The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which assistant principals perceive themselves to be instructional leaders and the degree to which they respond to their job responsibilities as instructional leaders or as disciplinarians. Data were collected from Illinois assistant principals invited to complete the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) (Hallinger, 1982, 1990) and from assistant principals who volunteered to be interviewed and to be observed at work for a day. Analyses of PIMRS responses yielded the highest means in Supervise and Evaluate Instruction and Protect Instructional Time. Findings from interviews and observations supported the survey results with a majority of principals engaged in supervision and evaluation of instruction. However, few assistant principals who handled discipline issues expressed or exhibited protection of instructional time.