Corvallis School District partnered with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) to conduct a Communications Audit which included:
- A district-wide Communications Survey (conducted in October 2022)
- Focus groups with key audiences
- A review of district materials (print and digital publications, policies, goals, media coverage, websites, etc.)
A communications audit determines current communications tools’ effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations necessary for communication plans to work even better.
What is an NSPRA Communication Audit?
- A comprehensive assessment of current communication efforts and the effectiveness of the overall program.
- A snapshot of current perceptions about our schools, district, and leadership.
- A tool that provides baseline research to evaluate progress and a framework for developing our communication plan.
Please see the key findings and recommendations from the 2022 Communications Audit below.
Key Audience Focus Groups
Elementary Families
Teachers
Secondary Families
Principals
Spanish-Speaking Famlies
Classified Staff
Central Office Staff
School Board Members
School Office Managers
Superintendent
Business/Community Leaders
Communications Staff
Key Findings: Overall Perceptions
| Equity | Audiences say the district’s equity work is a strength and want to understand how it positively impacts students |
| Community Support | Audiences are supportive of the district |
| Caring & Inclusive | Audiences view the district as caring and inclusive |
| Informed | Audiences feel informed by district communications in key areas |
| Vision | Audiences feel there is not a clear vision for the district |
| Website | Audiences want the website to be easy to navigate, engaging, and a source of up-to-date information |
Key Findings: Families
| Message Fatigue | Families get too many messages and many that are not relevant to their family, making it hard to find what they need to know |
| Communication Tools | Families do not understand ParentSquare and how it is being used |
| Questions | Families do not know where to direct district-level questions |
| Decision Making/Financials | Families don't fully understand how district decisions are being made, in particular about finances |
| Focus | Families feel the district has a greater focus on equity and a lesser focus on academic rigor |
Key Findings: Staff
| Timely Communications | Staff need timely information to answer questions as ambassadors for the district |
| Internal Communications | Staff need communications to be more proactive than reactive |
| Valued | Staff have a desire to feel valued in terms of their role within the district |
| Decision Making | Staff feel they don't have enough context to understand why or how decisions are made |
| Training | Staff feel there is a lack of communication training for employees |
| Leadership Visibility | Staff want to see more district leadership presence at school sites |
The following recommendations are designed to help meet the goal of creating more effective communications. Some can be implemented immediately, and others may take longer. This is a long-term effort for which the audit report should serve as a road map.
Audit Recommendations
- Enhance the strategic value of the communication plan with measurable objectives focused on moving the district toward achieving its goals
- Develop and implement strategies to keep staff members informed and engaged
- Provide support and training to staff at all levels who are responsible for communicating with students, parents and the public
- Standardize family communication processes
- Enhance strategies to strengthen the engagement of parents and community members
- Create a network of key communicators
- Increase the usefulness and value of the district’s website and social media channels
Next Steps
11/20/2024: Based on audit feedback and recommendations:
- The Communications Department has drafted and is finalizing the 5-year strategic communications plan.
- The plan will be presented to the school board at the December 12 meeting.
- We are revising the district website to be:
- Easy to navigate
- Informative
- Accurate
- Welcoming and engaging
Check back here for updates soon!