Public relations tactics

The school board has developed a number of tactics for achieving its public relations goals. These include newsletters, a school board web site, school web sites, school councils, report cards and parent interviews, an annual satisfaction survey, and annual education results report. A board communication committee has overall responsibility for district communications and public relations.

Media contact

Most news coverage about the school district is positive, according to Dr. Darwin Eckstrom, the school board superintendent (interview, February 15, 2003). The Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune regularly reports school board meetings, school activities, achievements, and school sports. A number of schools have developed relationships with local weekly newspapers. For example, Beaverlodge Regional High School has a weekly column in the community’s weekly newspaper.

Board Chairman Lynne Phillips and Dr. Eckstrom serve as media spokespersons for the school board. For example, a student recently brought an air pistol to school, generating Canada-wide media coverage. Dr. Eckstrom fielded questions from television, radio and newspapers from across the country.

Newsletters

A school board newsletter, called Spotlight, is published two times a year in hard copy tabloid format and on the web site. The tabloid edition of Spotlight is distributed throughout the community and to parents through the schools. Spotlight contains information about school board activities, highlights student and staff achievements, and reports district financial and achievement data. Schools provide frequent newsletters to parents, sometimes on a weekly basis. These report school activities, student and staff achievements, and school financial and achievement data.

Web site

In addition the latest information from Spotlight, the web site (Peace Wapiti School Board #33, 2002b) includes links to the Three Year Business Plan, the Annual Education Results Report and school web sites. Other links provide information about the school board and its programs and services, the school trustees, and administrations. Information is provided about students, staff, the calendar, online school, and employment. The web site is updated as new information becomes available. A retired school board employee, Paul Renfree, is hired on a contract basis as the web master.

School web sites

School web sites are available for all schools, except those on the Hutterite colonies. Schools develop and manage their own web sites. Some use students to prepare the web pages while others contract out the work. The web sites include news items, faculty web pages, and student web pages. Schools are required to prepare an annual report that includes achievement and diploma examination results. Some of this information is also included on the school web pages.

Report cards / parent interviews

According to Alberta Learning (1998), teachers are required to regularly evaluate student progress, and report how well students are doing in relation to provincial grade-level standards to parents, students and school administrators. Individual teachers may use provincial achievement test results in determining final grades for their students.

Local school boards decide what format to use for report cards and how else to communicate student progress. Many schools schedule parent-teacher interviews as well as issuing written reports on each child’s progress. Parents and school councils may advise schools and boards on the reporting methods they would like to see used.

Schools in Peace Wapiti School Board (2002b) prepare student report cards four times annually and have formal parent/teacher interviews three times. Teachers also hold interviews with parents as the need arises or when parents request an interview.

Parent Councils

In accordance with Alberta Learning policy (1997), Peace Wapiti School Board has established school councils at each of its schools. School councils advise the principal and the board about matters related to the school, including budgets, activities, and community relations.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 912