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    About the NSPRA Communication Audit

     

     

    In the fall of 2023, the Paulding County School District (PCSD) contracted with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for an in-depth, independent review of the school district’s overall communication program. The NSPRA Communication Audit process helps to identify the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in a school communication program through an extensive process that includes:

     

    • A review of print and digital communication materials, tools and tactics;
    • Quantitative research through the surveying of district staff (instructional, support, administrative, etc.), parents/ families and community members; and
    • Qualitative research through focus groups with these same audiences and through interviews with staff who perform formal communication functions for the district.

     

     

     

    Details of this process can be found in the Introduction of this report. The results of this process are shared in four main sections of the report:

    • The Key Findings section provides details about what was learned through the review of materials and the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.
    • A SWOT Analysis distills these findings into the district’s primary internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats related to its communication goals.
    • The Benchmarking of Results section reflects how the district’s communication program compares to other districts on nationally benchmarked SCOPE Survey questions and national standards of excellence in school public relations, as outlined in NSPRA’s Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures.
    • The Recommendations section details suggested strategies and tactics for addressing identified communication gaps and for enhancing effective strategies already in place.

     

    Report Synopsis

    Following is an overview of the audit report. As with all school systems, PCSD has areas in which it excels as well as areas where improvements can be made. For a full understanding of what was learned, the rationale behind the resulting recommendations and what will be required to implement those steps, it is recommended that the report be read in its entirety.

     

    Key Strengths of the Current Communication Program

    • District leaders and Communications Office staff are dedicated to the continual improvement of PCSD’s communication program, including through inviting a communication audit to gain data and insights to inform the development of a communication plan.
    • The School-Community Ambassadors program and postings on social media were consistently cited as ways PCSD is effectively sharing positive messages about the district.
    • There was recognition by multiple focus groups that the Communications Office staff is professional, skilled and actively involved in the promotion of PCSD.
    • Employees expressed a high degree of satisfaction with various aspects of communication, particularly in regard to trust, ease of reading and accuracy.

     

    Key Challenges of the Current Communication Program

    • PCSD desires but does not yet have a formal communication plan to ensure long-range communication efforts that support the district’s goals and objectives are incorporated into the department’s daily activities.
    • Parents expressed frustration and confusion by the many digital platforms used to communicate with parents.
    • Based on comments from focus groups, interviewees and survey open-ended comments, PCSD appears to be reactive to situations that would benefit from planned and deliberate proactive communication.
    • Combating mis/disinformation is a prevalent concern.
    • The website’s deficiencies in functionality and navigation are sources of frustration for stakeholders.

     

    Recommendations

    Based on analysis of the research findings, the auditor suggests the following strategies for enhancing PCSD’s communication program.

    1. Develop a comprehensive communication plan.
    2. Create organizational structures to support the communication function.
    3. Review the number of parent and staff communication tools and consider a more streamlined approach.
    4. Take advantage of the transition to a new website platform to incorporate improvements.
    5. Develop and execute a plan to combat misinformation and disinformation.
    6. Enhance communication to better serve the needs and interests of diverse and non-English-speaking families.
    7. Elevate Board of Education communications and outreach.
    8. Strategically enhance PCSD’s social media presence.

     

    For each recommendation, practical action steps based on current best practices are included in the report. Implementing these recommendations should be considered a long-term process that involves everyone responsible for communicating in PCSD, not just the Communications Department. It is generally not feasible to address more than two to three recommendations each year. But while some report recommendations may require major investments of time, this report also offers opportunities to rethink existing practices or to make quick improvements without a significant investment of resources.