TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONTom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Common Core Implementation: Communication Matters
CERA ConferenceDecember 6, 2013
Nancy S. Brownell, Senior FellowCalifornia State Board and Department of Education
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Context – PDK Poll• 62% of those surveyed in poll have not
heard of Common Core
• 45% of those surveyed with children in schools have heard of Common Core
• 22% polled said testing helped local schools, another 36% said testing hurts schools
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
FrameWorks Institute Dominant Media Frames Related to Education• Education is a consumer good.
• Processes of learning are separated from the education system.
• The Education System is in crisis.
3Overarching Patterns in Media Coverage of Education Issues
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Media Results• Presents a narrow story of education
compared to what we want to tell.• While education’s problems are
severe, effective reforms that improve outcomes get lost.
• Breadth and nuances of success as well as optimism for improving education are missing from the media narrative.
4Overarching Patterns in Media Coverage of Education Issues
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communication Tools• Use of the “educational orchestra”
metaphor provides a counterpoint to the ongoing educational conflict narratives
• Educational remodeling rather than reform is more concrete, slows magic bullet thinking
• Future preparation, college and career readiness, orient the public toward a collective importance of a strong public education system 5
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
C Communicate the big picture in your district.
O Operate in an organized, coordinated, transparent way.
R Reach out and engage those who can lend support.
E Engage with parents and other constituents early and often
Communication Priorities
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) August 2013 Meeting
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
7CA State Board of Education
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Action Assumptions
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Ongoing, two-way communication must occur between students, parents, teachers, school and district leaders, community members, higher education faculty, business leaders, the media, and state policymakers since it will require all parties working together over time to ensure students are prepared for college and career.
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications 101-Delivering Messages
• As changes take place, resistance increases unless a consistent, encouraging message is offered and echoed.
• For messages to “stick,” they must be repeated frequently and powerfully and tied to existing initiatives.
• Clear and consistent messages need to increase knowledge and reduce fears and misconceptions.
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
CCSS
Leadership
Curriculum, Instruction,
and Assessment
Professional Learning
CCSS Systems Implementation
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Engagement & Communica-
tion
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
What is College Ready? Career Ready?
.
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
What will they be doing
five years after graduation?
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communication & Engagement
• Now that we are implementing CCSS, it is even more crucial to communicate with internal and external audiences.
• With whom do we need to communicate?• When do we need to communicate with
them?• What information will they need, or have?• How will we provide or acquire needed
information?
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Key Educational Constituents and their “Stake” in Student Success
Group What is at Stake?
Students Personal success, future opportunity
Parents Pride, success, opportunities for their students
School Staff Personal efficacy and job satisfaction
School & District Staff
Professional efficacy and accountability expectations
School Board Fulfilling the district’s mission, accountability
Tax Payers Getting a good return on investment
Community Community pride and “livability”
Business Ability to hire graduates with needed skills, community economics
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Key Questions for Messaging
• What are the district/organization messages about CCSS implementation and the overall vision for student success?
• To what extent are the goals and messages about the importance of the CCSS pervasive throughout the district/organization?
• How are local constituents involved?
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
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Avoid “Random Acts of Continuous Improvement”
PLCs to support
changes
Next “silver bullet”
Some grade
levels and
departments
Interesting
workshops and
professional
development
Instructional Strategies
Changing measures of
success
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction “Critic
al Select
ed”GOALS
District multiyear,
multidimensional
PLAN
Aligned Acts of Improvement
CommunitySchools
Classrooms PLC TeamsStudents
Governance & Leadership Teams: Setting & Communicating
Direction
The focus and vision are developed from common beliefs and values, creating a consistent direction for all involved.
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Internal and External Stakeholders/Constituents
Internal – those who work within the school system on a daily basis and who largely control what goes on there. Includes teachers, administrators, staff, district leadership and staff, and school board members.
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Internal and External Stakeholders/Constituents
External – those outside the day-to-day work of the schools who have a strong interest in school outcomes but who do not directly determine what goes into producing those outcomes.
