Leadership role
Academic Director
Directs the academic program of a school or educational program, including its curriculum and instruction.
Reporting and scope
Usually reports to the Head of School / Principal, Executive Director / CEO or a Provost / Academic VP. Authority covers curriculum, teaching staff and academic standards for the program, not the business side of the organization.
Core responsibilities
- Sets curriculum and course sequences, and reviews them against state standards or accreditor expectations
- Hires, supervises and evaluates teachers or instructors
- Leads assessment of student learning and uses results to adjust instruction
- Prepares academic sections of accreditation self-studies and site visits
- Oversees academic calendars, schedules and student placement
- Reports outcomes that grant funders or public agencies require
How it differs
The Head of School / Principal runs the whole school, including budget, enrollment and families; the Academic Director owns instruction only. The Director of Education usually runs public or community education programs rather than a formal academic curriculum, and a Dean / Associate Dean leads an academic unit inside a college or university.
By organization size
In small schools and after-school or charter programs the role often teaches or doubles as assistant principal. In larger networks it sets academic policy across several campuses and manages curriculum and assessment staff.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Director of Academics; Academic Director; Director of Academic Affairs; Director of Academic Programs; Academic Dir.; Managing Director of Academics