Wyoming community colleges. Every Wyoming student who meets the merit requirements can earn a Hathaway Merit Scholarship.

Contact your school counselor for more information.

COMMUNICATION PLAN

September 2019

Abstract To engage more effectively with the community, this plan aligns the district’s

mission and goals with communication protocols and social media guidelines

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 2

VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS ...................................................................................................................... 3

COMMUNICATION PRIORITIES AND CHANNELS ........................................................................................... 4

DISTRICT BRANDING SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................... 6

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES .......................................................................................................................... 9

EMAIL COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS ...................................................................................................... 10

SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................... 13

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INTRODUCTION The Albany County School District #1 (ACSD1) Communication Plan is reflected in the Strategic

Plan adopted by the school board in November 2017. The Strategic Plan detailed three Pathways

or major goal areas:

Strong Community Relationships

Innovative Teaching and Learning

Optimal Operations

The Communication Plan comes directly from Pathway One—Strong Community Relationships.

The Communication Plan details the goals and strategies for communicating with ACSD1

stakeholders as well as articulating priorities and communication channels. In addition, the

Communication Plan details district branding specifications, social media guidelines, effective

email communication protocols, and the procedures for the parent ambassador program.

The Communication Plan is a natural next step for reflecting the values of the school district and

for improving school community relationships. The school board established four overarching

values that were included in the strategic plan:

Engagement: Student success is built upon a foundation of community engagement —

involvement, decision making, participation, and leadership

Collaboration: Education is a collaborative process requiring shared responsibility

among educators, parents, students, and the community

Equity: Decisions are driven by ensuring equitable opportunities for all learners

Transparency: Governance, communications, operations, and actions are transparent for

all stakeholders

These values show up in the work of ACSD1. Everything that the school district does reflects our

values and drives the vision and mission of the school district.

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VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS Our Vision

Entrusting and empowering everyone to excel.

Our Mission

Educate all students to achieve at their highest potential, to graduate, and to succeed in life.

Pathway (Goal) 1: Strong Community Relationships

Communicating, engaging, and connecting with our community

TRAIL 1

Ensure accessible, consistent communications for all parents, students, employees, and

community members

ACSD#1 WILL TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

• Ensure information is timely, predictable, and searchable

• Audit communications for uniform language and terminology

• Develop consistent and accessible website locations for information and stakeholder

engagement

• Seek input from all stakeholders on meaningful topics throughout the school year through

various communication channels

• Foster an active and vibrant professional learning community

ACSD#1 WILL MONITOR THE FOLLOWING MILESTONES TO ENSURE PROGRESS:

• Average response time

• Percentage of websites that meet communication audit standards

• Percentage of stakeholders who rate the district and school websites as excellent or good

• Number of stakeholder participants in survey opportunities, and specific feedback

campaigns

• Average school effectiveness scores

TRAIL 2

To expand opportunities for ACSD#1 to partner with the community

ACSD#1 WILL TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

• Identify, communicate, and use available community resources

• Develop strategies to foster family involvement and volunteerism

• Promote periodic communication and public recognitions of community partnerships

• Maintain preschool programs and expand access to early intervention opportunities for all

students

ACSD#1 WILL MONITOR THE FOLLOWING MILESTONES TO ENSURE PROGRESS:

• Number of community partnerships with schools and ACSD#1

• Percentage of stakeholders who feel schools encourage families to volunteer

• Number of communications that highlight community partnerships, awards, and

recognitions with ACSD#1

• Number of preschool program participants in the community and district

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COMMUNICATION PRIORITIES AND CHANNELS

ACSD#1 established two strategies or priorities for communicating with district stakeholders as

described in the previous section on Goals. Trail 1 & 2 are specific strategies and priorities for

district communication. Stakeholder audiences include:

Internal

Board of Trustees

Certified Staff

Classified Staff

Administrators

Vendors

External

Students City, County, and State Officials

Parents University and College Officials

Community Partners Business Leaders

Business Partners Elected Officials

Prospective employees Media

The following table (Table 1: Communication Channels) describes the communication channel

and the primary message communicated with each communication channel available to the school

district. In addition, the table depicts the frequency of communication as well as the effectiveness

of the communication method.

The strategic plan outlines specific communication priorities in Trail 1 and 2, which focus on

accurate and timely communication to all stakeholders, and developing partnerships with parents

and the community. The communication channels described in the Table 1 align with these

priorities.