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Audiences & Levels of Engagement
Inform requires broad level of awareness and may also be influential with others
Consult need to have a good understand-ing and will provide input at key times
Involve have a high level of engagement and are involved in decision-making processes
Collaborate responsible for implementing and monitoring
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
CDE Communications Toolkit
• Introduction• Strategic Communications• Audience Mapping• Key Messaging Purpose and Tips• Audience Specificity
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Great City Schools - Messages1. Identify key audiences. 2. Develop a set of primary messages, secondary
messages with more detailed information geared to particular audiences.
3. Connect with stakeholders through real-life examples of the common core in action.
4. Include messages that prepare stakeholders for an apparent drop in test scores.
5. Identify other likely stakeholder concerns and misinformation, and prepare messages in response.
6. In all messaging, link common core standards and assessments to other broad reforms underway in the district that will benefit children.
Communicating the Common Core Standards
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Great City Schools - Messengers1. Make sure classroom teachers know the local
district goals and story.2. Think of parents and community members
not only as consumers of district communications but as communicators as well.
3. Equip all district staff to serve as messengers to the external community.
4. “Deputize” local businesses, universities, celebrity graduates, and others to speak on behalf about the value of raising the district’s academic standards.
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
California CCSS Awareness and Capacity Building Campaign
(CCSS Campaign)
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Positive Changes(College & Career Readiness)
• Consistent & Constant Messages• Focused on Simple Things First
(Don’t make the Gap too big!)• Connect to Other Initiatives• Rationale
(Why: Success for ALL Students)• Capture Community’s Imagination
What Do We Communicate?
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Opposition Themes • Not Locally Developed• Takes control away from locals• Greater turmoil and confusion for
teachers and students• “Massive unevaluated” experiment• May break the district’s bank – fiscally
irresponsible• Federal intrusion into state and local
decisions• Privacy and data collection issues 26
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Opposition: Create Doubt• “Dubious college and career ready
standards, undermine local control”• Data mining, “using our children”• National standards and tests• “Subjectivity and lowest common
denominator pedagogy”• “Menace to our children and families”
27Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) August 2013 Meeting
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Knowledge of Common Core• What does common core mean in the local
context and community?• What is on district/school websites?• How does CCSS strengthen and extend
existing initiatives?• Who are key district advocates?• What does the opposition
understand/say/communicate?
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Strategic Communications• Build on the effectiveness of current
communication efforts.• Establish priority audiences and the best
channels to reach them.• Define the image of your
organization/district/schools by staff, parents, and other community members.
• Implement two-way communication techniques that work for your district/organization.
• Provide frequent, ongoing information desired by your priority audiences.
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Need for Proactive Communication
• Hold focus and parent group meetings• Provide messaging resources for Board• Distribute clear, understandable
information in multiple languages• Engage business and religious leaders • Address the EMOTIONs of change in
place before mastering the OPERATION of change
• Coordination and consistency is key30
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
CDE Common Core Websitehttp://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc
• Subscribe:[email protected]@[email protected]
• Opposition– www.truthinamericaneducation.org– National School Public Relations Association
http://www.nspra.org/commoncore/index/
Nancy Brownell - [email protected]
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TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
As much as we fear the NEW… We may fear giving up the OLD even more.
Habits, Mastered Content, Clarity and Practice…
Provide Comfort Support Ego / Self Esteem
Organize Structure and CoherenceWithin the Community and Schools
So.. Key Fears to Address
TOM TORLAKSONState Superintendent of Public Instruction
Considerations and Take Aways• Communications matter• “These standards are not intended to be the new names
for old ways of doing business.”• Strengthen everyone’s leadership, can’t implement
successfully alone.• Communicate frequently with internal and external
constituents, build on existing initiatives• Strive for “simplexity”:
– What to do now?– What to do next?– What to do later?
33“Simplexity: finding the smallest number of high-leverage, easy to understand actions that unleash stunningly powerful consequences.” Michael Fullan