NSPRA 2003 Presentation

7/27/2019 NSPRA 2003 Presentation

1/41

Public Opinion Surveys

Use Your Results toSave Thousands in YourSchool DistrictCommunications


2/41

Presenters

David Wolfson

Managing Partner

Education Opinion Strategies (EOS)

Melinda Colton

Director of Communications

Jordan School District, Sandy UT


3/41

Education Opinion Strategies (EOS)

EOS helps schooldistricts acrossAmerica meet theirresearch and

communicationsneeds


4/41

EOS

We help school districts

meet the rising demandsof public educationthrough improved

communications, bettermarketing and a stronger

public image


5/41

Public Opinion Research

Why is it so

important foryour school

district?


6/41

Change

Demographic Trends

Political & FinancialRealities

New Cultural ConflictsIntensified Demand forAccountability and

Results


7/41

Demographic Trends

America is getting older andyounger

Far greater competition for taxrevenues

A pro-education, yet anti-taxpolitical environment


8/41

Political Trends

Increasing dissatisfaction withpublic officials

Politicians promise more anddeliver less

Greater cynicism and frustrationamong residents


9/41

The Impact on Education

The greatest friction will be wheregovernment most closely interacts

with the people

Public schools are the scapegoat Leads to more competition in the

education marketplace


10/41

Competition in educationwill become increasinglyintense

Vouchers Tuition Tax Credits Home Schooling Charter Schools Religious Schools

Eventually, the publics money willfollow the students


11/41

How will successfulpublic school officialsreact to these new

trends in their districts?


12/41

How will successful publicschools react to thesetrends?

Embrace Change, instead of beingleft behind

Exceed resident, constituent andstakeholder expectations

Create a strategic communicationsplan; then stick to it

Put a greater emphasis onmarketing than ever before


13/41

It starts here knowthe public you work for


14/41

Know your Public

Research, analyze and evaluateyour current situation; then decide

where you want to go

Thoroughly evaluate your existingcommunications and marketing

Use quantitative and qualitativeattitudinal research


15/41

Why AttitudinalResearch?

Quantify attitudes, opinions andperceptions

Frame the existing social andeconomic environment of yourcommunity

Identify the barriers of success foryour school district

Measure and quantify publicresistance and support within thecommunity


16/41

Why AttitudinalResearch?

Identify key sub-groups and truestakeholders while quantifyingtheir importance

Find messages that motivate andmove opinion

Test methods of message deliveryAnd finally and most important

identify with quantitative researchthose communications programswhich are not effective orpenetrating with your districts

target audiences


17/41

Use Research to Create a Plan

Understand your targetaudiences

1. Seniors2. Parents3. Business Community4. Opinion Leaders


18/41

Use Research to Create a Plan

Know what messages willmotivate each audience

Understand what means ofmessage delivery will bemost effective


19/41

Types of Research

Quantitative survey research Qualitative focus group research

(Most communications audits usethis form of research)

Automated Self-AdministeredSurveys

Paper Surveys


20/41

Quantitative SurveyResearch

Gauge public opinion (a snapshotin time)

Identify scientifically your districtskey audiences pockets ofsupports, groups of resistance,geographical and incomedifferences, etc

Test message effectiveness Track results of previous PR

efforts


21/41

Qualitative Focus GroupResearch

Identify the underlying valuesthat shape public opinion

Supply context to thequantitative results

Learn the language yourresidents are really usingabout your schools


22/41

Automated andPaper Surveys

Automated and paper surveys areself selecting and do not

comprise a random sample

Not scientific Only the most dedicated, thrilled

or angry will respond Can gauge intensity


23/41

Basic Goals You ShouldSeek to Meet

Assess current perceptions of yourschools

Determine what your residents,parents, taxpayers andconstituents worry about

Identify the realissues relevant tothe school district which penetratewith your target audiences


24/41


Assess credibility of prospectivespokespersons school officials,teachers, parents, volunteers,etc

Political, geographic anddemographic segmentation and

dispersion within the district Behavioral distribution between

those with and without kids in theschool district


25/41


MOST IMPORTANT GOAL TOREACH WITH PUBLIC OPINIONRESEARCH ------

Quantify your communicationsneeds, while having scientifically

conducted research to back upnew program development andineffective program elimination


26/41

Elements of an EffectiveResearch Project

Professional, scientificallyconducted telephone survey

interviews will yield the accuratedata you and your district need

All other forms of surveys and

interviews are self-selecting orthose not conducted byprofessional survey interviewersand may lead to skewed results


27/41

Elements of an EffectiveResearch Project

Five phases of the survey researchprocess

Prepare for the survey Design the survey instrument Select the sample Conduct the interviewAnalyze the data


28/41

Preparing for YourSurvey Project

Before you begin:

Have clearly defined goalsobjectives what do you want to

learn and knowKnow your timeline including:

1. When you will select your sample2. When you will collect the data3. When you will tabulate your results4. When you will analyze the results5. And when you will get back your

survey results, the written report andrecommendations


29/41

The Survey Instrument

Questions should be designed toelicit meaningful responses and

should not be leading. Take care questions are not

skewed to elicit a pre-programmed

response Mix the questions up quality

control, issues, demographics


30/41

The Survey Instrument

Test the extremes Keep the questionnaire to about

15 minutes or less

Allow time for adequate input


31/41

Selecting the Sample

The sample must be randomlygenerated

It should be drawn from a reliablelist or obtained by means ofrandom digit dialing

Plan on a 50% refusal rate


32/41

Conducting theInterview

Use a professional data collectionagency

Use neutral sounding voices Understand how data will be

collected and tabulated


33/41

Analysis

Is the difference betweeninformation and a bunch ofnumbers

Data is just the numbers the

survey project has derived throughits response mechanism


34/41

Without experienced analysis, thenumbers mean nothing.


35/41

What to do with the informationyou now have


36/41

Update your communications and/or marketing plan or devise a new

plan Hold town forums to discuss the

issue(s) residents or voters in thedistrict are most concerned about

(using the information derivedfrom the survey)


37/41

Hold a press event to discuss thesurvey results (editorial boards,

deskside interviews, etc) Identify new ways using the

results to motivate keystakeholder groups like teachers,principals, board members, localbusiness community, PTA,


38/41

Its a process not anevent

Establish new short and long termcommunications and marketing

goals from your survey resultsalong with measurable objectives

Who + Why = Yourcommunications strategy

How you reach your goals andimplement your strategy = tactics Research and analyze all new

situations that arise


39/41

In the End

Dramatic social, economic and politicalchanges will force school districts tomarket themselves better

School districts which focus on customerservice, quality and marketing will findsuccess in the marketplace

Survey analysis is the key to writing aneffective school district marketing andcommunications plan

Research and planning are an ongoingprocess, not a one-time event


40/41

David WolfsonManaging PartnerEducation Opinion Strategies (EOS)[email protected]

Melinda ColtonDirector of Communications

Jordan School [email protected]


41/41

NSPRA 2003 Presentation

Documents

Transcript of NSPRA 2003 Presentation