Responsible Campus Rollout
Classrooms decorated from floor to ceiling, check. Campus fully staffed, check. Schedules completed, and students are eager to return to school on the first day. But, are you and the campus really ready? Each year, schools around the nation open their doors to excited students and staff but have failed to inform stakeholders as to the wonderful plans they have for the year as it relates to student learning and the future. It is important for the district and campus leaders to carefully plan the implementation of their educational visions.
When districts reveal plans for new initiatives, the most critical piece to the puzzle is making sure each campus, within the district, is made aware of the plans to assist in bringing the vision to life. The challenge in this process is that each school comes with a unique situation which requires campus leaders to ensure the vision occurs at the campus level. To make that happen, campus leaders should be mindful of the three C’s – Communication, Consistency, and Collaboration. When all three of these components work together seamlessly, it will help the vision become a reality.
COMMUNICATION
Leadership at the campus level must consider all internal stakeholders when thinking about communicating a message. Administrators must also think about how each person on the campus will impact the vision and help push the mission forward. Everyone at the campus level must be aware of their roles to ensure that everyone in the building, staff-wide, can communicate the mission and vision. There should also be opportunities for face to face interaction with leaders through staff meetings or smaller settings like small group conferences where updates and feedback are considered and disseminated. Once internal stakeholders are on board, it is essential for campus leaders to inform local external stakeholders, such as parents and community members. Hosting events on campus, where outside stakeholders can come in and “view” the vision, can help communicate the message interactively. Media and print and stationary literature is also a great way to reinforce key points.
COLLABORATION
Once the vision is communicated, it is critical for all campus staff to work together. There is no such thing as large and small parts when collaborating. Everyone must pull their weight to make the vision work. A big part of this is determining a way to quickly and effectively communicate needs and concerns about the implementation. While some campus staff will have a birds-eye view, others will be hands-on throughout the implementation; it is vital that communication is done with fidelity for both groups. Once something is communicated, there should be protocols in place so everyone is aware and concerns are followed up with an assessment of the situation and action. Depending on concerns, everyone on campus should know the point person to whom they can reach out to with their questions. Again, holding regular meetings to inform and update one another about implementation is a meaningful way to work through issues collectively.
CONSISTENCY
The last “C” addresses consistency, and it is the glue that makes all visions come to life. Communicating the message effectively and where everyone collaborates consistently, assists in the vision becoming a reality. Consistency comes through the universal conveyance of the message from an array of communication channels.
Rolling out a new initiative is hard work! However, the rollout can be done effectively, when considering the 3 C’s. Utilize the experts on your campus to Communicate, Collaborate and be Consistent. Let e2L assist with your rollout with Coaching Innovation Implementation (CII). We support district and campus rollout initiatives in a responsible manner while streamlining a culture of innovation for the best possible learner experience.