2016-2017 Communications Plan

2016-2017
Communications Plan
engage
v
enrich
v
empower
2016-2017 Communications Plan
Rocky View Schools
“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no
path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 From Compliance to Alliance
Rocky View Schools' (RVS) journey towards becoming a 21st C learning organization took root in
the 2008 - 2009 school year. After collectively touring RVS’ 37 school sites, RVS' Board of
Trustees and Superintendent concluded that the jurisdiction lacked a cohesive vision and road map
forward. The jurisdiction's 2007-2010 Three Year Plan mirrored the province’s three goals and
appeared to be more of a compliance exercise. Subsequently, schools were not adhering to
school education plans, nor were they attentive to their annual results reports. As a result, RVS was
operating as a community of schools, rather than a learning community.
On April 2, 2007, a comprehensive and collaborative planning process to develop a “made-inRocky View” 2008 - 2011 Three Year Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees. The process
saw 200 stakeholders meet for four full days over a 16-month period. In response to the research
questions “What would a quality education for every student look like by the year 2011?” and
“Based on RVS’ current results, what would we need to do to ensure we arrived there?”, students,
parents, teachers, administrators, politicians, and business leaders replied: 1. Schools need to
engage students by making what and how they learn relevant to their world. 2. Students need to
be taught how to think critically and become self-directed learners. 3. Students need to learn how
to understand, connect, and contribute to a global community.
The collaborative process concluded in May of 2008, with a 2008 – 2011 Three Year Plan that
featured a new mission, vision, and motto, six goals, 21 outcomes, and 79 strategies. Its theme,
“Engaging 21st Century Learners”, solidified a shared vision, whereby all members of RVS’ school
communities were considered “learners”. Based on the seven essential conditions for 21st C
learning, as outlined by the Metiri Group's Dimensions 21 Framework, the plan featured six goals:
1. Learners have their basic and diverse needs met. 2. Learners are competent, qualified, and
dedicated. 3. Learners are civic, social, and environmental stewards. 4. Learning opportunities are
distinct, continuous, and systematic. 5. Instruction challenges and engages the learner. 6. Learners
work in 21st Century learning environments.
1.2 Championing System Thinking
To champion a mental model of “system thinking”, School Education Plans (SEP) and School Annual
Results Reports (SARR) were aligned to RVS’ new goals, outcomes, and performance measures.
This practice continues today through the annual release of RVS' SEP Manual and SARR Manual. In
the spirit of continued collaboration, school administrators meet bi-annually with the Associate
Superintendent of Schools, Area Directors and other district administrators to review these
documents and to discuss their school’s progress, the challenges encountered, the mitigating
strategies undertaken, and any divisional assistance required. To build greater capacity in the use
of data to improve performance, school-based administrators also are given the opportunity to
attend locally-developed professional learning sessions, aimed at providing "Value-Added
Approaches to Using Research & Data”.
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
Page 1
1.3 Creating a Cadence of Accountability
To strengthen the integrity and effectiveness of RVS’ Education Plans, a local Accountability
Framework was developed, which outlined a series of Board reports and consultative activities
that helped to demonstrate the jurisdiction’s progress towards achieving its progressive outcomes.
The practice has since been refined to outline the delivery of bi-annual accountability reports that
roll up to frame the Board’s annual November submission of its Annual Education Results Report. It
continues to demand that action plans be developed for each strategy listed in the plan. To
measure its success quantitatively, RVS also has implemented annual online satisfaction surveys for
students in Gr. 4 – 12, all staff, and parents. Efforts in this area led to the development of RVS’
Accountability Pillar - one that supplements Alberta Education’s APORI pillar.
