Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals

Principal of the Year Awards

An affilliate of

Welcome to the 2025 Dave M. Backer Missouri Assistant Principal of the Year (APOY) and Jim L. King Missouri Principal of the Year (POY) recognition programs! These programs honor exceptional secondary school administrators who excel in delivering high-quality learning experiences and make outstanding contributions to the profession. Each year, the State APOY and POY winners are submitted for consideration at the national level.

If you haven’t registered yet, click “Register” on the left navigation to begin your application. Eligibility criteria and a rubric are available to guide you in meeting the standards used for application scoring. Once registered, you may access the application page to start the process.

If you have questions about the deadline or application process, please contact Clark Mershon at [email protected]or call 573-445-5071. For more information on past Missouri recipients, visit Missouri POY.

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About Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals:

The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals (MoASSP) is a professional organization committed to the on-going improvement of secondary education, the professional development of middle level and high school principals and assistant principals, and programs for the youth of Missouri. The mission of MoASSP is to improve secondary education through positive leadership and the enhancement of student performance. MoASSP is the only Association in Missouri serving the professional needs of principals and assistant principals of the state’s middle level and high schools with programs designed by secondary school administrators for secondary school administrators. MoASSP serves as a true proponent for the principalship by providing a voice for secondary school administrators where educational decisions are made. MoASSP members guide and direct the efforts of its officers, staff, and representatives in a manner conducive to the maintenance and improvement of the professional position of the principalship.

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