2007 communications audit
Description
1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary..............................................................3 Methodology ........................................................................4 Credentials ...........................................................................5 Focus Group and Interview Report .......................................6 Findings and Observations....................................................13 Draft Strategic Communications Plan ...................................16 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides the Richland County School District One with a Communications Audit and a draft Strategic Communications Plan. The audit was conducted in October and November of 2007 by Voss & Associates, a public relations company out of Sarasota, Florida, that specializes in communicating education. Expert auditors at the National School Public Relations Association and the staff in the Richland One Office of Communications reviewed the report. The audit took a broad-based approach on virtually all communication functions of the district, including publications, web site, media relations, community and parent engagement, volunteerism, crisis communications and board-superintendent communications. The methodology included focus groups, surveys, interviews and a complete review of existing publications and communication tools, media clips, ...
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| Publié par | Shoun |
| Nombre de lectures | 18 |
| Langue | English |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary.............................................................. 3 Methodology ........................................................................ 4 Credentials ........................................................................... 5 Focus Group and Interview Report ....................................... 6 Findings and Observations.................................................... 13 Draft Strategic Communications Plan ................................... 16
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides the Richland County School District One with a Communications Audit and a draft Strategic Communications Plan. The audit was conducted in October and November of 2007 by Voss & Associates, a public relations company out of Sarasota, Florida, that specializes in communicating education. Expert auditors at the National School Public Relations Association and the staff in the Richland One Office of Communications reviewed the report. The audit took a broad-based approach on virtually all communication functions of the district, including publications, web site, media relations, community and parent engagement, volunteerism, crisis communications and board-superintendent communications. The methodology included focus groups, surveys, interviews and a complete review of existing publications and communication tools, media clips, policies and state and national trends. The auditors found that the School Board and Management Team clearly understand the significant role that communications plays in higher student achievement. They have made a commitment to elevate its importance, as evidenced by statements in their mission, beliefs, parameters and strategies. This support from leadership is essential to the successful implementation of the Strategic Communications Plan. Perhaps the most eye-opening finding was the stark contrast between the “image” of the district among employees – or “internal” audiences – and external audiences. Clearly, people who know the most about the district have a better feeling about its accomplishments and standing in the community than those from the “outside.” We need to close the gap between reality and perceptions. The District far exceeds most districts of its size around the country in the quality of its publications, web site and internal communications. For the most part, staff feels “in the loop” and remains relatively informed. The volunteer program faces many challenges but remains diligent and runs effective recruitment and recognition programs. The outstanding web site should be branded and marketed to the public and the web calendar should be used uniformly across all district organizations and schools. Employees feel unfairly maligned in the press and it’s difficult to generate positive news stories. The District lacks a cohesive community engagement program. Educators and community members alike bemoan the lack of family involvement in their children’s education. Vulnerabilities exist in crisis communications, especially in the areas of uniform policies, the phone notification system and professional development. The over-arching recommendation in the Strategic Communications Plan is to focus efforts on the priority areas of community engagement, family involvement and crisis communications. While this may cause staff to drop lower priority projects or meetings, it will result in communications having a bigger impact on student achievement.
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METHODOLOGY This audit took a comprehensive approach to communications in Richland One. That means it went well beyond the functions of the Office of Communications. All employees and many stakeholders have a responsibility to effectively communicate the issues surrounding the District. Many external factors, such as the media and business partners, play a role. The District has taken a pro-active step to improve its communications by asking for an objective outside audit and the development of a Strategic Communications Plan that is tied to overall district goals. The audit began with a review of the District’s mission, goals, policies and action plans. The 2005-10 Strategic Plan has many references to communications. This review was compared with state and national trends, especially around the country. The consultant has the benefit of knowing what other districts are doing through his professional associations and representing districts throughout the country. The Office of Communications compiled a comprehensive package of communication tools and sent them to the consultant for review. This included a year’s worth of media clips, demographic breakdowns, area maps, media market, all district publications, communication plans, organizational charts, resources and partnerships. The consultant also reviewed the web site, customer satisfaction surveys and several programs from Richland One TV. The Office of Communications then identified participants for focus groups. These one-hour sessions were designed to get subjective information from homogenous groups. The consultant conducted focus groups with teachers, district and school administrators, classified employees, parents, retirees and business/community members. He also conducted private interviews with the superintendent, school board chair and staff from the Office of Communications, as well as random interviews in the community. Upon completion of the research phase, a draft report of “findings” was submitted and presented to the superintendent and communications staff. This team was joined by Debbie Elmore, Director of Communications for the South Carolina School Boards Association, to “brainstorm” the Strategic Communications Plan based on the audit findings. The consultant compiled the ideas, added his own, and drafted the Strategic Communications Plan. It was then sent to the NSPRA Review Team, which edited the document and added some suggestions, along with the District communications staff. This plan is still in draft form because it needs more extensive review of staff priorities, timelines and budget. It will be presented to the School Board on January 22 for review and comment.
