9.1.1 Brief the Board of Education (Boe) on the Action Planning Process

STRATEGY 9 We will engage in robust, open, ongoing and transparent communications with all students, families, staff and community members to generate understanding, excitement, trust and support of our school community and its transformation.

Deliverable 9.1: Create communications plan that interacts with and engages every stakeholder in a community-wide dialogue about and stimulates support for the strategic planning process.

9.1.1 Brief the Board of Education (BoE) on the action planning process 9.1.1.1 Share high level overview of progress at every Board committee meeting as well as monthly BoE meeting 9.1.1.2 Present short update on process at the October 2016 BoE meeting 9.1.1.3 Hold small-group Board briefings before the November public presentation

9.1.2 Present full Strategic Plan, including Action Plans, to Board of Education and Community 9.1.2.1 Special Board Meeting (discussion) – Nov 21 (special meeting a week earlier?) 9.1.2.2 Ed Summit 2 – Dec. 6 9.1.2.2.1 Recruit committee, including student volunteers, to help with all aspects of planning, promoting and implementing the summit 9.1.2.2.2 Market summit aggressively to reach full community 9.1.2.2.3 Arrange logistics to promote participation including transportation, 9.1.2.2.4 Consider using Facebook live to broadcast from each room so people can participate from home or at a later date 9.1.2.3 Hold smaller community briefings for those who missed the education summit or would like more information during the first two weeks of December. 9.1.2.4 Create video overview and distribute to community. 9.1.2.5 Engage students through social media and alternative channels. 9.1.2.6 Board meeting (vote) – Dec 19 (include update on anything changed in response to community feedback).

9.1.3 Engage BoE and Community in ongoing implementation of the Strategic Plan 9.1.3.1 Recruit volunteers to serve on committee, and leader to coordinate, to assist with ongoing community engagement around the Strategic Plan 9.1.3.2 Visits to stakeholder Groups Post Approval 9.1.3.2.1 Identify stakeholder groups to visit (Students, Staff, Presidents Council/PTA/HSA meetings, Towns Leaders, Neighborhood Associations, senior groups, realtors, religious communities) 9.1.3.2.2 Schedule visits/presentations 9.1.3.2.3 Recruit presenters for each visit 9.1.3.3 Incorporate discussion of Action Plans in budget information throughout budget season 9.1.3.4 Host Strategic Plan Update Presentation in May 9.1.3.4.1 Present rationale for what is being pursued first 9.1.3.4.2 Explain roll out plan 9.1.3.4.3 Create and distribute calendar of implementation 9.1.3.5 Plan ongoing communications and engagement opportunities for 2017- 2018 9.1.3.5.1 Periodic check ins with/updates to the board and community 9.1.3.5.2 Annual education summit to report on progress of the plan and gather feedback 9.1.3.5.3 Reassessment and adjustment of plan annually, incorporating feedback. STRATEGY 9 We will engage in robust, open, ongoing and transparent communications with all students, families, staff and community members to generate understanding, excitement, trust and support of our school community and its transformation.

Results Statement 9.2 Devise a process that engages every parent/guardian in an interactive communication with the South Orange-Maplewood School District at least once per marking period as a starting point for processes that reach all other stakeholder groups.

ACTION STEPS 9.2.1 Create a master parent/guardian list from SOMSD student registration data. 9.2.2 Develop a simple survey to capture parent/guardians’ preferences when engaging in an interactive communication. Preferences should include basics such as language, method, days and times. 9.2.3 Use multiple means to administer and collect the preference surveys until each parent/guardian on the list has been contacted. 9.2.2.1 Include preference inquiries in fall information packets 9.2.2.2 Collect additional preference surveys at Back to School Nights 9.2.2.3 Make phone calls to households that have not submitted preferences 9.2.2.4 Make home visits to collect remaining preferences 9.2.4 Convert collected parent/guardian preferences into Communications Profiles for use at the classroom, school and district levels. 9.2.5 Store parent/guardian Communications Profiles in a secure database or communications portal that can be accessed at the classroom, school and district levels. 9.2.6 Aggregate preferences to identify major groupings across parents and guardians such as languages, methods and other areas. 9.2.7 Develop delivery systems and resources needed to accommodate the major groupings identifies, i.e. translators, message editors, off hour delivery mechanisms, home visitation teams, etc. 9.2.8 Initiate the interactive communication process in the first school year cycle following adoption. 9.2.9 Survey all participants to assess results 9.2.10 Modify process as indicated. STRATEGY 9 We will engage in robust, open, ongoing and transparent communications with all students, families, staff, and community members to generate understanding, excitement, trust, and support of our school community and its transformation.

RESULTS STATEMENT 9.3 Pilot an aggressive two-way program to identify and communicate to underrepresented populations as a starting point for achieving 100% stakeholder engagement.

9.3.1 Pilot program to non-native-English speaking population

9.3.1.1 Identify non-native-English speaking families 9.3.1.1.1 Check to make sure PowerSchool has field for language preference 9.3.1.1.2 Populate language preference field for all families 9.3.1.1.3 Ask preferred language at registration for new families. 9.3.1.1.4 Ask for preferred language during first months of school ○ Online - directly into PowerSchool ○ Terminals & forms at Back to School Night ○ Paper forms in backpacks 9.3.1.1.5 Poll teachers for family language preference data in elementary schools, and students at the secondary level.

