School Communications Planning Guide

Overview

Great school communication starts with a great plan, but getting there is not automatic. Simply polishing off last year's plan won't cut it. Considering budget, technology, staffing, vendor relations, privacy and accessibility issues, it's challenging to construct a relevant, effective plan.

The School Communications Planning Guide is a resource for engaging your school community. As communications channels expand and evolve, it’s important that a school’s communications plan keeps up – one that aligns your district with modern communication practices and parent communication preferences. From the crisis to the lunch menu, schools need to be prepared to connect with accurate and timely content. Parents need to be equipped to connect with what matters most to them.

This collection of chapters and articles includes a step-by-step approach to planning and managing your school's digital communications. It starts with using a strategic approach with goals, includes tapping very helpful school communication resources and tools, and ends with measurable results that will help you improve parent engagement.

Chapter 1

Intro to strategic school communications

It begins with a solid school communications plan that reflects the leadership, culture and excellence of your school district. Connecting with your entire school community relies on comprehensive schoolcom planning that dovetails with district, schools and staff goals. Learn how to build a plan that drives engagement at every level.

Chapter 2

Using today's digital channels

Online channels and methods should be powering your messaging, so it's critical for school communicators to stay current with advancing technology and resources. Get up to speed on all the modern channels available and learn how to combine them with non-digital schoolcomm tactics.

Chapter 3

Message planning, creation and delivery

Engaging your school community doesn't just happen. It starts with a process that entails message planning, positive branding and the proper tools to get your messages and stories seen and heard. Learn how to optimize engagement and deliver a professional image of your school district with parents, staff and students.

Chapter 4

Legal aspects in school communications

Protecting your school is taking on a larger scope as schools scramble to keep pace with regulations required to communicate legally. Get up to speed on social media, sunshine laws, health and safety, ADA- compliance, HIPPA, FERPA and that next acronym you need to know to keep your district out of legal jeopardy.

Chapter 5

Measuring your results

School communication is taking on greater significance, so it's important you understand what's working and what's not. Don't be one of the school districts that ignores the data and fails to measure and evaluate its communications. Learn how to monitor and improve message success across all your key channels.