Are you interviewing for a social work job within a school setting?
If yes, you may want to prepare yourself for questions specific to this area… As Arthur Ashe articulately states: “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”
In 40 Interview Questions Every Social Worker Needs to Know, we addressed the general questions you could expect to encounter.
Below are 21 questions specific for a school social worker position. If you think out in advance how you may respond to these questions, you will be well-prepared!
21 Questions Every School Social Worker May Expect:
- What is your background in working with children who exhibit social/emotional problems in a school or other setting?
- How would you assess the needs of a child who is being referred by a classroom teacher or parent?
- How familiar are you with special education law?
- What are the key rules for determining if a child meets the criteria for an emotional disturbance?
- What types of intervention strategies would you use in the school setting for students with: (one of the following: emotional problems, behavior problems, school phobia, eating disorders, attention deficit disorder, divorce, etc.)
- We often are confronted with multiple situations at once. How would you prioritize handling an upset parent, a crying student, and 2 colleagues ready to get into fight who are wishing to see you?
- What kind of experience do you have in terms of working collaboratively with other professionals?
- What do you know about this school/district that you consider a strength/weakness?
- What experiences have you had working with parents? What do you see as the role of parents in the education of their children and the degree of their involvement in the school setting?
- What role do you think the School Social Worker can play in preventing violence?
- Do you have any experience or interest in getting involved in any extracurricular activities?
- What do you see as the main role of a school social worker:
In an IEP meeting?
Developing a positive school climate?
Reporting abuse/neglect?
Talking to a disgruntled parent?
Providing prevention, assessment, intervention, and referral services to the school community at the school-wide, targeted and intensive levels?
Case Scenario Examples:
- You have been asked to facilitate a small group to teach social skills. How would you proceed?
- A student comes to you and tells you that a friend is thinking of killing herself. What would you do?
- Parents of a student with an IEP with whom you work are calling you and the teacher at least weekly, saying they are upset with their child’s program and is bad-mouthing the teacher to you. What steps might you take to resolve this conflict?
- You hear from a teacher that “Jimmy” has increasingly aggressive behavior toward others. He is not on an IEP. The teacher has asked him to stop, but the situation is getting worse. How would you handle this?
- A middle school student tells you she is pregnant. How would you respond and why?
- A student tells you he/she is being abused. What would you do?
More experienced interviewees may also be asked:
- Describe an IEP goal you would write to address a student with a serious emotional disturbance.
- Briefly describe what a Positive Behavior Intervention Plan is. Have you ever written one? Describe.
- What is your experience with 504 accommodation plans?
- Are you familiar with FERPA? How might FERPA impact the role of a school social worker?
Lastly, you may find A Toolbox for New School Social Workers helpful both for your interview preparation and your actual work.
Are there any questions that you would add to this list?
Sources:
INSSWA (2012). A School social work resource for school social workers.
School Social Work Association of America (n.d.). School social worker sample interview questions.
Note: The above list is a modified variation based upon the lists put together by INSSWA and the School Social Work Association of America.
These are very good and thorough questions. These questions make you think, which is a good thing.
Thank you for your kind feedback. Are there any questions you have been asked that aren’t on this list?
I recently had a phone interview with a charter school for a School Social Worker position and I found these questions to be very helpful, Here are some questions that I was asked: 1) What challenges do you expect working with a high-needs population?
2) Why do you want to work with this specific population (insert K-5, 6-8 HS)?
I’m so glad that you found this post helpful.
Thank you for being so kind as to share some of the questions you were asked 🙂 The more we can all share with one another this type of information, the more we all benefit.
thank you so much for posting these questions. i am a student and i have an interview with a national daily tomorrow regarding a teching program in rural areas. im sure these questions are going to help me. this is kind of a thorough revision for an exam! 🙂
It was my pleasure, Meghna 🙂
Good luck on your upcoming interview!
These are really great questions. All I need now are the answers.:) Are your listed sources good for the answers as well?