1.4 Advancing 21st C Learning and Teaching
RVS’ second “made in Rocky View Schools” Three Year Education Plan, entitled “Building the
Power to Enrich” was reaffirmed in 2011, following a second extensive community consultation
plan. The number of goals, outcomes, and performance measures were refined to reflect the work
completed, however, the direction and intent remained the same. To deepen stakeholder’s
understanding of RVS’ 21st C approach, a matrix outlining RVS’ Second Order Change was
developed. As shown in Figure 1, it outlines:
Figure 1 - Second Order Change
Less
• Teacher-directed
• Passive, absorbers
• Extrinsically motivated
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teacher-centered
Students learn answers
Educator responsibility & accountability
Memorizing facts
Basic literacy
Sequential & controlled environment
•
•
•
•
Teacher as dispenser of knowledge
Teacher as evaluator and judge
Student fits the class
Students follow a prescribed learning path
•
•
•
•
Success for some
19th C industrial model
Acquiring information
Pre/K-12/Post-Secondary
•
•
•
•
•
•
Packaged into subjects
System-focused
Content-focused
Prescriptive, sequential
Print-based
Focused on summative assessment
More
Learners
• Self-directed
• Active, creators
• Intrinsically motivated
Learning
• Student-centered
• Students grapple with real-world questions
• Shared community responsibility & accountability
• Developing thinking skills through inquiry & discovery
• Multiple literacies
• Anytime, any place, any path, any pace
Instruction
• Teacher as architect of learning, guide & facilitator
• Teachers, students, and parents as assessors
• Class fits the student
• Students define a responsive learning path
Schools
• Success for all
• 21st C ‘engage, enrich, empower’ model
• Creating knowledge
• Inclusive, equitable access & seamless transition
Curriculum & Assessment
• Shaped around interdisciplinary learning opportunities
• Student-focused
• Competency-focused
• Flexible, synchronous
• Digitally-based
• Balanced between formative & summative assessment
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
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Less
• Coding and referrals
• Silos of service
• Teaching tool
• Communication tool
• Supports innovative practice
• Outside the classroom
• A popular choice
•
•
•
•
•
Top down, rule-based
Leadership by some
Closed decision-making
Fiduciary
Accountable to bureaucracy
More
Learning Support Services
• Continuum of support
• Integrated cross-ministerial supports
Technology
• Knowledge tool
• Discovery pathway
Research
• Drives innovation & evidenced-based decisions
Professional Learning
• Embedded inside the culture
Teaching Profession
• The profession of choice
Leadership & Governance
• Consensual principle-based
• Leadership of many
• Collaborative decision-making
• Generative, strategic, and fiduciary
• Accountable for learning excellence
1.5 A Period of Consolidation
In January 2014, a new Superintendent established three new priorities for the jurisdiction:
consolidate its current initiatives, focus on bringing them to successful implementations, and ensure
that the agenda is sustainable going forward. Through an extensive engagement process that ran
from October 7 to November 26, 2014, a new Four Year Education Plan entitled “Empower the
Potential emerged, featuring three new goals: learners are successful, learners are engaged, and
learners are supported. Outcomes and strategies accompanying the goals focus on balancing
literacy/numeracy with 21st C skills, advancing the full implementation of RVS’ Communication of
Student Learning initiative and inquiry-based instructional practices, and enhancing services for
students with special needs. To advance the successful implementation of these initiatives, a new
Area Directors structure was introduced to monitor and evaluate the progress of schools in
aligning to the new priorities and goals. During the 2015/16 budget consultation process,
approximately $11 million also was reallocated to schools to enhance direct classroom instruction
and school-based services. A corresponding impact saw the Communications Department reduced
by 1 FTE, resulting in the department’s reduction from 5 FTE to 3 FTE over a two-year period.
Communication tactics outlined in this plan, continue to reflect this reduction.
2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Nine years into Rocky View Schools’ pursuit to become a 21st Century organization, the jurisdiction
continues to face communication issues surrounding the public’s understanding and acceptance of
21st Century teaching and learning practices. Amplifying this concern is the popular belief that the
foundational skill development of literacy and numeracy are being neglected under this learning
framework. Stakeholder expectations that information and teachers be immediately available
and/or accessible to address their individual concerns, too, is taxing the capabilities and
resources of the system. Effective messaging, communication protocols, and ongoing information
related to RVS Four Year Plan, Emergency Response and Communicating with Parents are
required to address these issues. The introduction of an integrated web portal also is required to
increase the performance of RVS digital tools, increasing the accessibility, and disseminate of
information system-wide.
