaching, plus 2 years in school management and operations
    Training
    32 hours in curriculum, pedagogy, school management and operations, or instructional leadership, within the last 5 years

  • School Principal IIISalary grade 21

    Education
    Master’s in Education, Educational Management, or Educational Leadership; or a master’s in a relevant learning area with at least 15 units in Management
    Experience
    5 years of teaching, plus 3 years in school management and operations
    Training
    40 hours in curriculum, pedagogy, school management and operations, or instructional leadership, within the last 5 years

  • School Principal IVSalary grade 22

    Education
    Master’s in Education, Educational Management, or Educational Leadership; or a master’s in a relevant learning area with at least 18 units in Management
    Experience
    5 years of teaching, plus 4 years in school management and operations
    Training
    40 hours in curriculum, pedagogy, school management and operations, or instructional leadership, within the last 5 years
Principals appointed before the exam rule
Appointments made before a DepEd examination was required stay valid. Those principals need not pass any school head examination to be reclassified to higher School Principal positions.
On official leave
You may still be considered while on maternity leave, a scholarship, a training grant, or other CSC-authorized leave. The HRMPSB uses your rating from the last period before the leave.
Experience under the old standards
Principals promoted before DO 019, s. 2025 count as meeting its 5 years of teaching. Their experience at promotion, such as 1 year as Head Teacher or 2 years as Teacher-in-Charge, is treated as equivalent.

The school head assessment is now the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH), formerly the NQESH. Its domains come from the PPSSH, which also defines the career stages above.

The call for applications

Each cycle opens with a memorandum from the Schools Division Superintendent, issued no later than June 30. Read it closely: it sets the slots, the deadline, and the schedule.

What the memorandum contains

  • Number of slots for each School Principal position
  • Position title, salary grade, and monthly salary
  • CSC-approved qualification standards
  • Job description of the position
  • Documents to submit and the deadline
  • Schedule of application, assessment, and approval, including when evaluation results come out
  • Protocols for any assessment done remotely
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity clause
Where it is posted
In at least three conspicuous places in the division office, schools, and community learning centers, and online on the division’s website and social media.
How slots are set
The Superintendent sets the slots for each position on the HRMPSB’s recommendation, from the year’s budget allotment and the staffing standard for School Principal positions.
More than one call
Further calls may follow within the same year if funds allow.

What to submit

File the Reclassification Form for School Principal Positions (RFSPP) with the HRMO, through the Records Unit, by the deadline. Attach the documents below.

Required: documents a to k

  1. Letter of intentAddressed to the Schools Division Superintendent, stating your purpose and the position you are applying for
  2. Personal Data SheetCS Form 212, Revised 2025, with the Work Experience Sheet
  3. PRC license or IDPhotocopy, valid and updated
  4. Certificate of Competency LevelIf applicable: only once the Teacher Education Council issues these
  5. Academic recordsSpecial Orders, Transcript of Records, and diploma, including graduate units or degrees
  6. Service recordPhotocopy, duly signed
  7. Training certificatesNEAP-accredited programs, or relevant specialized training, if any
  8. Certificate of RatingIn the NQESH, the Principal’s Test, or another DepEd school head assessment
  9. Latest appointmentPhotocopy
  10. Performance ratingAt least Very Satisfactory, covering one complete rating period in your current position before the deadline
  11. Checklist and Omnibus Sworn StatementCertifies that your documents are authentic and gives data privacy consent, on the form in Annex C-2

For scoring: l. Means of verification (MOVs)

Proof of outstanding accomplishments, application of education, and application of learning and development since your last appointment, plus anything else the HRMPSB asks for. Leaving these out does not exclude you, but the three evidence criteria, worth 30 points, are scored only from them.

Incomplete means excluded
Missing any of documents a to k at the deadline keeps you out of the pool of official applicants. Missing MOVs does not, but those criteria then earn no points.
No late documents
Nothing is accepted after the deadline in the memorandum.
Online copies allowed
Electronic copies are accepted if they meet Section 7(a) of the Electronic Commerce Act (RA 8792). The HRMO may ask for hard copies to verify them.
You vouch for every page
A false or fraudulent document disqualifies you and can lead to administrative or criminal cases.
An application code
Each official applicant gets a code. Results are posted by code, so your name stays private.

