Brian Zawislak

EA – 8800
Interview Questions
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Rationale: Background of the candidate and learn about how their educational experiences
Deeper Tag: How have your professional/career experiences prepared you for this position?

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

Background Experience
1. Tell us about yourself.
2. How have your
professional/career
experiences prepared you for
this position?
- Candidate has not
completed graduate work
with administration.
- Candidate gives little to no
information on background
experience
- Candidate shows little to no
enthusiasm on becoming an
administrator.
- Candidate has completed
graduate work and degree.
- Candidate has limited
experience in administration
- Candidate responds to
question, but does not give
clear examples as to how their
experiences prepared them
for an admin position
- Candidate has administrative - Candidate has several years
experience and has attended of administrative experience
several professional and comes highly regarded
development activities. amongst peers.
- Candidate gives clear and - Candidate’s experiences
specific response to their show a purpose of his or her
story. job and seeks to better him or
herself.

2. What do you think is an administrator’s number one priority and why?

Rationale: Safety and security of students and staff
Deeper dig: What methods have you used/will you use to ensure a safe learning environment?

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

Safe & Security of Students &
Staff
1. What do you think is an
administrator’s number one
priority and why?
2. What methods have you
used/will you use to ensure a
safe learning environment?
- Candidate gives little to no
information on priorities.
- Candidate shows little to no
enthusiasm about a priority.
- Candidate makes no mention
of safety & security.
- Candidate has several
priorities but does not
elaborate on a single one.
- Candidate makes mention of
safety & security.
- Candidate responds to the
safety and security question
but does not elaborate on it.
- Candidate gives clear and
specific response to their
priority and the why.
- In their response about
safety and security, the
candidate describes what a
safe and secure learning
environment feels like.
- Candidate gives a clear and
specific response that states
safety and security is their top
priority.
- Candidate discusses safety
and security and provides
examples about how they’ve
been involved implementing
procedures to ensure it.
 3. In an era where social-emotional well-being is a top priority, talk about an experience where you worked with
student and their family get through a difficult situation?
Rationale: Gauge knowledge of social-emotional well-being
Deeper dig: What kind of things can you do to develop a culture where students feel connected to the building?

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

Knowledge of Social-
Emotional Well-Being
1. Talk about an experience
where you worked with a
student through a difficult
situation.
2. What kind of things can you
do to develop a culture where
students feel connected?
- Candidate is not able to talk
about a social-emotional
experience with a student.
- Candidate is unable to come
up with ideas to connect
student with the building.
- Candidate is able to share a
social-emotional experience
with a student.
- Candidate is able to come
with idea(s) but fails to discuss
how they might go about
acting on the ideas
- Candidate is able to
elaborate on a social-
emotional experience that
resulted in a successful
outcome.
- Candidate is able to come up
with ideas and elaborates on
how they can act on the ideas.
- Candidate is able to elaborate
on a social-emotional experience
that resulted in a successful
outcome, which involved working
with the student’s family.
- Candidate is able to speak about
ideas, provide evidence as to why
the ideas will work, and has an
action plan for implementing the
ideas.

4. Talk about how you have developed staff knowledge to incorporate new pedagogical practices.
Rationale: Knowledge of pedagogical practices
Deeper dig: We pride ourselves on providing experiences for our students to engage in active learning. What does
active learning mean to you?

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

Knowledge of pedagogical
practices
1. Talk about how you have
developed staff knowledge to
incorporate new pedagogical
practices
2. What does active learning
mean to you?
- Candidate has little to no
experience leading staff in
developing new practices.
- Candidate is not able to talk
about different types of
pedagogical practices that
incorporates active learning.
- Candidate has worked with
others to developed
knowledge for new
pedagogical practices.
- Candidate is able to describe
what active learning looks,
sounds, and feels like but does
not elaborate any further.
- Candidate has led staff
development and provides
specific examples of that
work.
- Candidate is able to speak
about a specific experience
where they were involved in
an active learning experience.
- Candidate has led staff
development, provides specific
examples, and elaborates on the
results of the development.
- Candidate is able to speak about
research-based programs for
developing active learning and
shares experiences on how they
were involved with the process.
 5. What do you believe has the greatest impact on student achievement and why?
Rationale: Cause of student achievement.
Deeper dig: As an administrator, how can you impact student achievement? What role do parents play in student
achievement?
Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished
Cause of student achievement - Candidate makes no mention - Candidate mentions teachers - Candidate has led staff - Candidate has led staff
1. What do you believe has the of teachers. but is not able to provide development and provides development, provides specific
greatest impact on student - Candidate provides a list of evidence as to why they are specific examples of that examples, and elaborates on the
achievement and why? ways without a specific focus the greatest impact. work. results of the development.
2. As an admin, how can you for admin and parent - Candidate is able to speak - Candidate is able to speak - Candidate is able to speak about
impact student achievement? questions. about either a specific about a specific experience research-based programs to
3. What role do parents play in example where an admin where they impacted student involve parents, provides
student achievement? impacted student learning or learning and engaged parents example(s) of a specific use, and
how to engage parents. too. elaborates on the results.