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Table 1: Communication Channels

Method & Message Intended Audience Frequency Evaluation

Effectiveness

District Website to provide overview information about the district and up to date calendar information

Typically first time users and internal stakeholders

As needed Page View (Analytics)

“Feedback Surveys” to provide avenue for stakeholder input

Website Users As needed Analytics and response

rate

Social Media Platforms to communicate relevant school related information

All community stakeholders (targeted)

Daily/Weekly Messaging As needed including

emergency notification

Likes, comments, follows (tracking tools)

Email to provide brief, succinct information

All internal and targeted external stakeholders

As needed Click through rates

(24 hour response time)

BoardDocs to communicate policy updates and development

All stakeholders Monthly Page View (Analytics)

Committee Meeting Minutes to report on discussion and recommendations

Internal stakeholders primarily

Weekly Page View (Analytics)

School Messenger to communicate emergency situations

All stakeholders As needed Completion Percentage

Reports, Presentations to convey progress on goals, mission, and vision

All stakeholders Monthly Board Meetings Verbal and/or written

feedback

Newsletters (school and district messages—e.g. Monday Message) to communicate events and celebrations

Students, Parents, Internal stakeholders

Weekly/Monthly Verbal and/or written

feedback

Power School to communicate student academic performance and attendance

Parents, Students Weekly Analytics

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DISTRICT BRANDING SPECIFICATIONS1

A key element of improving district communications is standardizing branding across all

forms of external communication. This includes printed materials: posters, brochures, and flyers,

as well as online formats, such as social media posts, reports posted on the website, electronic

banners, etc.

Consistent branding makes communications more likely to be read, reinforces perceptions of

professionalism, and bolsters districts’ reliability and gains community trust. Below is a list of key

steps the district communications team takes to ensure all district communications are effectively

reaching intended audiences.

Communicate at most one topic, project, initiative, or event per poster, brochure, or

post. Maintaining a narrowly scoped focus minimizes clutter and improves readability. It also

speeds time to print material creation by standardizing the information that should be

included on each page.

Bullet out important information to provide context

Basic information about initiative, project, or event

Important dates to note

Contact information

Adopt clear, effective visual style for all communications.

Standardize logos, fonts, and colors across all district communications. Use

consistent fonts and a limited color scheme across documents.

Use bolding, underlining, and italics selectively (and sparingly) to call out the most

important information.

Balance graphics and text with white space. Incorporating white space into a

document creates more “hooks” for the reader’s eye and reduces the effort required

to digest the information. Increasing line spacing and margins (of both text and

graphics) allows for more white space in a document.

Caption pictures clearly with content and location (if applicable).

All graphs should be accompanied by a brief description of key takeaways. This

will enable readers to quickly scan and extract the important information.

o Use bright colors and big numbers (within the district guidelines) to call out important

data points.

o Make graphs as accessible as possible by including titles, axis labels, and legends;

color-coding the graph is helpful, but keep colors to a limited number to avoid

overwhelming the reader.

Use short, simple sentences and concise language.

Target the writing style for laypeople by excluding jargon and unfamiliar terms.

The goal is to make your communication as easy to read and understand as possible.

Check your content carefully for grammatical errors.

Use online tools to test and improve readability, such as the Gunning-Fog Index or

the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Score.

1 Creating an Effective District Communications Plan (Key Elements, Section 3, Page 20) (EAB, 2018).

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PROPER LOGO USAGE

The School Board approved the official ACSD#1 Logo in 2017 and the logo is the most visible

asset of the school district. Maintaining consistent logo usage is critical to communicating a

distinct, professional brand. The following guidelines will ensure consistent usage of the ACSD#1

logo.

Letterhead Format

The official letterhead is the ACSD#1 Logo in the top left hand header with ½ margins surrounding

the logo. The logo includes the mountain graphic, the capital letters of the district followed by a

raised #1, and the tag line “ALBANY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT” in smaller font directly

below the capital letters. See example below. The ACSD#1 logo shall be ¾ inch high and 2

inches wide. The right margin of the header can include the name and address of the sender of the

correspondence in Garamond 9 Font, and the top of the name block will be at the same ½ border

from the top edge of the paper. The letterhead header will also include a line that is .75 pt, Blue

[Dark Blue (25%) (#799ed6)], that runs from the left margin to the right margin.

The footer of the letterhead will contain the Hathaway Logo and statement in Times New Roman

8 Font. The logo and font will not exceed ¾ of an inch and be centered ½ inch from the bottom

of the paper. See example below:

The State of Wyoming provides Hathaway Merit and Need Scholarships for Wyoming students attending the University of Wyoming and

Wyoming community colleges. Every Wyoming student who meets the merit requirements can earn a Hathaway Merit Scholarship. Contact your school counselor for more information.