Initial evaluation

The HRMO checks each application against the qualification standards, then verifies the school head assessment, and sorts applicants into two lists.

Qualified (Q)
Meets the qualification standards of the position and the school head assessment requirement. Goes on to the comparative assessment.
Disqualified (DQ)
Misses the qualification standards, the school head assessment requirement, or both. The process ends here for this cycle.
Posted for transparency
The Initial Evaluation Results go up in at least three conspicuous places. They show only application codes, qualifications, school head assessment, and the remark.
A written notice for everyone
You hear by personal service, mail, courier, or the office’s official email or social media. Calls and text messages only accompany these. Qualified applicants get a Notice to Qualified Applicants; others get a Letter to Disqualified Applicants.
The HRMO answers for it
The HRMO may consult the HRMPSB on hard cases, such as whether your training is relevant, but keeps full responsibility for the results and answers questions about them.

The comparative assessment

A special HRMPSB for school principal positions scores qualified applicants in an open ranking. It meets no earlier than 10 calendar days after the date in the call.

The special HRMPSB

Chairperson
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, who oversees the whole assessment
Members
  • Chief, School Governance and Operations Division
  • Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division
  • Administrative Officer V, Administrative Services Section
  • Administrative Officer IV (HRMO)
  • A representative of the accredited employees’ union or association for school heads
Quorum
A majority of the board, with the Chairperson present

What the board does

  1. Convenes applicants as a group to witness the paper evaluation
  2. Computes points for education, training, experience, and performance
  3. Rates outstanding accomplishments, application of education, and application of learning and development
  4. Runs other assessments as needed, such as a written examination, a Behavioral Events Interview, or a work sample test, to judge your potential and job, location, and organizational fit
  5. Shows you your results on the RFSPP for your signature
  6. Secures a Certificate of Availability of Funds from the Budget Officer
  7. Submits the ranked results and the Plantilla Allocation List to the Superintendent
Open ranking
Applicants witness the evaluation, and the scores of everyone present are disclosed. You may ask about your own results and acknowledge them there.
Signing your RFSPP
Your signature confirms the process and your points were discussed with you. It does not stop you from filing a protest.
An unsigned RFSPP
It does not delay the results. The board’s minutes stand as the record, and you are not a candidate until the issue is resolved.
Remote when needed
If meeting in person is not feasible, the board may hold the evaluation, interview, and ranking online. You may then submit a scanned, signed RFSPP.

Who may assess you

The Superintendent may name sub-committees to help the board. Their members come from assessors trained under the Career Progression Assessors Program, and the HRMPSB stays accountable for the results. Assessors of school head competencies must meet these criteria:

Experience
At least 5 years as a School Principal of higher rank than the position applied for, or at least 3 years in a supervisory post such as EPS with school management experience. Has observed classes, given feedback, and rated or validated IPCRFs.
Performance
At least Very Satisfactory for the past 3 years.
Training
Trained to implement the PPST, PPSSH, PPSS, or related competency assessment, and the RPMS or PMES.
Knowledge
Understands the professional standards and HR policies such as the Merit Selection Plan and the career progression policy, and works well in a pool of assessors.

The 100-point system

The HRMPSB compares qualified applicants on eight criteria. Performance carries the most weight, and 30 points depend on evidence you submit.

  • 10 points

    Education

    Relevant units and degrees above the standard

  • 10 points

    Training

    Relevant hours above the standard, after your last promotion and within 5 years

  • 10 points

    Experience

    Relevant experience above the standard

  • 25 points

    Performance

    Your latest one-year rating, at least Very Satisfactory

  • 10 points

    Outstanding accomplishments

    Recognized contributions since your last promotion

  • 10 points

    Application of education

    Results at work from your graduate studies

  • 10 points

    Application of learning and development

    Results at work from training you attended

  • 15 points

    Potential

    Written examination and Behavioral Events Interview

Education, training, and experience earn points only when relevant to the position and above its standard. Training and the three evidence criteria count only what you earned after your last promotion.

Education, training, and experience

Only what exceeds the qualification standard earns points. The board turns qualifications into levels, counts your levels above the standard, and reads the points from a rubric.

  1. Find the baseline

    The board places the position’s minimum standard on the increments tables. For School Principal I, a master’s degree is Level 21, 32 training hours Level 5, and 6 years of experience Level 13.

