Case Study for Education
EDUCATION CHALLENGE:
Increase Student Enrollment and Guard against Funding Cuts for Cyber Charter School
In states across the country, more and more K-12 students are attending full-time online public schools, or “cyber schools”. These schools allow students to learn from home via an Internet connection instead of going to a traditional school every day. Interactive curriculum is provided to each student, and a certified teacher monitors and guides each student’s progress. The online schools also offer students the opportunity to socialize with each other and participate in extracurricular activities. It is a great alternative for students who do not have access to quality schools and those who are not meeting their potential in traditional settings. Thousands of new students have been enrolling in online schools across the country each year. Recently, a state legislature considered drastic cuts to its online school budget. In response, a leading online school hired VOX to support its efforts to lobbying policy makers to preserve its funding levels. In addition, VOX was asked to support the school’s efforts to retain existing students and to attract new students.
VOX Solution:
Amplifying the Voices of Students and Families to Make the Case for Online Schools
Many policymakers, reporters, traditional educators, parents and other interested parties were operating with misinformation or misconceptions about online schools. As a first step, VOX worked closely with a public opinion research firm to field a statewide poll to thoroughly evaluate the public’s perceptions of these schools. The research provided a foundation that allowed VOX to develop a comprehensive communications plan with convincing messages to address the funding debate in the state capitol as well as attract new students to the online school. VOX also focused on ensuring that the real stakeholders – the students and their parents – were heard by policy makers.
- Message development: Using public opinion research, VOX developed a set of key messages that explained the school model, highlighted student achievement, and articulated the need to maintain existing funding levels. These key messages serve as a guide for all materials (fact sheets, lobbying kits, press releases, speeches, website content, social media content, etc).
- Website updates: The goal of the updated website is to educate key audiences about the school model and highlight students’ success.
- Grassroots online advocacy organization: The online advocacy center empowers interested families to engage in the funding debate by sending letters to their legislators (through the website), receiving the latest updates on the funding debate, and posting messages to other families.
- Google Ads: Google search ads and banner ads direct interested parties to our client’s website for more information about the school.
- E-newsletter program: The e-newsletter program provided regular updates to families.
- Traditional media outreach: Media outlets were covering the funding debate and the ongoing enrollment at these online schools. Press releases highlighting student success and increasing enrollment numbers were sent to traditional outlets regularly.
- Facebook page: Many students and parents were already congregating on Facebook to meet and discuss issues related to the school. A new Facebook fan page was developed to serve as a common meeting place for fans of the school and provide the school leadership to engage in the discussion.
RESULTS
Funding levels have not been cut by the state legislature.
Hundreds of families have sent letters to state legislators arguing for full funding of online schools and explained why online schools work best for their children.
Enrollment has nearly doubled since VOX started to support the online school’s communications activities.
The Facebook page has nearly 2,000 fans and an active dialogue on its wall.
