The issue of choice--whether we agree with it or not--presents us with a perfect opportunity to keep Spring Branch ISD the district of choice in the Houston area and to talk about what's RIGHT with our schools.

We talked about why marketing should be an essential part of your Campus Improvement Plan.

And, we asked these questions:

If choice became a reality tomorrow, would my school be the school of choice?

Would I send my child, grandchild, niece or nephew to my school?

Is my campus team equal to or better than the competition?

And finally....Are my customers satisfied?

What's the first and most important step in the process of marketing your school---and also the most frequently overlooked?

RESEARCH!

One of the most useful and practical resources I have found for researching your customers--or potential customers--is a publication developed by the National School Public Relations Association entitled, "Making and Marketing Your School as a School of Choice: How to be Competitive in Today's Education Marketplace."

In it you'll find a great deal of useful information, including worksheets to take you through a step by step process for developing an effective marketing plan, beginning with research.

You might begin by holding a brainstorming session with your Campus Advisory Team. Have each CAT member respond to questions like this:

"Good schools have these qualities..."

"Weak schools have these qualities..."

"Our school has the following qualities" (good and bad)

"I have heard parents compliment our school about....."

"I have heard parents complain about our school because...."

"I wish our school could do more...."

"I wish our school would stop..."

Next, list the demographic information about your students, families and community.

Review student achievements. What makes you proud of your student body? What makes your children special?

Then, list your school staff--administrators, teachers and support personnel. Again, be sure to include secretaries, aides, custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, crossing guards, and maybe even some of your most loyal school volunteers in the process.

This will establish "buy-in", support and a commmitment to two-way communication with all members of your school family.

List the desirable characteristics of your school.

Once you've compiled that information, the next step is to discuss and list the types of research techniques you plan to use in developing your program.

Be sure to gather information about the content of your school program, the organization of your school and the operation of your school.

Research tools may include focus groups, random surveys, interviews of key people, public hearings or discussions at organizational meetings, such as your PTA.

At your next advisory team meeting, review all the data and list the highest-rated characteristics. Then ask these questions:

"Which characteristics could we provide with existing resources?"

"Which could we provide if we eliminate or reduce other things?"

"Which do we offer, but no one takes advantage of them or no one knows about them?"

"Who wants which characteristics and is this group important to our school?"

"What kind of training do we need so that we can implement the highest-rated characteristics? Who needs to be trained?"

"What characteristics could we provide in a relatively short time with limited effort?"

"Which characteristics would require more time and greater effort?"

Then, evaluate the highest-rated characteristics according to educational soundness and practicality.

This process takes time. There is no quick-fix answer to making our schools marketable. It takes a long-term commitment to get results.

By following these suggestions in the manner that best suits your particular situation, these activities should help you and other members of your advisory team determine what our schools provide that people need and want.

It also allows us to identify what we don't provide that people need and want.

To check out the videotaped version of this presentation e-mail or call Barbara Kissamis at ITV at 365-4640 and ask for Marketing Your School as a School of Choice Part 2, Lending Library #13509.

Part I: Why Market? Part III: Serving Our Customers