6. Tell us about your experience evaluating teachers. How do you work with them to build their practice?
Rationale: Experience managing and developing individuals
Deeper dig: If you noted concerns with a teacher’s performance during a classroom observation or walk-through,
what are your next steps?

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

Experience managing and
developing individuals
1. How do you work with them
to build their practice?
2. What are your next steps?
- Candidate has little to no
experience evaluating
teachers.
- Candidate is unable to come
up with a next step or
develops a next step that will
not help the situation.
- Candidate has worked
evaluating teachers and is able
to site an example of where a
teacher developed.
- Candidate is able to come up
with the next steps to address
the concerns.
- Candidate has years of
working with teachers, talks
about a tool to build teacher
capacity, and can site an
example of where a teacher
developed.
- Candidate is able to come up
with the next steps to address
the concerns and speak about
a specific experience.
- Candidate has years of working
with teachers, has multiple tools
to build their capacity, and can
site multiple examples where
teachers have developed under
their guidance.
- Candidate is able to come up
with the next steps to address the
concerns, speak about a specific
experience, and elaborate on the
results.
 7. What is your philosophy on student discipline?
Rationale: Experience with student discipline and the impact on culture and climate.
Deeper dig: Discuss your knowledge with restorative practices.
Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished
Experience with student - Candidate makes mention of - Candidate discusses the - Candidate discusses the - Candidate discusses the impact
discipline. the impact of student impact of student discipline on impact of student discipline on of student discipline on the
1. What is your philosophy on discipline on the individual or the individual and the system the individual and the system individual and the system,
student discipline? the system. - Candidate has some and provides an example they provides an example they were
2. Discuss your knowledge of - Candidate has no knowledge knowledge of restorative were involved with. involved with, and talks about the
restorative practices? of restorative practices practices - Candidate has utilized results of the experience.
restorative practices in their - Candidate has made common
own work and provide a use of restorative practices, citing
specific example. examples, and has led learning
around restorative practices with
staff.
8. Define the administrator’s role in continuing education.
Rationale:
Digging deeper: Please briefly describe a recent professional development experience in which you participated. In
what ways have you incorporated this PD into the work you do in your current position?

Admin as the instructional
leader
1. Define the administrator’s
role in continuing education.
2. What new types of
professional development
have you found lately?
3. In what ways have you
incorporated this PD into the
work you do in your current
position
- Candidate gives little
thought or no response to
question.
- Candidate does not find an
importance in continuing
education or professional
development.
- Candidate is unable to bring
up any previous PD.
- Candidate discusses this
topic with a negative attitude.
- Candidate expresses an
importance of continuous
learning but does not give
complete information on why.
- Candidate struggles to name
or give specific examples of PD
experiences.
- Candidate provides surface
level response about how PD
is incorporated into current
position.
- Candidate shows
enthusiasm towards
continuous learning
- Candidate is able to give
several examples of various
types of professional
development.
- Candidate provides specific
examples about how PD has
been incorporated in their
current position.
- Candidate is extremely
passionate on continuous
growth and continues to seek
learning opportunities
- Candidate gives several
specific examples of
professional development that
works and does not work.
-Candidate provides specific
examples and has lead
learning about how a specific
PD has been incorporated in
their current position.
 9. What does a successful building look like, how would you measure that, and why?
Rationale: Ability to analyze data
Deeper dig: What measures would you use to assess your own success as an administrator and why?
Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished
Ability to analyze data - Candidate is able to define - Candidate is able to define - Candidate is able to define - Candidate is able to define
1. What measures would you success, but is unable to success and develop a list of success, develop a list of tools, success, develop tools they would
use to assess the success of the develop a list of tools and the tools, but is unable to and discusses why they would use to measure success, discuss
building and why? why. articulate why they use those use those tools. why they would use those tools,
2. What measures would you tools. and provide specific examples in
use to assess your own success their own work.
as an administrator and why?

10.What are your long-term professional goals?

Rationale: Admin as a learner
Deeper Tag: Where do you see yourself in 5 – 10 years?

Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished

Admin as a learner
1. What are your long-term
professional goals?
2.Where do you see yourself
in 5 – 10 years?
- Candidate shows little to no
enthusiasm on continuing
with course work or makes no
mention of it.
- Candidate has no further
plans beyond the current
position they are applying for.
- Candidate shows enthusiasm - Candidate has enthusiasm - Candidate has enthusiasm for
for continuing course work for continuing course work continuing course work, has a
but has no plan as to what and has a program of study program of study in mind, and
kind of course work they they would like to pursue. knows where they would like to
would like to do. - Candidate has plans to seek a pursue the program.
- Candidate has plans to seek a district director. - Candidate has plans to seek a
similar position at a different position at a central office position.
level.