Last year, Cleveland City Schools partnered with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) and School Communication Performance Evaluation (SCOPE) to conduct a Communication Audit, which included:
- Review of district materials (digital publications, policies, goals, programs, media coverage, website, etc.)
- District-wide Communication Survey
- Focus group with key stakeholders such as parents, staff, teachers, business leaders, and community members
We appreciate the participants who volunteered their time to give open and honest on the district's internal and external communication. The goal of this Communication Audit is to determine the district's strengths and weaknesses while providing recommendations to improve communication plans for the future.
Audit Recommendations:
- Develop a strategic communication plan.
- Develop and implement strategies to keep staff members informed and engaged.
- Update and improve navigation on the district website.
- Develop a robust crisis communication plan.
- Increase methods for effectively reaching non-English speakers.
- Expand and enhance Board of Education communications.
- Expand opportunities for community engagement.
- Continue to refine the district's social media presence and engage more stakeholders.
Cleveland City School leaders plan to review and prioritize these recommendations in the next couple of weeks. In addition, the district has increased our social media presence, plans to improve our website, and is dedicated to improvising internal and external communications for our students, families, staff, and community.
The final results of the Communication Audit were presented to the Cleveland City School Board during the January 10 meeting. You can read the findings of the Communication Audit here.