  2. Count your increments

    Your own qualifications get a level from the same tables. Each level above the baseline is one increment.

  3. Read the points

    Ten or more increments earn the full 10 points. Fewer than two earn none, so meeting the standard exactly scores zero.

Increments to points

10 or more increments
10 points
8 to 9 increments
8 points
6 to 7 increments
6 points
4 to 5 increments
4 points
2 to 3 increments
2 points
Fewer than 2 increments
0 points

The same rubric applies to all three.

Education levels

  1. Level 6Bachelor’s degree
  2. Level 7–196 to 42 units toward a master’s, one level per 3 units
  3. Level 20Complete academic requirements for a master’s
  4. Level 21Master’s degree
  5. Level 22–293 to 24 units toward a doctorate, one level per 3 units
  6. Level 30Complete academic requirements for a doctorate
  7. Level 31Doctorate

Training levels

Level 1 is under 8 hours. Each 8 hours adds a level, up to Level 31 at 240 hours or more.

Experience levels

Level 1 is under 6 months. Each 6 months adds a level, up to Level 31 at 15 years or more.

What earns the full 10 points

The baseline is the standard for the position; full points need 10 levels more. The order works this out for School Principal I. The other levels apply the same tables to their own standards, so confirm them with your HRMPSB.

  • School Principal I

    Education
    Master’s degree, Level 21, to a doctorate, Level 31
    Training
    32 hours to 112 hours
    Experience
    6 years to 11 years

  • School Principal II

    Education
    Master’s degree, Level 21, to a doctorate, Level 31
    Training
    32 hours to 112 hours
    Experience
    7 years to 12 years

  • School Principal III

    Education
    Master’s degree, Level 21, to a doctorate, Level 31
    Training
    40 hours to 120 hours
    Experience
    8 years to 13 years

  • School Principal IV

    Education
    Master’s degree, Level 21, to a doctorate, Level 31
    Training
    40 hours to 120 hours
    Experience
    9 years to 14 years

The order’s example: Applicant A for School Principal I

  • EducationMaster’s degree in Education and a PhD in EducationLevel 31 − 21 = 10 increments10 points
  • Training168 hours of relevant training since the last promotion. A 2017 seminar is more than 5 years old and does not count.Level 22 − 5 = 17 increments10 points
  • Experience20 years and 9 months as Teacher I to III, Head Teacher III, and Master Teacher ILevel 31 − 13 = 18 increments10 points
  • Education, training, and experience30 points of 30

How credentials are credited

  • Only qualifications relevant to the position earn points, and meeting the minimum earns zero.
  • Units and degrees in different majors add up if they are relevant and no subject repeats.
  • Training counts only if you completed it after your last promotion and within 5 years of the assessment date.
  • Relevant online training counts, subject to CSC Memorandum Circular No. 3, s. 2021.
  • Part-time work of at least 4 hours a day counts, converted to 8-hour days, with a Certificate of Employment that shows the hours.
  • Experience abroad counts with a Certificate of Employment. Documents not in English or Filipino need a full English translation.
  • Doctor of Medicine units or degrees may count as master’s, and law (LLB or JD) units or degrees as professional doctorate, for points only. Neither applies to positions whose practice falls under board laws.

Performance and potential

Your latest rating is worth up to 25 points by formula. Potential, worth 15, comes from a written examination and an interview, weighted differently for School Principal I.

Performance, up to 25 points

Points = your rating ÷ 5 × 25

A rating of 4.356 earns 21.78 points.

  • The rating comes from your IPCRF, or the school’s OPCRF, in your current position or a relevant previous one.
  • You need at least Very Satisfactory in the last rating period before the assessment, or the last one before an official leave.
  • After reclassification, the rating you had before it counts as your rating in the new position for a later promotion.

Potential, up to 15 points

Potential points by component and target position
ComponentSchool Principal ISchool Principal II to IV
Written examination105
Behavioral Events Interview510

Moving up the line, the interview counts for more and the written examination for less.

Written examination

For School Principal I, your score in the NQESH, the Principal’s Test, or a similar DepEd examination such as the NASH sets this component. A percentage score on your Certificate of Rating is multiplied by the weight.

Points = percentage score × 10

An 82.5% score earns 8.25 points.

