About the NSPRA Communication Audit
Arlington Independent School District has contracted with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for an in-depth, independent review of the system’s overall communication program. The NSPRA Communication Audit process helps to identify the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in a school communication program through a process that includes:
- A review of print and digital communication materials, tools and tactics;
- Quantitative research through the surveying of district staff (instructional, support, administrative, etc.), parents/ caregivers and community members; and
- Qualitative research through focus groups with these same audiences and through interviews with staff who perform formal communication functions for the district.
What is an NSPRA Communication Audit?
- A comprehensive assessment of current communication efforts and the effectiveness of the overall program.
- A snapshot of current perceptions about our schools, district, and leadership.
- A tool that provides baseline research to evaluate progress and a framework for developing our communication plan.
Stakeholder Focus Groups
- Elementary Parents
- Secondary Parents
- Spanish Speaking Parents
- High School Students
- Volunteers
- Civic / Faith Partners
- Elementary Teachers
- Secondary Teachers
- Campus Administration
- Campus Support Staff
- District Administrators
- District Support Staff
Key Findings
Strengths
- The AISD Communications and Marketing Department has developed and implemented a robust crisis communications plan, ensuring timely and effective responses during emergencies.
- Focus group feedback highlights the department’s prompt and supportive assistance to schools and other departments.
- The department maintains a dynamic and well-received presence across multiple social media platforms, fostering community engagement.
- A majority of staff and parents perceive the department’s communications as accurate, transparent, and reliable.
- The department is esteemed within the Texas school communications community.
Challenges
- Recent turnover and current vacancies have impacted the department’s operations and appear to have affected employee morale.
- The absence of a fully developed strategic marketing and communications plan has limited the department’s ability to be proactive with its efforts.
- There is a prevalent perception across the district that AISD’s self-promotion efforts are insufficient to meet stakeholder expectations.
- Variability in internal messaging has led to confusion on critical issues among staff.
- The AISD website requires significant updates to enhance user experience and accessibility.
- Current communication strategies are predominantly focused on employees and parents, leaving a gap in communications for broader community stakeholders.
Recommendations
The Audit report made seven recommendations based on the key findings. Implementing these recommendations is considered a long-term process that involves everyone responsible for communicating in Arlington ISD. While some report recommendations may require major investments of time, this report also offers opportunities to rethink existing practices or to make quick improvements without a significant investment of resources. The district is committed to addressing communication challenges and continue to strengthen its relationship with its key stakeholders.
Recommended Strategies and Action Steps
- Transform the Strategic Marketing and Communications Plan into a highly effective guide to achieving the district’s communication goals.
- Incorporate marketing strategies Into AISD’s communications planning.
- Make internal communication and employee engagement a strategic priority.
- Enhance the content and design strategy for the AISD website.
- Realign the Communications and Marketing Department to support AISD’s strategic goals.
- Improve consistency and effectiveness in parent communication across AISD.
- Enhance outreach efforts and partnerships with the broader, non-parent community.