A how-to guide with real-world district examples and tools

Education Elements and The Learning Accelerator partnered to create this communications guide which includes a streamlined planning process, real-world examples from eight school districts, and up-to-date resources and artifacts.

Effective communications is a cornerstone of successful innovation in education. Strong two-way communications builds engagement, trust, and credibility. District leaders are recognizing the need for communications assistance to build understanding and support for their blended and personalized learning efforts.

Education Elements and The Learning Accelerator partnered to create a practical guide which clearly lays out the key steps for effective communications planning, for those just beginning their journey as well as practitioners who have been implementing for several years.

The guide lays out four critical phases for communications planning:

• PHASE 1: Plan & Align – How to create a culture of communications and set your communications goals.
  
  
• PHASE 2: Foundation – How to assess your resources and determine your communications needs.
  
  
• PHASE 3: Design – How to identify your key audiences, messages, messengers and tactics.
  
  
• PHASE 4: Reflect & Iterate – How to determine and track your metrics for success and improvement.

Throughout the guide are short profiles of districts that are doing great communications work, links to artifacts and tools that are free to use, and recommendations for how to continuously improve your communications efforts.