Communication is a part of every job in a school district. Planning for and expecting shared responsibility will ensure that a school is dedicated to delivering a unified and timely message to appropriate audiences when necessary. While media relations may be handled at the district level, it is possible that an administrator may be a part of this effort. Either way, as an administrator, you are responsible for leading the effort to maintain open two-way communication with internal and external stakeholders.
Research the strategies currently used by your school to communicate with community and media stakeholders. Consider the technology and digital tools that foster communication and collaboration among stakeholders.
Scenario: Your school’s enrollment has been declining over the last several years, and the school district believes it is related to the school’s literacy-based assessment results. As part of your school improvement plan (SIP), you have implemented a reading improvement program, and the school district has recommended that you get the word out to the community to promote the actions being taken.
Create a 700- to 1,050-word comprehensive plan to communicate the details of your reading improvement program and work with the local media to promote the program in an effort to boost enrollment at your school. Address the following in your plan:
- Prepare a vision statement for your reading improvement program, to explain the following:
- Short-term and long-range goals of the program
- Benefits to the community and families
- Formulate a communication strategy for informing families and community stakeholders about the reading improvement program, to include:
- Appropriate method(s) of communication (e.g., email, blog post, printed or digital flyer, website announcement)
- Justification for selecting method(s) of communication
- Develop a media relations strategy for promoting the reading improvement program in the community, to include:
- Identified local media agency
- Expected outcomes from the relations strategy
- Justification for selecting media agency
- Explain the roles of the stakeholders involved in the communication.
- Describe the materials and resources needed, including technology and/or digital tools, for the communication.
- Develop a timeline for rolling out the communication.
- Create an evaluation strategy for determining the success of the communication and media plan.
Bottom of Form
Vision Statement
10% of total grade
Accomplished
The vision statement contained a thorough explanation of the short-term and long-range goals of the reading improvement program and the benefits to the community and families.
90 – 100%
Communication Strategy
20% of total grade
Accomplished
The plan included a clear and detailed communication strategy, including selected methods of communication for families and community stakeholders and justification for why methods of communication were selected and appropriate.
Media Relations Strategy
20% of total grade
Accomplished
The plan included a thorough media relations strategy for promoting the program in the community, including a local media agency, description of the expected outcomes from the strategy, and justification for why the media agency was selected and appropriate.
90 – 100%
Roles of Stakeholders
10% of total grade
Accomplished
The plan contained a thorough explanation of the roles of the stakeholders involved in the communication.
90 – 100%
Materials and Resources
10% of total grade
Accomplished
The plan contained a thorough description of the materials and resources needed for the communication, including appropriate technology and/or digital tools.
90 – 100%
Timeline
10% of total grade
Accomplished
The plan included a clear and concise timeline, with deadlines, for rolling out the communication.
90 – 100%
Evaluation Strategy
15% of total grade
Accomplished
The plan included a comprehensive evaluation strategy for determining the success of the communication, including the communication and media relations strategies.
90 – 100%
Syntax and Semantics: Word choice, sentence structure, grammar (e.g., subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement), sentence boundaries (run-on or fused sentences, sentence fragments)
5% of total grade
Accomplished
Accuracy in grammar, sentence structures, sentence boundaries, and word choice enhanced content.
90 – 100%