9.3.1.2 Design research to identify barriers to participation 9.3.1.2.1 Create question set for research 9.3.1.2.2 Determine methods of research - e.g., online, home visits, info sessions, etc.)

9.3.1.3 Conduct research

9.3.1.4 Use research results to test new ways to aggressively inform and involve non- native-English speaking families - e.g., ● Family orientation on how to participate in children’s education ● Solicit input and participation from local houses of worship ● Translation of all/some communications

9.3.1.5 Determine method of sharing language preference with other district parties (e.g., clubs, sports, PTAs/HSAs, etc.). 9.3.1..1 Develop standardized and respectful protocols for home visits.

9.3.1.6 Determine ways to overlap preferred method of communication (e.g., email, text, paper) with language need

9.3.1.7 Establish and fund translation services

9.3.1.8 Translate and adapt all district communication 9.3.1.9 Translate district news and send to teachers regularly to share with families as appropriate.

9.3.1.10 Provide translating services for school events, particularly Back to School Night and teacher conferences.

9.3.1.11 Visit homes quarterly to provide district updates, solicit feedback, and answer questions - if determined appropriate and useful by research [district staff member - stipend]

9.3.2 Pilot program to Seth Boyden neighborhood families

9.3.1.1 Maintain monthly updated roster of neighborhood families

9.3.1.2 Design research to identify barriers to participation 9.3.1.2.1 Create question set for research 9.3.1.2.2 Determine methods of research - e.g., online, home visits, info sessions, etc.)

9.3.1.3 Conduct research

9.3.1.4 Use research results to test new ways to aggressively inform and involve SB neighborhood families - e.g., ● Host family orientation on how to participate in children’s education ● Solicit input and participation from local houses of worship ● Provide childcare and dinner at school/district events ● Host after school (at dismissal) PTA meetings in the garden ● Provide transportation to district events from Seth Boyden ● Send district communications to neighborhood daycares to be shared with families, and provide annual thank you gift

9.3.1.5 Visit homes quarterly to provide district updates, solicit feedback, and answer questions - if determined appropriate and useful by research [district staff member - stipend] STRATEGY 9

We will engage in robust, open, ongoing and transparent communications with all students, families, staff, and community members to generate understanding, excitement, trust, and support of our school community and its transformation.

Results Statement 9.4 Develop a plan to identify communication needs of the South Orange Community, determine how a portal can help create solutions, and begin the development process. 9.4.1 Recruit a team to shepherd the portal development.

9.4.1.1 Include 2-3 members of the 2015-16 web site update committee in order to carry over knowledge of current system that might need to be incorporated into future system.

9.4.1.2 Include 2-3 members who have an IT background, preferably with experience in portal development, who can lend expertise in the types of issues that a portal can help resolve.

9.4.1.3 Include 2-3 members of South Orange Maplewood District (SOMSD) staff (preferably the Business Administrator; Chief Information Officer (CIO) or IT contact; and the Communications Director.

9.4.2 Determine initial constituent groups the portal will be created for (more can be added later).

9.4.2.1 Review current constituent groups that use the district web site

9.4.2.2 Determine if additional constituents should be represented.

9.4.2.3 Consider beginning with Parents, Students, and Faculty.

9.4.2.4 Future constituents might include Community members, Board of Ed members, Coaches, Athletes.

9.4.3 Develop user stories to determine the types of tasks that different users might need to accomplish with respect to the school district.

9.4.3.1 Identify set of questions to collect each representative user’s “story” or “narrative”. A user story is a simple task that a community member is trying to achieve (See Appendix 9-1 for Sample Questions to Create User Narratives).

9.4.3.1.1 Use index cards to collect information, so that they can be organized later.

9.4.3.1.2 Collect user interviews/information and categorize them by users and tasks or issues. 9.4.3.2 Use multiple methods to reach a wide group of representatives.

9.4.3.2.1 Create email survey to request input from stakeholder representatives.

9.4.3.2.2 Call a meeting for community members to discuss and submit input

9.4.3.2.3 Create team to go out into community to interview potential users

9.4.3.2.4 Request input about communications issues at Back to School Night (incorporate into other information survey materials for BTS night)

9.4.3.2.5 Request input about communications issues in end of school year survey

9.4.3.3 Create spreadsheet listing different categories of users and specific goals they were trying to achieve as well as their motivations for the goals (See Appendix 9-2 for sample spreadsheet for capturing user stories).

9.4.4 Review current web site and applications to determine which technology applications we need to incorporate into the new portal (e.g., powerschool, etc.)

9.4.4.1 Collect documentation from current web site (if any) that lists what information is currently being hosted or accessed (e.g., calendars, faculty listings, chat applications like Let’s Talk, etc.)

9.4.4.2 Determine other systems that are being used/accessed separately from the web site, i.e., teacher web sites, powerschool, lunch accounts

9.4.5 Develop a gap analysis based on user research and prioritized needs for portal development.

9.4.6 Hire a portal developer

APPENDIX 9-1: Sample Questions to Create User Narratives

Ask community member about the last time they contacted the school - what goal were they trying to accomplish? Did they get results? Did they wish it had worked differently? Try to get answers in the form of:

(1) “As a [user], I would like to [task] so that I can [goal]” (2) Example 1: As a student, I would like to ask a question to the language department about online classes so that I can plan my schedule for next year.

(3) Example 2: As a parent, I would like to communicate with a school administrator about a problem I had with a teacher so that I can resolve this issue in a timely manner.

APPENDIX 9-2: Sample Spreadsheet of User Stories