Marketing Your CTE Program: A Customer Driven Process

1. Marketing Your CTE Program:A Customer Driven Process Alabama Department of Education Ed CrenshawInformation Specialist

2. What Is Marketing? Marketing is the process of defining and delivering what people need and want. It’s a five-step process that includes analyzing the environment, developing a strategy, preparing a plan, executing the plan, and evaluating the results. When you think about it, marketing is really common sense. William Banach

3. Step One: Analyzing the Environment • Begins with developing questions and seeking answers. This is the most important step in the process. • Analysis is the most frequently ignored step. • Anything you can develop for a better understanding of your target audiences is analysis. • Example – Target Audience: Parents • Where do the parents live? • What is their “demographic profile”(educational level, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, etc.) • What do they and don’t they know about your program.

4. What are Target Audiences ? • The people and groups that you want to reach with your message. • They can include: • Students • Parents • Business/Industry Professionals • Teachers • Counselors • Administrators • Residents of Alabama • Etc.

5. Step Two: Developing A Strategy • Develop a strategy based on your analysis. • Example: You might decide to present an overview PowerPoint presentation of your programs to parents during open houses, parent conferences, awards ceremonies, and other events. • Then you might decide to follow this by reinforcing the key points of the presentation using a variety of media, including printed materials, telephone calls, face-to-face conversations, or the Internet. • Your analysis will help youdetermine the most effective strategies.

6. Step Three: Putting Your Plan on Paper • We are more likely to do things when we write them down. That is why we make “to do lists!” • Written plans help us to keep track of our progress.

7. Step Four: Execute Your Plan • Simply execute your plan; that is, do what you planned to do!

8. Step Five: Evaluate • Evaluate what worked and what didn’t. • The purpose of evaluation in the marketing process is to identify the pluses and minuses of your work so that you can build on the successes and modify or ditch those activities that did not. • The five-step process is important. Learn to use it; once you begin to think this way, you can use the process almost anytime you need to make a decision about your program.

9. Public Schools A self portrait

10. If You Want To Know What People Think, Ask Them! CTE Research: • Focus Groups • Teachers • Administrators • Students • Parents • Business Leaders

11. Internal Superintendent Counselors Teachers Staff Students Parents External Technical Colleges Labor Unions Business Owners Trade Associations Civic Groups Media Senior Citizens Get Your Information To Your Publics

12. Getting The Information Out Career Tech Works Media • Newspapers • TV • Radio • Local Magazines/Publications • School Publications Career Tech Works

13. The Media Ain’t The Answer Go beyond publicity to face-to-face persuasion. Mass communication does not cause people to change behaviors. People take action when someone they know and trust recommends it.

14. What You Say At The Grocery Store Is Gospel! ..the child’s parents are obviously not … ..that principal thinks he is so… ..she is the worst teacher in school… ..this is the worst class I have ever…

15. Research tells us that support personnel such as custodians, bus drivers, and secretaries are the most believed sources of information about schools

16. The BOTTOM Line On Customer Service… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

17. Instructors should contact students and parents before school starts.

18. Return phone calls! • Keep parents informed!

19. If At First You Don’t Succeed…You Are Running About Average

21. Be Creative In Getting Your Message Across

22. Handouts! Handouts! Handouts!

23. CTE Benefits • Hands-OnExperience • Student-Centered Curriculum • Business and Industry Certified Programs • Advanced Diplomas • Apprenticeships • Work-Study Programs • Leadership and Socialization • Active Student and Parental Involvement • Technology-Based Programs

24. Involve the Business Community • Host Business and Education Symposiums • Create Apprenticeship Programs • Sponsor Work-study Programs • Create Internship Programs

25. Utilize Student Organizations

26. Improve the Image of Your Programs Throughout the Community • Highlight - Newspapers, Magazines, and Community-based Web sites • Design - Multimedia Resources that Focus on Student Achievement • Generate - Increase Community Interest Through Radio and Television • Create - Spotlight Accomplishments in Multimedia Resources

27. Your Tools Now • Logo • Newsletter • Posters • Radio PSAs • TV PSA • Web site www.alcareertech.org • How-To-Guides • Brochures • Posters

28. The Best Advice Make friends in the community and keep them informed. #1

30. And You Think YOUR Job Stinks

31. CONTACT INFORMATION Ed Crenshaw Alabama Department of Education Career/Technical Education 5303 Gordon Persons Building Montgomery, AL 36130-2101 Phone: 334-353-5220 Email: ecrenshaw@alsde.edu

32. Alabama Career/Technical Education “Our Revised Communication Plan” A presentation to describe the newly revised CTE Communication Plan Alabama Department of Education – July 31, 2006

33. CTE Communication Plan Document created to increase program enrollment, and improve internal and external perceptions of Alabama’s Career/Technical Education programs.

34. Outcomes of 2002 Focus Groups • CTE students are perceived as dumb. • Leaving school to go to centers is negative. • Programs are not consistent. • Alabama’s residents do not know enough about these programs or the opportunities they offer.

35. 2003 Concerns • Declining enrollment. • Parents want children to go to college. • 25% of college freshmen do not graduate. ALSDE, 2003 CTE Communication Plan

36. 2003 Communication Plan“Key Messages” • CTE has great programs. • CTE graduates go on to good jobs sooner. • This isn’t “shop” anymore. • CTE students must complete graduation curriculum and pass specialized classes. • CTE prepares college-bound students. • CTE students have great talents. • Some CTE courses offer postsecondary credits. • The advantages of having a CTE endorsement. • CTE programs provide students valuable life skills. • CTE benefits Alabama businesses and the state overall.

37. External Survey

38. Survey FACTS and PURPOSE • Purpose– Explore opinions and perceptions of Career/Technical Education in Alabama • 95% Accurate What was EXAMINED? • Opinions of Public Education • Beliefs about College • Knowledge of Career/Tech programs • Opinions of CTE

39. Measured DEMOGRAPHICS • Gender • Age • Residence • Education • Income • Race • Child/Grandchildren in Public School

40. Survey FINDINGS Voters that say it is “important or very important” for Alabama’s public schools to offer Career/Technical Education programs.

41. Survey FINDINGS Relationship with Local Businesses How“important or very important” is it for CTE educators to work with local businesses?

42. Business GrowthSince 2002(Manufacturing Sector)161 Projects49 Counties

43. Survey FINDINGS Respondent Opinions How “important or very important” is it for students to attend college?

44. Survey FINDINGS Respondent Opinions What words come to mind when you think of CTE?

45. Survey FINDINGS Respondent Opinions How important is it for the public schools to offer CTE?

46. Survey FINDINGS Respondent Opinions How important is it for the public schools to offer CTE?

47. Survey FINDINGS Respondent Opinions How important is it for the public schools to offer CTE?

48. Research Question:Do Alabama’s residents have the same perceptions of career/tech as CTE teachers?

49. Internal Survey

50. A Comparison of Alabama Citizens’ and Career and Technical Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Career and Technical Education in Alabama October 2005 A Dissertation Defense Prentiss G. Coleman, Ph. D.