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CREDENTIALS Voss & Associates is a communications company with its heart in education. The entire business is built around the notion that effective communication can be a powerful tool in protecting, educating and raising healthy children. First established in 1980 as a sole proprietorship specializing in media training, Voss & Associates has grown into a nationally recognized corporate leader in innovative communication techniques for educators and non-profit organizations. Specialties include communication audits, strategic communications plans, media relations, media training, market research, issue campaigns, public speaking and presentation training, and crisis communications. Offices are located in Sarasota, Florida, just south of Tampa, with easy access to two international airports. Over the years, Voss & Associates has worked in dozens of school districts of all sizes and several states throughout the Southeast, with a national presence at education conferences and associations, such as the National School Boards Association and National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). David R. Voss served as Project Manager for this report and conducted the audit and wrote the plan with creative input and review from Richland One staff and NSPRA. As President and Founder of the company, David has 30 years experience in communication and knows the field from more than one perspective: as a journalist and broadcaster, as a Governor and Commissioner of Education’s press secretary; as Director of Communications for three large state agencies, including the Department of Education; and as a corporate marketing executive for Apple Computer. Sheila Weiss, who also lives in Sarasota, was brought into the Richland One project to help assess current communication practices and make recommendations. Sheila oversaw communications for Sarasota County Public Schools for 10 years. She recently joined Voss & Associates as Director of Public Relations and the National Campaign Manager for “Be There.” NSPRA Review Team. Voss & Associates made special arrangements through Rich Bagin, Executive Director of NSPRA, to allow the NSPRA audit team to review draft documents of the audit and plan for Richland One and offer recommendations. Therefore, the school district received the expertise of both Voss & Associates and NSPRA. The NSPRA ideas were incorporated into this report.
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FOCUS GROUP AND INTERVIEW REPORT These findings are reported to the district without comment or interpretation. Participants were guaranteed confidentiality in their remarks to promote candor. While the names of the participants are public record, they are not quoted individually. These findings represent group consensus or at least salient points brought up by individuals. They should not be interpreted as “scientific” research. Focus groups may or may not express a majority opinion. They do provide subjective input to the process and if there is consensus among the group there is probably a consensus among a larger body of people in the same category. The Office of Communications identified participants for seven focus groups: teachers, district and school administrators, classified employees, parents, retirees and business/community members. The consultant facilitated the focus groups and also interviewed the superintendent, school board chair and staff from the Office of Communications, as well as random interviews in the community. IMAGE WORDS Each group and interviewee was first asked to think of a single word or short phrase that described the District. They were encouraged to “shoot from the hip” rather than give it much thought. This was designed to provide “word-pictures” for how the audiences view the District’s image. For summary purposes, the findings were placed into two categories: Internal audience (employees) and external (parents, retirees, business/community members). Image words from the internal audience include: • Big • Diverse • Urban (they know slogan) • Challenged • People don’t know…(about the District) • Ever-changing • Busy • Friendly • Family-oriented • Rural • Gem • Mobile, transient • Innovative • Exciting • Growing • Vast programs, variety • Resource-filled • Rich history • Supportive of arts • Segregated • Renovating • Upgrading Hidden achievement •
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• People think less about the District than they should • We deserve more recognition in the community Image words from the external audience include: • Poor quality • Favoritism • Unfair funding • Poor • Underprivileged • Negative things • Diverse • Mostly black • Not enough parents • Fathers not involved • Changing • Excellent teachers Good facilities • • Most haven’t heard of Urban Advantage • Easy target • Whipping boy • Children in need • Stereotypes • Special needs This contrast in terms speaks volumes about the communication challenge for Richland One. Internally, people are aware of the assets and the realities of operating in an urban school district. Externally, people have both disdain and sympathy for the biases and challenges facing the district. Later in this report, the assessment of the internal communications is exceedingly positive while the assessment of external communications finds several areas that need improvement. DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS This group felt well informed and positive about the district. They felt the “Discover the Urban Advantage” slogan worked for recruiting but was resented in the rural areas of the District. Administrators receive most of their news about the District from the internal newsletters, web site, staff meetings and ROTV. They were very complimentary of these forms of media. Since most of the administrators are veterans on this staff, they understand the history of the dDistrict and often learn from each other (word of mouth). Administrators like the “quick scan” format of the eNewsletter. Like most employees, administrators are frustrated with media coverage and its negative tendencies. They suggest media training so people understand the process for getting positive news. While people generally understand media policies, they need role-playing exercises and more depth in the training to do it effectively. They believe the District should “take charge” of our news by getting Board Briefings, personnel changes and other items out ahead of the media. They especially resent the fact that people still think there are only two high schools and that academic offerings, such as gifted and talented programs, are not broadcast enough. 7
