Communication Survey Results

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Communication Survey Results

• Butler District 53

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Agenda

• Project Overview
• Summary of Results
• Recommendations
• Next Steps
• Action Plans

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Project Overview

• Initially charged with developing a
• communications strategy for District 53 to
• enhance communication across the
• community
• Conduct market research to understand the issues
  of each constituent base
• Promote the schools externally
• Work with parent community to further understand
  parent concerns

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Survey Respondents
Total number of respondents 72
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Current Communication Vehicles

• Parents use principal newsletter as main source
  of communication
• - Faculty uses principal newsletter and bulletin
  boards as main source of
• communication
• - Community members use civic association as
  their main source of
• communication

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Importance of Issues
Not Important
Very Important

• Parents view curriculum and school activities
• as most important
• - Faculty views building/facilities as most
  important
• - Community views academic performance as most
  important

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Priority of Issues

• The issues that were rated most important (in
  order
• of importance) were
• Academic performance
• Curriculum
• Building/facilities
• District finances
• These items should be consistently communicated
  to
• parents, faculty, and the community, as they were
  the
• most important issues.

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Preferred Method of Communication

• - Parents want district newsletter, principal
  newsletter, e-mails and web as communication
  vehicles
• Faculty wants district newsletter and principal
  newsletter as communication
• vehicles
• Community wants civic association, newspaper, and
  district newsletter
• as communication vehicles

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Communication Vehicles Priorities
Based on the survey, the most important communicat
ion vehicles that the board should focus on are
- District Newsletter - Principal Newsletter -
Web - Emails
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Perception of District 53 vs. Other Schools
Weaker than
Stronger than
District 53 is perceived stronger than other
Schools in all areas Faculty has a more positive
overall perception of school
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Summary of Perceptions

• Strengths
• - Funds
• - Curriculum
• - Instruction
• - Diversity
• - Parental Involvement
• Areas for Improvement
• - Relationship with PTA
• - Extracurricular activities
• - District understanding of community issues
• - Facilities

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Recommended Communication Objectives

• Build broad awareness of the schools performance
  across the community
• Enhance communications within the school
  community parents and faculty
• Position the schools as a key differentiator for
  the Oak Brook community

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Focus on two way communication
PTA
Parents
District 53
Faculty
Community
Increase two way communication
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Communication Constructs
Marketing Objectives
Internal communication
External communication
-Communicate to community at large -Media Focus
on Building awareness regarding district
academic performance Tax/Finance issues More One
way communication to community Two communication
with media where appropriate
Communicate to parents and faculty Focus
on Enhanced communications of key board and
district activities/actions District POV on
critical issues surrounding curriculum and
staffing Critical issues related to
buildings/facilities improvements for
staff Budget issues for staff Provide
opportunities for 2 way communication
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Communication StrategyKey Messages

• Critical messages for external constituents
  (media and community at large)
• The Butler schools have excellent academic
  performance, cultural opportunities, and extra
  curricular programs that produce well rounded
  students
• The Butler schools have a high level of cultural
  diversity
• Our schools have a low student/teacher ratio
  wherever possible
• Students from our district move on to a higher
  academic program and become valued leaders in
  society
• The school districts operate with great fiscal
  responsibility performing well within the
  requirements established by state oversight
  bodies
• The school district continues to get squeezed by
  the current funding sources available,
  alternative mechanisms for funding need to be
  evaluated.

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Communication StrategyKey Messages

• Critical messages for parent community
• The Butler schools have excellent academic
  performance, cultural opportunities, and extra
  curricular programs that produce well rounded
  students
• The current student/teacher ratio allow the
  schools to provide greater attention to the
  individual student, wherever possible
• The schools continue to make enhancements to the
  curriculum to ensure our students remain ahead of
  the curve
• The faculty is the districts most valued asset
  and we continue to identify opportunities to
  ensure that they achieve professional and
  personal satisfaction
• The district wants to maintain open and
  collaborative relationships with its parent
  community and is dedicated to providing critical
  updates on key issues for parental concern
• The school district operates with great fiscal
  responsibility performing well within the
  requirements established by state oversight
  bodies
• The school district continues to get squeezed by
  the current funding sources available,
  alternative mechanisms for funding need to be
  evaluated.

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Communication StrategyKey Messages

• Critical messages for faculty community
• You are the districts most valued asset and we
  are dedicated to identifying opportunities to
  ensure that you achieve professional and personal
  satisfaction
• The administration wants to maintain open and
  collaborative relationships with its faculty and
  is dedicated to providing critical updates on key
  issues of faculty concern
• The Butler schools have excellent academic
  performance, cultural opportunities, and extra
  curricular programs that produce well rounded
  students
• Maintaining high academic performance of each of
  our students is imperative to the overall success
  of the district
• The district continues to remain dedicated to
  providing as much individual student attention as
  is possible and is committed to maintaining a low
  student/teacher ratio where ever possible
• We have made significant improvements to the
  buildings and facilities and are dedicated to
  continue to improve the environments in which we
  work
• The school district operates with great fiscal
  responsibility performing well within the
  requirements established by state oversight
  bodies
• The school district continues to get squeezed by
  the current funding sources available,
  alternative mechanisms for funding need to be
  evaluated

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Communication Vehicles Recommendations
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Marketing/Communication Committee
Board of Education
Communication Committee
Superintendent
Responsibilities Making recommendations
regarding key issues for communicating Working on
developing communication vehicles Provide insight
and advise board on underlying concerns of
community
Responsibilities Key contact for external
media Develop external communication to media,
corporate, realtors, non-residents
stakeholders Works with board member to approve
communication
DLT Meetings used for input to communication
committee Membership Superintendent, principals,
PTA presidents, faculty
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Next Steps

• Communicate results to PTA and faculty
• Begin implementation of action plans

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Action Plans