Reframing Education

Communication Planning – Level 3

Communication Planning

Use the contents of this page to guide your "Reframing" discussions. Refer to the "Communication Planning" section of your guidebook.

Establish Communication Plan-from district to teachers	What the staff needs to hear; Best way to reach and communicate; Communication schedule & frequency; How to measure message reach?
What do you already have in place? Is it working? How could it improve?	Included in the teacher survey
Are you getting feedback about your communication plan from your teachers? How responsive are your efforts?	Teacher Survey Includes: Reflection on the plan already in place Preferred Mode of Communication Frequency of Communication
Is there a preferred mode of communication from staff?	Included in the teacher survey
What will be the frequency of communication with staff?	Included in the teacher survey
What type of information needs to be communicated to staff?	Article: “6 Key School Communication Channels and How to Use Them”
Have the expectations been established for a teacher workday? (example: communicating outside of the work day with parents, office hours, etc.) How and when is this communicated?

Establish Staff Access and Communication Methods	Ensure all staff is directly reachable by students, and caregivers to facilitate and support instruction; Set clear expectations and lanes of communication for grade levels
What do we already have in place? Is it working? How could it improve?
Is there a district-wide/building-wide communication plan for students and caregivers?	District Communication Guide Example District Communication Guide Template
Will staff be expected to collaborate as a building, grade level, subject level, etc… to send communications to caregivers and students?
How often will the staff be expected to communicate with the students and caregivers?	Video: “Power Up Your Parent Communication”
What will be shared with caregivers on how and when to communicate with staff members?	District Communication Guide Template
What other type of information needs to be communicated to students and caregivers?	Article: “Building Parent-Teacher Relationships”
Are you getting feedback from your parents/caregivers? How responsive are your efforts?
Is there a preferred mode of communication from caregivers? (example:One Call Now with announcements)	Possible Questions for a Survey

Communication of Expectations of Learning	Inform all students and caregivers of the learning targets and expectations of engagement
What do we already have in place? Is it working? How could it improve?
Are the expectations reasonable and aligned with learning goals?
Do students and parents have access to everything they need? (website links, usernames, passwords, etc)	Teacher Master Password Spreadsheet Student Password Spreadsheet
Has it been communicated with students and parents as to how long they should be working on assignments outside of the school day?	Classroom Expectations by Grade-Level Remote Learning Resource Example

Focus on Equity	Equity in education means that each child has access to relevant and challenging academic experiences and educational resources necessary for success. Equity must remain at the forefront of short- and long-term goals, responses and supports.
What do we already have in place? Is it working? How could it improve?
What are you doing to address families who do not have technology/enough technology to communicate with teachers or complete assigned work?
Do we know who does and does not have access to technology? How will communication be done if students do not have technology? Are teachers made aware of the families who do not have the technology needs?	Possible Questions for a Survey
What are the family dynamics? (who is home with the child, parents may be working)

Partnerships	Partners represent the collective action needed to support each child and increase the likelihood of student success. Evaluate and elaborate on how the extending and leveraging partnerships can apply to this area.
What do we already have in place? Is it working? How could it improve?
Do teachers and parents know how to reach the partnership outside the school district? How is this communicated with families? (website, brochure, etc)	This may be on a district website already for each community or something that the school counselor has at a school already has. Examples: Office of Early Learning Community Resource Flyer Massillon Schools Community Resources Page Avon Lake City Schools Community Resources Page
Are there checkpoints established to ensure communication is continued?
Are there additional partnerships that need to be established?

Quality Schools	The entire school must commit to educating and supporting students so they acquire the knowledge and skills needed for future success. Those working inside and outside of the school should have a shared definition of future success. A shared understanding will help each child reach his or her goal.
What do we already have in place? Is it working? How could it improve?
Have there been established guidelines for assignments and teacher communications with students and families?
How do you communicate the end result of success?
Is there a way to provide one on one support?
How is communication provided for extra curricular programs?

Thank you to the collaborative group who created the discussion questions and contents of this page:
Lindsey Schmiesing – Mercer County ESC
Gina Rogers – Midwest Regional ESC
Virginia Shank – Trumbull County ESC