Dr. Jubal C. Yennie Superintendent of Schools

1948 Grand Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070 (307) 721-4400 / Fax (307) 721-4408

www.acsd1.org

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Memorandum Format

The ACSD#1 logo can be used in the memorandum format following the same specifications as

the letterhead. The address is omitted and the word “MEMORANDUM” is set below the

horizontal line at 3.5 inches in Bold, Italics, Andalus Font 22 in a Blue Accent 1 Darker 25%

color (#799ed6). The memorandum format uses Calibri 12 or 14 Font and follows a standard

memorandum convention: (To: From: Date: Subject:)

Memorandum: To:

From:

Date:

Subject:

IMPROPER LOGO USAGE

The ACSD#1 logo will not be manipulated in any way. The logo size will not be elongated or

stretched or be larger than ¾ inch by 2 inches on a letterhead or a report. See examples:

Not to be stretched: No larger than ¾ by 2 inches

Improper usage Improper usage

The logo will always be placed in the upper left hard margin of any report or communication

from the school district. The logo will not be centered either in the header or in the middle of a

page.

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SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES2

While the majority of the district’s communication will happen through the approved channels, it

is important for districts to understand that their teachers, students, and staff members will also

post independently and will often be seen as representing the district even when posting from their

personal accounts. The following “Basic Rules” provide initial guidance for ACSD#1 staff and

students in accordance with Policy 3013, Responsible Use Policy

Basic Guidelines for Social Media Interaction

ACSD1 discourages employees from

o responding to any political comments

o engaging with negative comments related to a school or the district

o directing messages to any individual students or families

o using social media as a vehicle or a tool for judgment or social commentary

The district’s social media presence is by nature targeted at students, parents, teachers, and the

general public. Therefore, access to the official accounts are thoughtfully allocated and

permissions granted to the level of responsibility. The table below provides guidance on how the

type of message affects who will craft and post a communication on social media.

Table 2: Posting Social Media Communications

TOPIC Person Responsible for Posting

Student Safety Superintendent’s Office/Communications Team

District Highlights and Initiatives Superintendent’s Office/Communications Team

School/Classroom Event Notices School Principal’s Office/Teachers

Important Logistical Changes Superintendent’s Office/Communications Team

Handling Online Posts and Comments

Most comments can be handled by the school building liaison or the district communications team,

but some may have to be dealt with depending on the comment and on the channel used. Email

and comments received via the Feedback Survey on the district website require a response within

24 hours. Administrators and communication liaisons will reply to comments through the channel

they were received; however, in sensitive situations, an email might be merited.

If responding to a true emergency, activate emergency plans and use the pre-determined

communication channels to respond.

2 Creating an Effective District Communications Plan (Key Elements, Section 2, Page 18) (EAB, 2018).

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EMAIL COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS3

District leaders use email to communicate a wide variety of information to stakeholders: teachers,

principals, students, parents, etc.

Staff can use the table across the following two pages (Table 3) to identify the purpose of various

emails, as well as how often such emails should be sent. The table also provides considerations of

what content to include and how to stylistically design the email to make the most important

information stand out.

Table 3: Email Purposes

Internal Emails (Including Daily

Announcements)

Major Project Initiation

Announcements

Major Updates on Projects, Initiatives, or

Performances

PURPOSE

Provide brief, succinct

information to individuals

impacted by content of

email

Inform district

community about

upcoming major

initiatives or projects (i.e.,

investments, transitions to

1:1, changes of schedule,

etc.)

Notify community of

progress on initiatives:

updates on progress,

results, growing scope of

involvement, etc.

FREQUENCY Daily/Weekly

As needed

Monthly to annual,

depending on project

BRANDING AND SYTLE

Keep it simple; use

consistent fonts and a

limited color scheme.

These may omit logos and

other cumbersome

graphical elements.

Use appropriate branding,

according to district

standards.

Balance graphics and text

with white space to

reduce effort required to

digest information.

Add bullet points to call

out critical information.