For School Principal II to IV, the HRMPSB or subject matter experts it invites write the examination. It tests knowledge, language, presentation of ideas, judgment, and leadership.

Points = raw score ÷ total items × 5

85 of 100 earns 4.25 points.

Behavioral Events Interview

The panel asks how you acted in real situations at work, on the principle that past behavior predicts future performance. It uses the STAR approach: the Situation you faced, your Task, the Actions you took, and their Results. Prepare your examples in that shape.

Aptitude
Your capacity to take on the duties of the position and higher, more technical ones.
Characteristics or traits
Other relevant aspects, such as your psychological and social well-being.
Fitness
Your job fit, location fit, and organizational fit.

The board may add other areas. It sets the points for each, up to the component’s ceiling.

Education, training, experience, performance, and the written examination follow fixed formulas and cover 65 points. The other 35 depend on the evidence you submit and on the interview.

Accomplishments and applied learning

Thirty points depend on means of verification (MOVs): documents that prove what you achieved since your last promotion. A claim without its listed MOVs earns nothing.

Outstanding accomplishments, up to 10

Contributions recognized by an authorized body, such as ideas, inventions, or discoveries. They must link to the key result areas of your position and have improved efficiency, output, work standards, or savings. The components below add up, to a maximum of 10. A national individual award from a thorough search by CSC, Metrobank, NEDA, DAP, or DepEd earns all 10.

  • Awards and recognitionUp to 7 points

    Outstanding employee award

    Division-level search or higher
    4 points
    School, municipal, or district search
    2 points

    Means of verification

    • An issuance showing the search criteria
    • The certificate of recognition or merit

    Award as trainer or coach

    Champion or highest placer, national
    3 points
    Champion or highest placer, regional
    2 points
    Champion or highest placer, division or provincial
    1 point

    Means of verification

    • An issuance designating you as trainer or coach
    • The certificate as trainer or coach of the winner

    In a contest that advances from division to national level, only your highest level counts. Among awards from different award-giving bodies, only the highest counts.

  • Research and innovationUp to 4 points

    By the MOVs you submit

    A, B, C, and D; or A, B, C, and E
    4 points
    A, B, and C
    3 points
    A and B
    2 points
    A only
    1 point

    Means of verification

    • A. Proposal approved by the head of office or research committee (DO 16, s. 2017)
    • B. Accomplishment report verified by the head of office
    • C. Certification that your school or office uses it
    • D. Certification that another school or office adopted it
    • E. Proof that other approved research cites it

    For joint work, the points are divided by the number of authors on the copyright page.

  • Subject matter expert or national TWG memberUp to 3 points

    By the MOVs you submit

    All three MOVs
    3 points
    The issuance and certificate only
    2 points

    Means of verification

    • An issuance showing your membership
    • The certificate of participation or attendance
    • The output, or its adoption by DepEd or the organization

    The work must be at the national level, such as writing or validating policies, frameworks, or learning materials, and relevant to the position.

  • Resource speaker or learning facilitatorUp to 2 points

    By level

    Division level or higher
    2 points
    School, municipal, or district
    1 point

    Means of verification

    • The issuance, invitation, or training matrix
    • The certificate of recognition or appreciation
    • Your slide deck or session guide

    All three MOVs are required. Seminars, conferences, and LAC sessions all count.

  • NEAP-accredited learning facilitatorUp to 2 points

    By accreditation

    Accredited National Assessor
    2 points
    Accredited National Trainer
    1.5 points
    Accredited Regional Trainer
    1 point

    Means of verification

    • Certificate of recognition as learning facilitator from the NEAP Regional or Central Office

Application of educationUp to 10 points

What you contributed at work from your graduate units or degrees: concepts, processes, or skills that led to significant positive results.

Means of verification

  • A. Action plan approved by the head of office
  • B. Accomplishment report verified by the head of office
  • C. Certification of use or adoption, signed by the head of office
Application of education points by the MOVs submitted
MOVs submittedRelevantNot relevant
All MOVs105
A and B73
A only51

Application of learning and developmentUp to 10 points

Proven success from training and other development you attended, which led to significant positive results at work.

