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DOCUMENT RESUME EA 028 973 ED 419 268 Carroll, Susan Rovezzi; Carroll, David AUTHOR How Smart Schools Get and Keep Community Support. TITLE National Educational Service, Bloomington, IN. INSTITUTION ISBN-1-878639-30-0 ISBN PUB DATE 1994-00-00 NOTE 166p. National Educational Service, 1252 Loesch Road, P.O. Box 8, AVAILABLE FROM Bloomington, IN 47402-0008; phone: 1-800-733-6786; e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]; www: http://www.nes.org/ ($19.95 nonmembers; $17.96 members). Non-Classroom (055) Guides PUB TYPE Books (010) MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Corporate Support; Educational Change; *Educational DESCRIPTORS Innovation; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Utilization; *Marketing; *Public Relations; Public Support; School Business Relationship; *School Community Relationship ABSTRACT The purpose of this book is to provide public school systems with a fresh and unique approach to building community support. The book suggests that schools must build community support, discusses who the customers segments are, and outlines the diverse ways that public schools can begin to develop strong bonds with each customer segment. It discusses concrete methods to build information bases that can enable schools to understand and communicate with important community leaders and offers ideas on surveys, focus groups, and demographic studies. Insights on the importance of image are also discussed, and numerous practical strategies that schools can implement without great costs are described point by point. These ideas include database marketing techniques, program-evaluation models, and advertising. The last two chapters delineate the procedures for passing school referenda or budgets and a summary of the text. (RJM) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * * ******************************************************************************** 00 0', Nomal A Edut biobral SorviR Susan Rovezzi Carroll David Carroll .A1K_ Aka" U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY tfee."-This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOUWES Points of view or opinions stated document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 How SMART SCHOOLS GET AND KEEP COMMUNITY SUPPORT SUSAN ROVEZZI CARROLL DAVID CARROLL NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA 3 Copyright © 1994 by National Educational Service MAIL TO: National Educational Service 1252 Loesch Road P.O. Box 8 Bloomington, IN 47402 All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction of this book in whole or in part in any form. Cover design by P. D. Cooper Photographs by Jean Valette Printed in the United States of America Printed on recycled paper ISBN 1-879639-30-0 i4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page About the Authors vii Acknowledgments ix Foreword xi Introduction 1 Chapter One 5 The Stage Is Set for a New Way of Thinking Chapter Two 23 Education Has Customers, Too Chapter Three 39 Doing Your Demographic Homework Chapter Four 49 Developing Information Bases for Strong Schools Chapter Five 61 Image Matters (Whether We Like It or Not) Chapter Six 71 Your Public School Database Is a Marketing Gold Mine Chapter Seven 81 Using Program Evaluation as a Marketing Tool Chapter Eight 89 Getting Your Message to the Public through Marketing Communications 5 iii Table of Contents (continued) 107 Chapter Nine Marketing Communication Strategies 125 Chapter Ten Passing a School Referendum: A Savvy Mix of Politics and Marketing 143 Chapter Eleven Smart Schools Can Meet the Challenges of the Future 145 Appendix Campaign Communications Tools 153 References and Resources 6 iv This book is dedicated to our favorite member of the Baby Boomlet ANNE LENNON CARROLL Born December 19, 1981 v ABOUT THE AUTHORS SUSAN ROVEZZI CARROLL is president of Words+Numbers Research, Inc., which she founded in 1984. The company provides marketing research and strategic information to corporations, professional associations, hospitals, public school systems, private foundations, school- business partnerships, colleges, and universities. In 1993 the firm was chosen by the United States Small Business Administration as one of the four model businesses in Connecticut. Dr. Carroll has won awards for leadership, scholarship, and business. Susan received her Ph.D. in education from the University of Connecticut in 1981, where she was an associate professor teaching research methodology to graduate students. She has published many articles in peer- reviewed journals and given invited presentations in education, health, and marketing. vii DAVID CARROLL received his M.S.W. in planning and community organization from the University of Connecticut in 1977. As vice-president of Words+Numbers Research, Inc., David provides expertise in program evaluation in urban school systems. He has conducted multi-year assessments for dropout prevention and school-to-work initiatives, remedial education, urban violence prevention programs, Chapter 2, juvenile recidivism, and college placement for low-income students. He also provides strategic planning for public school systems. David consults extensively in the area of campaign management and has had numerous successful referenda and election victories. 9 viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The idea for this book was conceived by listening to the marketplace. Many school systems expressed frustration as they faced formidable challenges and experienced diminished public support. Although the accomplishments of public education existed and were growing, this positive message was not being heard in many communities. As a result, the authors searched for marketing strategies from profitable corporations and successful non-profit organizations and adapted them for their unique application to public schools. The implementation of marketing principles by public schools will help them strategically capture and then retain community support in tough times, without spending precious tax dollars. In the process of developing this book, Joanne Calafiore was invaluable in the production of this manuscript. Editor Rhonda Rieseberg was the book's guardian angel in preserving the spirit of the manuscript, while reducing its size to a marketable length. Publishers Alan Blankstein and Nancy Shin demonstrated the courage in taking a risk with a new idea; their leadership characterizes NES. The ideas of Philip Kotler, Tom Peters, David Ogilvy, Jeffrey Fox, Peter Drucker, Cynthia Adams, Fran Archambault, Bob Gable, Polly Fitz, and Jack Veiga all shaped the manuscript. To each, a debt of gratitude is extended. 10 ix