Improving Millcreek’s Use of Technology for Public Relations and Communication

Improving Millcreek’s Use of Technology for Public Relations and Communication Presented by Jeffrey Tillich

Present MTSD Website: Homepage • Contains relevant contact information for district and Education Center • Updated district news bulletins and interactive calendar of events available • Easy navigation to various links:

Links on Homepage • District Information • District Parent Resources • District Navigator (beta) • Administration • Schools • Business • Personnel • School Board • Student Services • Technology

Present MTSD Website: School Links • Each building has their own page which provides news, daily announcements, and updates about that building. • Additional links to contact the administration teachers are available.

School Links Continued • Bell schedules, lunch menus, scheduling guides, the nurse, library, and homework boards are accessible on each school’s site. • Student services, Athletics, and School Wide Enrichment also have links on each schools web page.

Other Highlights Available on Current District Website • Current job postings listed under Personnel link • School board meeting times and minutes from previous meetings available under the School Board link • Technology link includes the e-support system, video conferencing schedule, and Classrooms for the Future Information

A variety of information accessible under the Student Services link. These include: Alternative Education Program Crisis Response Team Day Care Program Early Intervention English as a Second Language Program Home Tutoring Learning Support Psychological Services Speech and Language Student Assistance Teen Parenting Gifted Education Program

Areas for Improvement • Three major areas on the district web site that could be improved: • Increase access to secure and confidential information • Personalize the web site • Offer more ways for parent, student, and community feedback and interactivity

Suggestions to Increase Access To Secure and Confidential Information • Pilot Edline or some other type of application to post secure information about each student that parents can access on the web. The information could include:

Secure Information • Grades and Progress reports in each subject or class • Scantron test results • Other standardized test results • Transcripts • Homework assignments • Class schedules • Class newsletter • Cafeteria account balance • Breakfast and Lunch purchases • Library book account • Discipline reports • Important dates

Suggestions to Personalize the Website • Include photos of students doing a variety of things during school or school sponsored activities. Pictures could include working in class, playing sports, volunteering in the community, performing on stage… • Publish student artwork, photography, or literary creations. Highlight our visual and performing arts. • Allow students to design some of the web pages. This could be part of a web design class.

The goal is to promote all of the great things our students are doing!!

Suggestions to Offer More Ways for Parent, Students, and Community Feedback and Interactivity • Provide a link for FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) on the homepage • Offer a place to respond to opinion polls to get feedback on a variety of topics

Suggestions Continued: • Allow a place for teachers, students, parents, and community members to blog about topics related to the district. (This would need to be monitored) • Let the community enter things into the district calendar that are community oriented and would benefit parents and students

Educational Benefits of Improvement Plan • Provides stronger connections between the school and the community • Showcases all of the wonderful experiences that students receive from the Millcreek School District

Educational Benefits Continued: • Parents will better be able to monitor the academic progress of their children • Parents can monitor homework assignment completion and be able to hold their children more accountable

Fiscal Benefits of Improvement Plan • More district information can be posted online, rather than mailing out information, saving money on paper and postage

Fiscal Benefits Continued: • Parents will contact the school less often regarding homework assignments, grades, food service balances, etc, thus freeing up time for secretaries and teachers to do other things and increase productivity • Additional community support of district initiatives

Educational Challenges of Improvement Plan • Getting students, parents, and the community used to obtaining information off of the website • Portraying a fair and balanced picture of the school district without overemphasizing or highlighting certain groups in news bulletins and photos while forgetting others

Educational Challenges Continued: • Keeping blogs free of inappropriate comments • Ensuring the district calendar has accurate information and dates

Solutions to Educational Challenges • At first, the district will need to mail out information promoting and explaining the new features of the website and the real time, paperless, access to information that can be obtained

Solutions Continued: • Explain all of the features of the website at orientation, open house, PTA meetings, and parent conferences • Have a checklist of all of the academic departments, clubs, activities, sports teams, and various art programs and make sure each one is represented on the website • A designated employee would edit blog posts and verify events before they go on the website

Fiscal Challenges of Improvement Plan • Someone would need to be hired to specifically be in charge of keeping the website up to date, accurate, and running smoothly.

Fiscal Challenges Continued: • A photographer may need to be hired on an as needed basis to obtain pictures from the school day, events, and activities to post on the website. The cost of printing the pictures would need to be considered. • The feedback and interactivity portions of the website would need constant monitoring by a designated employee.

Solutions to Fiscal Challenges • Apply for grants related to technology to fund a new position. • Rewrite job descriptions of current employees and utilize current employees differently to accommodate maintaining the website. • Find ways in the budget to make cuts or increase revenue to pay for an additional technology employee.

Additional Training Needed By Staff and Community • Everyone would need to receive a flyer outlining all of the feature on the website. • Teachers would need trained in using Edline or another chosen application to post grades and homework assignments online. In-service days could be utilized for this purpose.

Additional Training Continued: • Staff with permission to post on the website would need to learn how to upload documents, photos, and other information onto the website. • A link or a “help” button to directions for posting FAQ’s, blogs, and events on the calendar would need to be available.

Conclusion • Millcreek Township School District has a lot of great information currently on its website. It is user friendly and easy to use. However, there are some areas that can be improved • The district website is a way to provide vital information to students, parents, and the community. It is also a way to showcase the great things going on in the district and all of its schools.

Conclusion • Increasing parental access to secure information, featuring more student oriented and personalized content, and providing increased feedback and interactivity are ways to enhance the district’s presence on the internet and make the website more useful. • Ultimately the district must move beyond just providing information on the website to an interactive site that promotes communication and collaboration with all stakeholders.

Improving Millcreek’s Use of Technology for Public Relations and Communication