Means of verification

  • A. Training certificate aligned with your Individual Development Plan
  • B. Action plan, re-entry action plan, job-embedded learning, or impact project, approved by the head of office
  • C. Accomplishment report and certification that your office used it
  • D. Accomplishment report and certification that another office, at your level or higher, adopted it
Application of learning and development points by the MOVs submitted
MOVs submittedRelevantNot relevant
All MOVs105
A, B, and C73
A and B51

An intervention is relevant when it applies directly to the unit where the position sits, under that unit’s official mandate; for a School Principal, that is the school. Anything else is scored as not relevant.

Results and the queue

Within 7 calendar days after the last assessment, the board prepares the Comparative Assessment Results for Expanded Reclassification (CAReER) for each position, in two copies.

The public copy
Lists candidates by application code, in no particular order, with each criterion’s score, the total, and remarks. It stays posted in at least three places for at least 10 calendar days.
The Superintendent’s copy
Ranks candidates from highest to lowest total, with the Plantilla Allocation List of those the slots cover. The Superintendent checks that funds are spread fairly across positions, then endorses it.
Remarks that guide approval
The board may note your potential and your job, organizational, and location fit to guide the Superintendent’s review.

If the slots run out before your name

Not being accommodated this year does not send you back to the start.

  1. Valid until exhausted

    A position’s CAReER stays valid until every candidate on it has been accommodated.

  2. First in line next year

    Candidates not accommodated stay in the queue. They skip reassessment and are reclassified before any new applicant.

  3. Carry over or update

    In a later cycle for the same position, you may carry over your scores, update your credentials, or both. Submit a letter of intent and your latest performance rating.

  4. Vacancies stay open to you

    You may still apply for vacant positions. For an equivalent vacant School Principal position, you may carry over your CAReER scores the same way.

Questions about the process or your results go to the HRMPSB within 5 calendar days of the CAReER posting. The board answers in writing within 3 to 7 calendar days, and reclassification continues in the meantime.

From division to appointment

Selected candidates pass through the division, the Regional Office, and the DBM. Two dates are fixed: November 30 for the regional list and March 30 the next year for appointments.

  1. HRMPSB

    Submits the signed CAReER, the Plantilla Allocation List, and every applicant’s RFSPP to the Superintendent.

  2. Schools Division Superintendent

    Recommends candidates to the Regional Director, based on the CAReER, the funds the Budget Officer certifies, and the staffing standard.

  3. Teacher Credentials Evaluator

    Evaluates the documents at the Regional Office against the qualification standards and performance requirement.

  4. Regional HRMO and Chief Administrative Officer

    Review and countersign the RFSPP and the allocation list. The Chief Administrative Officer certifies the RFSPP.

  5. Regional Director

    Approves the RFSPP, the allocation list, the report on School Principal positions, and the transmittal letter.

  6. DBM Regional Office

    Receives the list by November 30, processes it, and issues the NOSCA through its Action Document Releasing System.

  7. Schools Division Office

    Prepares your appointment papers under the CSC rules, issues them by March 30 of the next year, and adjusts your salary.

What the division sends to the Regional Office

By the deadline in the regional memorandum. The Regional Director then sends the approved list, the report on School Principal positions, and the lump-sum status to the DBM.

  • Endorsement letter signed by the Superintendent
  • RFSPP of each qualified applicant
  • Signed CAReER and Plantilla Allocation List
  • Certified ePSIPOP pages naming the candidates
  • Certificate of Availability of Funds and the latest lump-sum status report
  • Certified copy of the Sub-ARO
  • Each candidate’s PDS, academic records, service record, training certificates, and Certificate of Rating
  • Report on the Number of School Principal Positions in the division
  • Special Transfer Order, if positions are transferred
  • Quantum leap justification, if applicable

The Superintendent, as appointing authority, is accountable for the appointments and answers queries and complaints about them. Every other appointment rule in the DepEd Merit Selection Plan and the CSC rules still applies.

Salary after reclassification

Reclassification to a higher position moves you to its salary grade. Your step within the grade, and the money behind it, follow the Joint Circular’s rules.

Step 1 of the new grade
When reclassification moves you to a higher position, the Joint Circular sets your salary at step 1 of the new salary grade, applying the promotion rules of DBM Budget Circular No. 2019-1.
Step increments start over
Step increments for length of service count from your appointment to the new position. Steps you earned before do not carry over.
Retitling keeps your pay
If your position is only retitled, you keep your present salary rate, including step increments.
Paid from a yearly lump sum
Approved reclassifications are charged to the Lump-sum for the Reclassification of Positions in the General Appropriations Act. Applicants not accommodated in earlier years come first.

