Student Achievement/Higher Bar Communications Plan

Goal: Increase public awareness and understanding of interim math achievement standards as the state moves toward Common Core; both will require a higher level of math mastery. Initially, fewer students will meet the achievement standard resulting in fewer schools meeting AYP.

Objective 1: To help school districts promote awareness of increased expectations resulting in fewer students initially meeting the achievement standard resulting in lower AYP ratings.

Audience: Internal -- ESD superintendents; school district superintendents; school district staff; parents; students; education partners (COSA, OSBA, OSAA, OSEA, OEA, AFT)

Strategy: Create communications toolkit for use by school districts that includes but is not limited to: ODE webpage outlining changes in plain language; FAQ; customizable press release for use with local media; customizable letter to parents; downloadable Castillo podcast to parents; promotional pieces to parents explaining school and district report cards

DATE / AUDIENCE / TOOLS / STAFF
January 2011 / School Districts PIOS / ODE achievement standards webpage which will include a Communications Toolkit:
·  FAQs
·  talking points
·  Castillo podcast
·  customizable press release & letter to parents
·  sample op-ed and letter to the editor / Susanne Smith (with input from OSPRA/OSBA)
Every other month beginning Jan 2011 / School District Superintendents / Regular webinar check-ins with school districts for on-going two-way dialogue / Susan Castillo
Monthly (ongoing) / District Test Coordinators / Standing monthly webinar meetings with school DTCs / Tony Alpert
Monthly beginning January 2011 / School District PIOs / Standing monthly webinar meetings with SD PIOs / Susanne Smith
November 2010 – August 2011 / School district Administrators & education partners / Present at regularly scheduled stakeholder conferences (COSA, OSBA, etc) / ODE staff
Monthly / School Districts / Superintendent’s Update; Pipeline; Assessment & Accountability Update; listserv communications / ODE OAIS
ODE Communications

Objective 2: To promote and increase public awareness of state policy changes around increased expectation for students in preparation for CCSS.

Audience: External - Public

Strategy: Editorial board visits; earned media; op-eds; letters to editor; letter to parents; testimony

DATE / AUDIENCE / MESSAGE / METHOD / STAFF
October/November 2011 / Ed Boards –
Oregonian (10/13/10)
Statesman Journal (11/10/10)
Register Guard
(11/8/10)
Bend Bulletin
10/18/10) / Increased expectations; long-term benefits; short-term performance downturn / In-person Ed Board visits around the state / Susan Castillo
Tony Alpert
Susanne Smith
October/November 2011 / General Public / Increased expectations; long-term benefits; short-term performance downturn / Earned media via Interviews
Regular press availabilities / Susanne Smith
Susan Castillo
October/November 2011 / General Public / Increased expectations; long-term benefits; short-term performance downturn / Op-eds
Statesman Journal
(10/22/10) / Susan Castillo
? / Parents / Increased expectations; long-term benefits; short-term performance downturn / Letter to parents from Susan Castillo and SBE Chair Brenda Frank / Susan Castillo and SBE Chair Brenda Frank
? / Parents / Increased expectations / Language on Individual Student Report / ODE OAIS
October 2011 / Parents / Plain language promotional pieces explaining school and district report cards / promotional pieces / ODE Communications
ODE OAIS
Feb - June 30 2011 / Legislators / Making the case for funding based on increased expectations (cut scores/CCSS/Diploma) / Testimony to budget & policy committees; one-on-one meetings with Members / Susan Castillo
February – May 2011 / Legislature / The state has raised the bar along with increased expectations for our schools and students comes an obligation to adequately fund SSF / Strategically placed op-eds / Susan Castillo
July 2011 / Ed Boards / Increased expectations equal lower AYP ratings / In-person Ed Board visits around the state / Susan Castillo
Tony Alpert
Susanne Smith

Objective #3: Grass roots campaign to promote and increase awareness of higher bar message student achievement information to community timed to AYP ratings/OAKS achievement results release

Audience: External - General public

Strategy: Proactive communications including, but not limited to, press releases; regular check-ins with main ed reporters; editorial board meetings; press conference as needed

DATE / AUDIENCE / MESSAGE / METHOD / WHO
May – August 2011 / Public / Lower AYP & student achievement ratings due to higher expectations / Press releases; ed board meetings; check-ins with main ed reporters / Susanne Smith
Susan Castillo
3-4 weeks before release of AYP / Chambers of Commerce; school board; / Lower AYP & student achievement ratings due to higher expectations / Listening Tour or other timed events around the state to capture media attention / Susan Castillo
Governor Kitzhaber
Advocacy groups
August 2011 / Public/Media / Student achievement results / Press Conference to release Student Assessment results (with old and new math cut scores) --Explore combination of AYP/assessment results / Susan Castillo
Governor Kitzhaber

Contact: Susanne Smith, ODE Communications Director, 503-947-5637