When asked about the District’s automated phone notification system, administrators posed as many questions as answers. The usage is “inconsistent,” with some schools using it too much, some too little, some about right. They felt everyone needed to know how to use it. Cell phones are not included in the system and bad numbers cause a problem. The system is not used for its own employees, so parents could actually find out about a crisis before our own staff. Training is desperately needed and more people should know how to make an emergency all-district phone call. Administrators expressed frustration at the challenge of reaching disengaged parents. These parents, they say, care about their kids, but they’re not attending school functions or reinforcing their children’s education at home. PRINCIPALS Supportive and hard working, this group desperately wants the district to shine and let people know about it. They understand the “urban advantage” and appreciate the administration’s obvious attempts to keep them informed. They get most of their information from supervisors, meetings, email, web, eMinders, This Week and ROTV. They would like more news about new staff in This Week. They really appreciate the email from Executive Directors right after Cabinet meetings. They believe it would be better if Board Briefings were emailed. They deliver news to employees within the school via Morning News, email and faculty meetings. One school administrator is able to get positive press and claims parents want their children to come to her school because of a positive perception, “even though other schools in the district are just as good.” She believes other schools could get good press if they pay attention to it and are trained. To communicate externally, principals rely on Group Messenger or the phone notification system. They use the “auto dialer” system to remind parents about events. They say it takes days for secondary schools and they can’t segment the database. There’s no way to call staff and faculty in the event of a crisis or just to let them know which messages went home to parents. It was clear that some principals use the phone system a lot while others use it very little. Some principals are comfortable with it and some wouldn’t know how to use it in the event of a crisis. Principals called the media “our Achilles Heel” but also cited several examples of positive press. They want the district to be more aggressive with media outreach. The biggest discussion centered on parent involvement – or the lack of it. School administrators struggle with parent leadership. The few that are willing become over-burdened and quit. Committees have too few volunteers and they often fail to show up for meetings. They felt that providing family services in schools would help, along with door prizes, food and babysitting. Finally, school administrators urge district administrators to coordinate their calendar. They frequently get over-lapping training days and impossible deadlines because District administrators don’t realize what each other is assigning to schools. They urge everyone to use the web calendar.
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TEACHERS In most districts around the country, teachers feel isolated and distant from district information. Not in Richland One. Thanks to This Week, email, the web site and eNewsletters, this focus group felt “in the loop.” It’s usually received in a timely fashion, although they pointed out major laps when they are “the last to know” about principal changes. They feel they should know about their new boss before the media announces it. They also learn from the newspaper about major announcements and board policies. They get most of their school news at faculty meetings and school newsletter. The counseling session on benefits is very well done but pay stubs are very difficult to understand. Hourly pay is not designated. They have the same negative feelings about the media as others, but go beyond that to discuss consequences. They believe the media is fueling the “green flight” of the middle class. We should counter it with positive stories, such as the ROTC and bands winning awards. They have school communicators as designees, but they are swamped with other responsibilities and often don’t have time to pitch the media. Some of the teachers watch ROTV and have suggestions. They would like more academics (as opposed to sports) and better publicity for the schedule (put it on the web) so they know what’s coming. They like the eNewsletter but felt it should come out Monday morning instead of Friday afternoon. They pointed out that it has some duplication. They are not aware of how the phone notification system is used or not used. They don’t receive calls. Teachers pointed out the need for more inter-departmental communications. They feel people don’t always know who has to approve things and then “they’re made to feel dumb if they don’t know.” It’s especially difficult for new teachers. They also feel they don’t get enough opportunities to be part of the decision-making process. CLASSIFIED STAFF This enthusiastic group is loyal to the District and wants an “image makeover.” They want to be proud of their district and get people talking positively about it. They truly believe that the “urban advantage” really is an advantage! They receive district information from This Week, eNewsletter and word of mouth and would like more information about personnel changes. They get board information from the media. They get school information from faculty meetings, bulleting boards, morning announcements and the school newsletter. They believe the phone notification system is used exclusively for “bad news” – tardy, absent or owes lunch money. They believe the media prints negative only and has “football favorites.” They use and like the web page but would like to see regular updates on the school pages.