Thank you, I liked your questions, I feel they can help discern between knowledge and experience as well. Well thought out.
Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Desta 🙂 Do you have experience working in this area?
Thank you so much. I have an interview next week and this gives me a chance to think ahead of time and prepare myself.
I’m so glad that you found this post helpful 🙂
Wishing you the best of luck on your upcoming interview!
Know the school’s mission statement. How will you as a social worker meet their mission statement?
Hi Gina,
I love that additional question you added. That question gives you the opportunity to demonstrate how you’ve done your research about the school and how you will apply what you know and can offer to fulfilling their goals/mission.
Thanks so much!
Can I get the answer to these questions. I would not use them word for word. I am new in this field and interned as a school social worker and had a leave replacement position. I don’t know the answer to half of these questions and don’t know how I would go about finding them. Please help. Great questions! but they make me feel incompetent. I have an upcoming interview!
Hi Deidre,
I’m afraid I don’t have the time to research and answer all of these questions but I did find for you the following key resources that could help you construct responses to at least some of the above questions:
1) National Center for Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org < this site has a huge amount of information on IDEA, IEPs, and Section 504 Plans including some webinars (from the perspective of the parent, healthcare professional and educator) > two helpful sister sites https://www.understood.org/en and http://www.rtinetwork.org
2) 7 Assessment Tools to Identify Strengths in Students with Special Needs (and All Kids) [helpful blog post] http://edge.ascd.org/blogpost/7-assessment-tools-to-identify-strengths-in-students-with-special-needs-and-all-kids
Lastly, please do not feel that you would be incompetent if you cannot respond or know all the answers to the above questions. If you are asked and you are able to know a bit about the different accommodations and at least recognize some of the key terms, it shows you’ve taken an interest… and later when/if something is asked that you have no clue, express interest in what it is and demonstrate how much you are interested and willing to learn… [no one expects a new person entering the field to know everything, but taking some time to prepare and having the right attitude are key].
If possible, please come back to share what questions you were asked so that everyone may benefit 🙂
Wishing you the best of luck!
Thank you so much for this!!! I interviewed for a school social worker position two weeks ago and got the job (how, I do not know). I prepared by knowing more about the facility that hired me (it’s a contract job through a mental health agency) and more about what the job description was for this position. Then I researched on the internet “how to be a school social worker” and jotted down some basic information. I went into the job interview with five pages of notes! I wanted to be prepared for case specific questions and sceneries. Fortunately, the only question that was asked was about my strengths. I simply responded that I love children! Lol!! But all of the above questions concern me because I don’t know the answer to them. I feel frightened and incompetent. The only thing I know to do is simply ask for guidance from my supervisor. I will be training with her for awhile. I would love to print this article and share with my supervisor to get extra training. Would that be appropriate?
Congratulations, Brenda!
I’m so happy for you. Thank you for sharing your interviewing experience. Please do not worry about the answers to these questions… You were hired for the job and will now receive the required training that you need in order to perform your job well. Instead of bringing this list of questions with you when you start your job, I would bring a pad with you so that you can take notes of the things she shares with you when you start. When the time is right, you can also ask her what criteria would be used to evaluate your performance (and when) and then if you have any questions about those evaluation factors (or how to bring them up to speed), you could express your interest and desire to receive further training and guidance in those areas… The important thing is to demonstrate your ability to get along well with children, faculty and parents and your interest to learn and grow… You weren’t hired for what you know already but rather for your potential. If you can, please come back after you’ve been working for a few weeks/months and let us know how things are going. Wishing you the best of luck!
Thank you so much! You are so positive and encouraging, and I greatly appreciate that. Yes, I was uncertain about showing my supervisor all these questions. I wasn’t sure how that would come across. You gave wonderful advice!!! I will check back in a few weeks/months. If I forget and you happen to remember, send me a note.
I was glad to be of help, Brenda 🙂
wow am loving this so educative and informative
Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Nainyeyie!