School Principal salary grades

  • School Principal ISG 19Same grade as Master Teacher II
  • School Principal IISG 20Same grade as Master Teacher III
  • School Principal IIISG 21Same grade as Master Teacher IV
  • School Principal IVSG 22Same grade as Master Teacher V

Salary grade rates change with the law, so the call for applications states each position’s current monthly salary. Ask your division’s personnel or budget office how the step rules apply to your present salary.

Transition rules for incumbents

Until February 24, 2028, Head Teachers and Assistant School Principals are on-stream candidates with priority for School Principal positions. After that, their paths into the line close.

  1. February 25, 2025Transition begins
  2. March 12, 2025The IRR of EO 174 takes effect
  3. February 24, 2028Transition ends

Special School Principals I and II

  • You are retitled to the equivalent School Principal position once you meet the qualification standards. Until then, you keep your title.
  • You need neither the school head assessment nor an HRMPSB assessment, because you already perform a school head’s functions.

Assistant School Principals II and III, and Head Teacher VI

  • If you meet the qualification standards and passed the school head assessment, you are retitled to School Principal I or II without an HRMPSB assessment, and assigned to a school in the division without a principal item.
  • If every school already has a principal item, you keep your title and serve as Assistant School Head or Department Head in your school until a School Principal vacancy opens. You get priority for it if you are among the top 5 or top-ranking candidates.
  • If you miss the standards or have not passed, you are retitled to Master Teacher II or III and become an on-stream candidate for School Principal.

Assistant School Principal I, Assistant Special School Principal I, and Head Teachers I to V

  • You may keep your title or be retitled to the equivalent Teacher or Master Teacher position. You can request retitling any time before the transition ends.
  • Either way, you are an on-stream candidate, with priority for reclassification to School Principal I without passing through Master Teacher I.
Priority for School Principal
On-stream candidates get priority in reclassification, and in natural vacancies when they are among the top 5 or top-ranking candidates.
Development first
NEAP prioritizes on-stream candidates for the professional development that prepares full-fledged principals.
Keep leading your school
If you manage a school, you keep your School Head designation there during the transition. If it ends without your reclassification and a principal has been appointed, you are designated Assistant School Head in a school with more than 1,000 learners.
After February 24, 2028
You are no longer on-stream. A kept title that has not advanced or been retitled becomes co-terminus with you (CTI), and you may then be promoted only through natural vacancies.

Vacant Special School Principal and Assistant School Principal II and III items convert to School Principal I; vacant Head Teacher and Assistant School Principal I items convert to Teacher I. The NASH guide lists how every Head Teacher and Assistant School Principal level is retitled.

Common questions

Short answers drawn from the issuances. Your division office has the final word on your case.

Prepare for the NASH

Make your NASH score count

Every first appointment to School Principal needs a pass in the school head assessment, and for School Principal I the score follows you into the ranking. Build your readiness before your division’s next call.

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Practice scores are study aids, not official NASH ratings.

Sources

This guide summarizes these DepEd and government issuances. Check the official text and your division’s memorandum before you act on any rule.

  • DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Enclosure No. 3Guidelines on the Reclassification to School Principal Positions: the call, documents, initial evaluation, comparative assessment, rubrics, CAReER, approval, and appointment.
  • DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Enclosure No. 1General guidelines on the Expanded Career Progression System: career lines, promotion limits, staffing standards, and transitory provisions.
  • DepEd-DBM Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025Form No. 1-B on which positions can be reclassified to each School Principal level, plus the reclassification process, compensation, and funding.
  • DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025Adopts CSC Resolution No. 2500471, the qualification standards for School Principal I to IV.
  • DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2024Item 27: every first appointment to a School Principal position requires a pass in the school head assessment.
  • Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, and its IRREstablish the Expanded Career Progression System and the three-year transition.

For official questions, contact the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development, Human Resource Development Division, at bhrod.hrdd@deped.gov.ph, or visit the official DepEd website. NASH Reviewer is not affiliated with DepEd, BHROD, or NEAP.