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
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3. COMMUNICATION PLAN
3.1 Communication Goals
Rocky View Schools’ Communications Department exists to:
1. Engage stakeholders in RVS learning environments by disseminating continuous and
comprehensive information specific to the jurisdiction’s learning goals and outcomes.
2. Enrich RVS’ credibility by employing communication tactics that are responsive, transparent,
and aligned to the jurisdiction’s strategic directions.
3. Empower stakeholders to play a greater role in RVS’ culture by creating opportunities for
collaboration and ongoing dialogue.
3.2 Communication Objectives
Internal
1. To obtain 90 percent agreement that RVS is a good place to work.
2. To establish communication strategies and tactics to support the implementation of RVS’ 20152019 Four Year Plan.
3. To obtain 90 percent satisfaction among internal stakeholders that RVS has a student-centred
focus.
External
1. To obtain 90 percent agreement that parents feel informed and can participate in RVS’
decision-making process.
2. To obtain 90 percent agreement among parents that schools build positive relationships with
parents and partnerships with the community.
3. To obtain 90 percent satisfaction among parents that the needs of learners drive decisionmaking.
3.2 Target Audiences
Rocky View Schools has relationships with many different stakeholder groups, which are referred
to as target audiences. For the purposes of this plan audience’s have been segmented into three
categories:
“primary” - those individuals who influence RVS’ culture;
“secondary” - those stakeholders who have a vested interest in RVS; and,
“tertiary” - those stakeholders who are observers.
Primary:
Students (K – 3)
Students (4 – 12)
School Councils
Secondary:
Parents/Guardians
Professional Affiliations
Service Providers
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
Tertiary:
Non-parent Taxpayers
Outside School Boards
Federal/Provincial/Municipal
Government
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Primary:
Support Staff
School Administrators
Teachers
System Administrators
Board of Trustees
Alberta Education
Secondary:
Community/Municipal Partners
Business Community (small
businesses, networking clubs,
and service clubs)
Traditional Media
Social Media Outlets
Special Interest Groups
Contractors
Tertiary:
3.3 Key Messages
3.3.1 Foundational
• Mission - To engage all learners through meaningful and challenging experiences,
preparing them to understand, adapt, and successfully contribute to our changing global
community.
• Vision - To inspire a love of learning and community, engaging learners for life.
3.3.2 Internal
• Participation and Engagement – Staff participation, engagement, and support are critical
to ensure RVS effectively demonstrates and communicates its vision of a 21st C learning
organization.
• Learning Organization – RVS is a learning organization, which balances literacy, numeracy and
21st C skills.
• Learner Centered – For learners to reach their full potential, students must be the centre of all
decisions related to learning and teaching.
• Shared Responsibility – We are all learners; we commit to shared responsibility and accountability
for results achieved.
3.3.3 External
• 21st C Learning – Learning needs to be relevant and respond to the diverse interests, needs,
and talents of today’s learner.
• Access to Learning – Every learner should have fair and reasonable access to educational
opportunities regardless of ability, circumstance, location, or cultural background.
• Effective Teachers – Teachers are the primary contributors to student success – teachers must
be innovative, passionate, and positive about learning and supported by the system to
achieve and foster excellence.
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• Strategic Partnerships - Key to RVS success is the concerted efforts of its stakeholders in
helping to make the jurisdiction’s vision come alive.
3.4 Strategies
3.4.1 Internal Strategies
1.
To align the jurisdiction, its Education Centre departments, and schools to the strategic aims
of its Four Year Plans and the accountability requirements of the Ministry of Education.
2.
To disseminate continuous and comprehensive information on the jurisdiction’s strategic
direction and performance through a wide variety of communication tactics.
3.
To develop, promote, and monitor communication standards for all print and digital
communication tactics.
4.
To work extensively with internal stakeholders to provide high-level communication support
for initiatives and operations related to the implementation of the Four Year Plan.
