School Wise Press SARC Services

SARC BITE 1

More Myths About Accountability Reporting:
"Parents Don't Really Read Our SARCs."

There's a dark, self-fulfilling prophecy uttered by some superintendents who are wondering if their public really sits down and reads their school accountability reports (SARCs). It goes something like this:

Superintendent: "Parents never read these annual accountability reports. Why should I ask my staff to work any harder to make them better?"

Parent: "This report looks like it was dashed off by an office secretary. The principal recites district policy instead of telling me the real condition of things that matter. The data lacks comparability, so I can't understand what the data means. I'm not going to take it seriously if they don't take it seriously."

And round and round spins the merry-go-round of mistrust. It increases cynicism among all who ride on it. Allow us to offer several suggestions for getting off this bad ride.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The heart of the opportunity is that the public's concern about schools remains as high as ever. Poll after poll affirms this conclusion. These concerns fuel the public's appetite for more knowledge about how their schools are really doing — what resources they lack, whether qualified teachers are in the classrooms, what SAT-9 test scores reveal.

You can take the initiative to invest in your public's knowledge in the following ways:

1. Invest in design. This doesn't need to cost a lot. Professional design brings structure to your report and leads to those "aha" moments of cognition you're looking for.

2. Invest in good writing. No business leader writes her own annual reports. They hire professionals who do the writing for them. If your business is creating literate students, producing semi-literate annual reports will prove embarrassing.

3. Invest in analytical intelligence. Dumping data into tables is not the same as reporting results. If you want meaning to emerge from your statistics, you need to bring analysis and interpretation to your presentation.

YOU CAN GET HELP WITHOUT BREAKING YOUR BUDGET

The good news is that help is available in all three areas.

Good design. Good designs of several types, to fit any budget, are available from the link below. If you're working on a shoestring budget, we can provide first-rate design for as little as $250 per site.

Good writing. For protection from the embarrassment of putting bad writing in front of the public you serve, count on editors like ours to help you. If you go it alone, beware. The hazards of bad writing abound. Click here to see why educators have a reputationfor abusing the King's English.

Smart analysis. the statistical savvy you need to raise your accountability reports to professional standards can be yours with a phone call. Comparative methods and clear presentations are the rule when you work with our reports.

If you invest in your reporting of results, you'll find that parents will invest their trust in your district in many ways. But only by taking the first step can you discover the many forms this increased trust can take.

(If you want help making budget conscious investments in your SARC program, give us a call at (800) 247-8443. Or contact us via e-mail at raghur@schoolwisepress.com.)