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How Should School Priorities be Established and Why?

upon what basis do you believe school priorities should be established?

Do you know how to answer this difficult principal interview question: What basis do you believe school priorities should be established?

It is essential that the response you give to the job interview question is truthful, relevant to the position, and shows value to the school district. The following could be a possible answer or provide some ideas for you to tailor your response.

I believe that school priorities should be established using evidence-informed processes and tools to evaluate school performance and self-assessing to identify school priorities. Think about the top factors to achieve student success.

Using the School Improvement Framework can assist in these matters, as the framework will help examine a school’s programs and practices critically. School priorities should be established across four main disciplines: learning and teaching, leading and managing, student environment, parental relationships, and community involvement. Once a school has self-assessed using the School Improvement Framework as a basis, it can then decide which areas need to focus its priorities on moving forward in a positive direction.

In addition to priorities focused specifically on school improvement, some priorities should be established that are less concrete and more about ensuring a positive learning environment. For instance, if the school is very multicultural or has issues with bullying, then a major priority should be on self-esteem, acceptance, and societal responsibility. This emphasizes the importance of taking into account other influences on the school community outside of just academics.

Another question to consider the panel asking in the interview is, can a school be too student-centered?

There are many other school administrator questions and potential answers on this site. You may wish to review a few more.