3.4.2 External Strategies
1.
To effectively manage Rocky View Schools reputation through a host of media, community,
and government relations tactics, and issues management, crisis communication, and
emergency response protocols.
2.
To disseminate comprehensive information on the jurisdiction’s educational opportunities,
accomplishments, challenges, and areas of priority.
3.
To determine public attitudes regarding the jurisdiction, providing recommendations on the
impact of Board decisions and/or jurisdictional initiatives.
4.
To build strong relationships with professional associations, the media, and first
responders, serving as the key spokesperson for the jurisdiction on a variety of issues.
3.5.1 Organizational Development Tactics
Tactic
Superintendent
Entry Plan
School Annual
Results Report
Manual
Four Year Plan
Description
Develop a 90-day entry plan for new
Superintendent of Schools.
Produce a reporting manual that outlines
reporting requirements for School Annual
Education Results Reports
Produce a Four Year Rolling Plan in
accordance to Ministry’s “Policy and
Requirements for School Board Planning
and Results Reporting – Assurance Model”
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
Due Date
August
MRPs
Director
August
Director
(Digital)
(Abbreviated)
September
Director
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Four Year Plan
Consultation
(tentative)
Web Portal
Development
Accountability
Meetings
Annual Education
Results Report
Budget
Consultation
School Education
Plan Manual
Board Directives
Satisfaction Survey
Knowledge Centre
Forms Review
Executive &
Director Meetings
Incamera/
Planning Meetings
Advocacy
Meetings
Design, present, and implement an
engagement strategy for the annual review
of RVS’ Four Year Plan
Lead web portal committee in the
development of a new webportal*
Meet with Four Year Plan MRPs to review
progress of designated action plans
Roll-up accountability reports into AERR in
accordance to Ministry’s “Policy and
Requirements for School Board Planning
and Results Reporting – Assurance Model”
Assist Finance Dept. in implementation of
annual budget development process, press
release, presentation
Produce a reporting manual that aligns
School Education Plans to Four Year Plan
Write, edit, revise Board directives as
requested
Administer annual RVS satisfaction survey
with parents, students, and staff
Assist project leads of document
management initiative build an online
knowledge centre
Serve as Project Lead for Business Forms
Review and online programming
Attend Executive and Director Meetings as
slated, preparing Director Reports on
branch activities
Attend meetings, provide communication
counsel
Attend Advocacy Meetings, assisting in
identification of Board advocacy positions
October –
January
Director
September to
June
October
December
December
Director
Superintendent
Director/MRPs
Director
January –
April
Director
March
Director
Ongoing
Director
May
Director
Ongoing
Director
Ongoing
Digital Content
Administrator
Director
Weekly/
Monthly
Bi-weekly
(Aug. – June)
As called
Director
Director
MRP= Most Responsible Person
*3.5.1.1Webportal Development
Tactic
Anonymous Public
Sites
Description
Design, populate, train and rollout of 50
(Board and School) public websites.
End Date
January
2018
MRPs
Communications
Staff
Intranet Sites
Lead design, population, training and
rollout of 50 (Board and School intranet
sites)
Lead design, population, training and
rollout of teacher and student sites
Lead design, population, training and
rollout of Parent Portal
Co-lead the design, population, training
and rollout of Ecommerce Module
January
2018
Webportal
Team
January
2018
January
2018
January
2018
Webportal
Team
Webportal
Team
Director/
Finance Dept.