Keep it simple;

selectively use bolding,

underlining, and italics to

call out titles or the most

important information

CONTENT TO INCLUDE

Important points that

people need to know to

understand the reason for

the communication

District point of view or

stance on the issue, if

necessary

Important details, such as:

Project name

Contact information

Important

dates/milestones

Estimated impact on

students

Link to media stories or

research showing need for

project

Brief description of

milestones achieved and

progress to date

Who, what, when, where,

why, for how long, and

who to contact with

questions or concerns

Expected future timeline

3 Creating an Effective District Communications Plan (Key Elements, Section 4, Page 29) (EAB, 2018).

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Table 3: Email Purposes (Continued)

Safety and Security Updates, Drills, and

Alarms Email Newsletter

District Staff and Teacher Celebrations

PURPOSE

Notify district community

of a drill, event, or an

ongoing/ active situation.

Share routine, non-urgent

information internally and

with district community.

Display ways that staff

and teachers are providing

value to the community,

particularly beyond their

usual roles

FREQUENCY

As needed. This may vary

from pre-planned weekly

emails about drills to

hourly updates about

active situations

Weekly, monthly, or

bimonthly

Weekly or monthly

BRANDING AND SYTLE

Use appropriate branding,

but keep focus on

message.

Bullet accordingly as

needed to keep critical

information easily

accessible.

Be especially careful with

word choice to avoid

misunderstanding.

Use branded fonts and

colors, as well as ample

white space.

Use a consistent template

across time to ensure

familiarity with format

and ease of

understanding.

Balance graphics and text

with white space.

Ensure high-quality

pictures where possible.

CONTENT TO INCLUDE

Description of situation or

of expected impact

Who, what, when, where,

why, for how long, and

who to contact with

questions or concerns

What the district and

other authorities (if

applicable) are doing to

mitigate the disruption to

impacted parties

Student achievements

Teacher/staff

achievements and

recognition

Important upcoming dates

Minor updates

How staff and teachers

have positively impacted

both students and the

community

Any positive/value stories

or compliments from

local organizations,

businesses, or individuals

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While emails are a familiar form of communication, leveraging them for the mass distribution of

information requires effort. The following table (Table 4) provides five essential rules for crafting

effective emails.4

Table 4: Five Essential Rules for Emails RULE IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE EXAMPLES

Know the intention or purpose of the email before sending

Is the purpose of the email to share information or request action? The main points should be clearly articulated upfront.

Sharing information requires language such as “Attached is a link to the Board Decision for your reference,” “We are pleased to announce,”or “Updates to a previous report.” Requesting action from recipients requires language such as “Please respond with your comments” or “Create this document and disseminate it to teachers.”

Highlight follow-up actions expected from recipient(s)

What actions (if any) should happen as a result of this email? Make the expected action clear to the addressees by calling out who is responsible for which part of the action.

For example, “[Name 1], please send [document] to [Name 2].”

Provide only as much context as necessary

Think through the background information required for recipient(s) to understand the email and take appropriate action. To ensure recipients grasp the email’s key takeaway(s), leave out extraneous detail.

Key content to include:

Impact on students, teachers, community

Basic reasoning for decision Content to avoid:

Long stories and details about how a decision came to be, unless absolutely relevant

Personal views

Include relevant supporting graphics

Text-heavy emails can be hard for recipients to digest and may not get read. Use a quotation, statistic, image, or photo to break up the text and make the message being communicated more compelling and accessible. Data supports requests or stories more

effectively than anecdotes, and graphs are a powerful way to communicate changes.

When possible, use: data to show (potential) impact of

initiatives (e.g., “research has shown that engaging students in social-emotional learning improves their outcomes by 11%”)

pictures to celebrate achievements quotes from district staff to make

emails more interesting to read

Avoid jargon unless it is certain that the recipient(s) understands it

Clearly define any terms that the recipient(s) might not be familiar with, including acronyms. Note that even names of systems or regulations can count as jargon. Be particularly mindful of jargon when sending external emails.

Parents may not know what Title I vs. Title II funds means or what “ESSA” or the Perkins Act stand for

4 Creating an Effective District Communications Plan (Key Elements, Section 4, Pages 28, 29) (EAB, 2018).

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SUMMARY

The Communication Plan comes directly from Pathway One—Strong Community Relationships

of the school district Strategic Plan adopted in 2017. The Communication Plan details the goals

and strategies for communicating with ACSD1 stakeholders as well as articulating priorities and

communication channels. In addition, the Communication Plan describes the district branding

specifications, social media guidelines, and effective email communication protocols.

The Communication Plan is part practical application and another part aspirational. The

Communication Plan provides an overview for all stakeholders about district communication

methods, purposes and channels. The communication plan also describes practical tips and

strategies for district and building level communication teams to communicate effectively with

both internal and external stakeholders.