[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-584838-105":59,"doc-detail-584838-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","choosing-a-school-top-priorities-and-key-questions","Choosing a School - Top Priorities and Key Questions","","A structured guide for parents in Duval County to evaluate schools using clear questions and priorities. It outlines top universal factors in school choice, including strong core academics in math and reading, emphasis on STEM skills, habits that support critical thinking and study, and strong communication instruction. The guide expands into additional areas—non-core academics, extracurricular access, student belonging, and student-to-personnel support—explaining the reasons behind each inquiry.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/choosing-a-school-top-priorities-and-key-questions/584838/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/choosing-a-school-top-priorities-and-key-questions/584838.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Sophia Brooks","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-09","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What top priorities should parents consider when choosing a school?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Parents should consider strong core academics in math and reading, an emphasis on STEM skills, encouragement of critical thinking and study habits, and excellent communication skills in both verbal and written forms.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What questions can parents ask about STEM and course offerings?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Parents can ask what specific STEM courses are offered for their child’s grade and beyond, whether STEM skills are emphasized in non-STEM courses, and whether internships or certifications support STEM career pathways.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Why do extracurriculars, non-core academics, and student belonging matter in school selection?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The document explains that non-core courses can build useful skills and confidence, extracurricular programs help students develop motivation and social integration, and stronger student belonging is linked to higher motivation, engagement, and lower truancy rates.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},584838,1792547140,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":34,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962084925636,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","Choosing a School  \nIn Duval County today, parents are presented with more options than ever and sorting through the education landscape has been described as a“full time job.”Below are some factors and questions, based on previous conversations with parents, to consider asking schools about when making this important decision.  \nTop Priorities  \nPrevious research has found top priorities for all parents, regardless of race, household income, political ideaologies, or what type of school students attend, when choosing a school:  \nStrong core academicsin math and reading  \nAn emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills  \nEncouragement of critical thinking and study habits  \nEncouragement of excellent communication skills, verbal and written  \nResearch also shows there are a variety of other factors parents consider depending on the specific strengths, needs, and interests of their individual children. Continue reading for questions you can choose to add to your list if that factor is important to you and your child.  \nAdditional Priorities and Questions  \nPriority Area and Questions Reasons for Asking  \nStrong Core Academics  \nHow do you know your school is strong in mathematics?  \nHow do you know that students are doing well?  \nHow will you communicate academic successes and struggles to me and my child?  \nEmphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)  \nWhat specific STEM courses do you offer for my child’s grade and beyond?  \nAre STEM skills emphasized in non-STEM courses?  \nDo you offer internships or certifications offered for STEM careers?  \nSchools with a focus on academics may explain how those are being measured/approved by a district, statewide, or national standard; make performance comparisons to similar sized schools or districts; bring up school grades; or by their own evidence informed standards. Schools with a focus on academics should also communicate student performance, positive and negative, to parents regularly so that parents can readily support where needed.  \nSchools that emphasize STEM might mention: increasing the number of STEM specific courses being offered/required (e.g., computer science, robotics); offering certifications that will set students up for STEM careers; encouraging skills essential to STEM careers, like critical thinking, throughout all courses; and having partnerships with businesses in the community for internships or work placement.  \nNon-Core Academic Offerings  \nDo you have a course in_____ ? (fill in the blank with child’s specific interest)  \nWho decides what non-core classes are offered?  \nHow often are students attending non-core academic courses?  \nWhat is the likelihood they will continue to be offered for the next 5 years?  \nWHY  \nGrowing research suggests that non-core academic courses such as music, art, carpentry, and dance foster skills and experiences that students say they use more often in their lives than skills gained in core classes. Some schools even take student input into account for non-core classes to help develop leadership and confidence. As these types of courses have received less attention and priority than core classes, they are not guaranteed to be in every school or for multiple years.  \nAccess to specific extracurricular activities  \nDo you have a ____sports team? (fill in the blank with child’s specific interest)  \nDo you offer   ? (fill in the blank with child’s specific interest for example art, dance, etc.)  \nHow long have these activities been around?  \nWhat is the likelihood they will continue to be offered for the next 5 years?  \nAccess to opportunies for broadening extracurricular interests  \nWhat other extracurriculars do you offer?  \nCan students take multiple extracurriculars?  \nWhat is the likelihood they will continue to be offered for the next 5 years?  \nWHY  \nAcademic success in isolation does not always transfer to navigating work or school post K-12 . Research suggests that other ","cbCaibvyDuUrWJdz","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibvyDuUrWJdz","pdf",1034611,"English","# Top Priorities\n## Strong core academics\n## STEM emphasis\n## Critical thinking and study habits\n## Communication skills\n\n# Additional Priorities and Questions\n## Strong Core Academics\n## Emphasis on STEM\n## Non-Core Academic Offerings\n## Extracurricular activities and opportunities\n## Student Belonging\n## Student to School Personnel Ratio","[{\"question\":\"What top priorities should parents consider when choosing a school?\",\"answer\":\"Parents should consider strong core academics in math and reading, an emphasis on STEM skills, encouragement of critical thinking and study habits, and excellent communication skills in both verbal and written forms.\"},{\"question\":\"What questions can parents ask about STEM and course offerings?\",\"answer\":\"Parents can ask what specific STEM courses are offered for their child’s grade and beyond, whether STEM skills are emphasized in non-STEM courses, and whether internships or certifications support STEM career pathways.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do extracurriculars, non-core academics, and student belonging matter in school selection?\",\"answer\":\"The document explains that non-core courses can build useful skills and confidence, extracurricular programs help students develop motivation and social integration, and stronger student belonging is linked to higher motivation, engagement, and lower truancy rates.\"}]","Choosing a School - Top Priorities and Key Questions | PDF",1792052624,18]