Teacher/Student
Sites
Parent Portal
Ecommerce
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
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Business Forms
Lead the design, population, training and
rollout of Business Forms Module
January
2018
Professional
Learning
Co-Lead the design, population, training
and rollout of Professional Learning
Module
Work with Intellimedia to build
connectors from ODL database to SRB,
PowerSchool, Edulog, Office 365,
Infosnap
Develop online training materials on the
use of Webportal
Write procedures related to the function,
use and operation of Webportal
Run EC Office 365 CofP to build skill
levels of key branch staff
Develop sharepoint skills of Webportal
Team and key branch staff
January
2018
ODL Database
Training Materials
Procedural
Development
EC Office 365
Training
Sharepoint
Training
May 2017
Director/
Digital Content
Manager
Director/
Learning
Specialist
Director/Manager
Sharepoint
May 2017 /
ongoing
May 2017
Contractor/
Digital Content
Contractor
Ongoing
Webportal
Team
Director
Ongoing
3.5.2 Internal Tactics
Tactic
E-newsletters –
Admin
Plone Websites
(Intranet Folders)
Crisis Response
School Council
Resource Guide
School Logos
Graphic Design
Projects
21st Century Board
Awards
Rocky the Raccoon
Campaign
Staff
Memorandums
Description
Research, write, publish, and distribute a biweekly e-newsletter for school-based
administrators
Serve as web master for current internal
website folders, updating for new school
year; managing content over course of year
Assume role of Information Officer under
ICS, as well as manage Crisis Phone 24/7,
365 days
Produce and distribute School Council
Resource Guide
Continue to redesign school logos for new
webportal – 6 completed in spring 2016 –
18 to go
Design, print, distribute graphic design
projects, from school viewlets and website
banners, to infograms, and brochures
Refresh Board’s 21st C Board Award
Program
Design, publish, distribute, maintain
inventory of colouring books (Eng./FR),
zipper pulls
Draft/Edit memorandums as requested by
Superintendent & Associate Superintendent
Business and Operations
Due Date
2st and 4rd
Monday
Sept. – June
August/
Ongoing
MRPs
Director
Ongoing
Director/
Digital Content
Administrator
Director
August
Officer
Ongoing
Officer
Ongoing
Officer
November
Officer
August
Officer
Ongoing
Director
MRP= Most Responsible Person
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
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3.5.3 External Tactics
Tactic
E-newsletters –
Replay
RVS App
Description
Research, write, publish, and distribute weekly
community e-newsletter
Push Information/Promote RVS APP
Due Date
Tuesdays
Sept. - June
Ongoing
Advanced
Registration
Campaign
Opening Day
Campaign
Design and write content for Ontrack
(registration issue); design advertisements and
posters; oversee distribution
Design and write content for Ontrack (opening
day issue); design advertisements and posters;
oversee distribution
Manage Board contests, i.e. Christmas Card
Serve as web-master for RVS & Trustee
Website
Design, monitor, train, and audit School
Websites (annually)
Manage all social media tactics, specific to
Facebook pages, Twitter
Commit to publishing two blogs a week on
topics that align with Four Year Plan, beginning
September 1.
Attend Board Meetings and manage
subsequent media requests
Schedule groups to attend Board meetings;
liaise with groups; create plaques; distribute
swag; write content for Board package
Support other Departments roll out of public
campaigns, i.e., Ward Boundary Review
December
Board Contests
Public Websites
School Websites
Social Media
Blog Site
Board Meetings
Board Showcases
Community
Consultation
Campaigns
Brochures
Produce promotional brochures on RVS,
Kindergarten, Pre-School, French Immersion,
Christian, Food for Thought
Displays
Design various static and portable displays
Fingertips (School Produce pocket size school calendar for
Calendars)
distribution to all families and staff
Media Interview
Serve as Board spokesperson and manage
media enquiries
Media
Write and release media releases and
Releases/Advisory advisory; host media scrums, press conferences
Soundbites
Produce a monthly digest of school activity
PSAs for distribution to the local press
MRP
Officer
Digital Content
Administrator
Director/
Officer
July
Director/
Officer
Ongoing
Ongoing
Officer
Director/
Officer
Digital Content
Administrator
Digital Content
Administrator
Digital Content
Administrator
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Bi-weekly
(Aug - June)
Bi-weekly
(Aug - June)
Director
Director/
Officer
January
Director/
Officer
August
Director/
Officer
As required
August
Officer
Officer
Ongoing
Director
Ongoing
Director
Monthly
Officer
MRP= Most Responsible Person
4. OPERATING BUDGET
$564,036
Rocky View Schools Communications Plan
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