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This group suggested “crossover training,” which allows employees to spend a day in a different department. They believe it would better equip them to answer phone inquiries about other aspects of the District and to appreciate everyone else’s jobs. RETIREES It’s interesting to note that this group gets its information about the District from friends, clubs, media and employees. It doesn’t get its information from the District sources (newsletters, web page, phone notification or email). This means that most of the information that goes to retirees is filtered at least once. They wouldn’t mind receiving information directly from the District, such as through email. They feel the district should ask for more help from retirees. They believe civic clubs, such as military, Eastern Star, Masons and American Legions stand ready to help if asked. They believe grandparents are more likely to volunteer if they know exactly what’s needed and feel capable of doing it, like reading to students. They believe Volunteer Coordinators in the schools should get a stipend because of the return on investment. They felt an orchestrated campaign to recruit volunteers would help. At the same time, they feel the District must smooth out its screening requirements so retirees understand it and don’t have to wait so long for approval (this is being addressed). They sympathize with hard-working educators who need more recognition to help with morale. Administrators should be aware of the need for pointing out good things all the time. Dwell on the positives rather than the negatives. Use newsletters, events, personal notes and phone to pass along compliments. Even the little things help. BUSINESS/COMMUNITY The external group is just as eager to hear “good news” about Richland One as the internal group. These urban advocates understand how the image of the District has an impact on the image of the city. They want more publicity on “successful graduates” from Richland One. This focus group consisted of people already involved in the District. They receive most of their information by being on a VIP email list. They like it and read it regularly. They feel “in the loop” and like it that way. They serve on various committees and task forces so much of their news comes “word of mouth.” They felt the strategic planning process was “very inclusive.” Interestingly, this engaged external audience didn’t use the web site much. This is a sharp contrast to internal audiences. When they did use it, they found it to be informative and easy to navigate. This means we’re not marketing the web site enough or linking it to/from other sites to encourage visits. They understand and appreciate the “urban advantage” slogan. They want to help recruit additional business partners, “at least one major partner for each school.” They feel the superintendent is quite visible in the community and has dramatically increased the amount of community engagement. They’re excited about being a part of the “VIP Network” but feel there has been inadequate follow- up after the first meeting.
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Just like the educators, this group bemoans the lack of family involvement. They believe parents are too busy or don’t feel knowledgeable enough to be involved. We need to make it easy for them and show them how to encourage their children to do well in school, even if they struggled. Teachers should send cards to parents with “good news” rather than notifying them only with bad news. This group was well aware of the awesome new facilities in Richland One. They feel the community should take better advantage of the new facilities and take pride in them. They should be open to the public. Realtors steer people away from Richland One so we must educate realtors and eliminate the false perception they have. PARENTS This was a group of active, engaged parents. They are supportive of the schools but also frustrated by negative media coverage. (The group of disengaged parents didn’t show up for their focus group session). They get most of their news from PTA-PTO meetings, TV and word of mouth. They use the district web site but complain that the school web sites are not up to date. Some teachers have good web sites. When asked about the phone notification system, they shrugged and said they get calls only when their child is absent. When asked if they would read emails if they got them from the school or district, they said yes. These active parents “get a good feeling” when they’re on campus. Employees are glad to see them and they feel welcome. On the other hand, they feel that schools are not all treated the same. They wondered why some schools get new computers while others are left out. They feel the need for new, innovative programs to excite the students. In speaking with a parent/community coordinator about absent parents, he suggested home visits. He also felt that using the phone system and media for positive messages would be helpful. LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS While speaking with the superintendent, board chair and communications staff, it’s clear that everyone understands and believes in the importance of open, pro-active communication. There’s a commitment and a sense of urgency to improve communications. Instead of depending on the media as the primary source of information for the community, the leadership believes the District should “become the source” of news. This can be accomplished through an active VIP Network and marketing the district’s strong web site. While electronic medium is efficient, the superintendent and board chair still believe that community “face time” is just as important. Therefore, they feel the district should beef up its community engagement effort. Everyone agrees that encouraging family involvement is a communication priority because many parents “can’t make it to meetings.” The district must overcome stereotypes still prevalent in the community by repeating positive messages.
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