Clarifying Our Action Research Project
This research is being conducted as an action research project for Oakland University by three candidates for an Education Specialist certificate. Jason Bettin is the Principal of Roseville Middle School in the Roseville Community School District, Grayson McKinney is a fourth grade teacher at Costello Elementary School in the Troy School District, and Steve Wolf is the Assistant Principal at Grosse Pointe South High School in the Grosse Pointe Public School System.
The scope of this action research project focused on the following idea and critical question: how can schools effectively market themselves in an era of declining enrollment and funding, and increased school choices? At key transition points in K-12 education, entry into kindergarten, and the transitions from elementary to middle and middle to high schools, can any trends in successful marketing be identified in a comparison of three demographically different school districts, regardless of their participation level in school of choice? We will analyze and interpret the marketing strategies of three distinctly different school districts in metropolitan Detroit, MI; Grosse Pointe Public School System, Roseville Community School District, and the Troy School District. The goal of this action research project is to identify any commonalities in successful school marketing that can benefit all schools.
The scope of this action research project focused on the following idea and critical question: how can schools effectively market themselves in an era of declining enrollment and funding, and increased school choices? At key transition points in K-12 education, entry into kindergarten, and the transitions from elementary to middle and middle to high schools, can any trends in successful marketing be identified in a comparison of three demographically different school districts, regardless of their participation level in school of choice? We will analyze and interpret the marketing strategies of three distinctly different school districts in metropolitan Detroit, MI; Grosse Pointe Public School System, Roseville Community School District, and the Troy School District. The goal of this action research project is to identify any commonalities in successful school marketing that can benefit all schools.
Roseville Community School District |
The Roseville Community School District, located in Roseville, MI, is surrounded by other urban communities that have a similar socio-economic makeup. Roseville consists of largely blue collar workers engaged in manufacturing, skilled and unskilled trades, and has a population of approximately 47,000 residents. The free and reduced lunch population in the Roseville Community School District is 87%. The District is approximately 76% Caucasian, 22% African American, 2% of the student population is made up of a multitude of demographics including Hispanic, Native American, and those of Middle Eastern descent. Roseville Community Schools contan the highest percentage of Special Education students in Macomb County, with 17.5% of students having an IEP. The district has had both of its middle schools labelled as Priority Schools by the MDE, but they have since been released from that status based upon the improvements in student achievement. Currently, one elementary school is considered a priority school by the MDE, and two additional elementary schools have been labelled as Focus Schools. Within this community, approximately 7% of the adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, with the majority having little education beyond a high school diploma. The most common form of post-high school educational experience within the community is a trade school or two year associate degree program at the local community college (US Census Bureau, 2010).
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Troy School District |
Troy School District (TSD) is a public school district located in Troy, Michigan in Oakland County, a suburb twenty miles north of Detroit. The School District has 12 elementary schools, grades K-5; four middle schools, grades 6-8; two traditional high schools, grades 9-12; one alternative high school; the Troy Center for Transition Program serving Special Education students ages 19 through 26; hosts the east campus of the International Academy East (I. A. East) that currently enrolls grades 9-12, and offers an international baccalaureate diploma. TSD is known for its exemplary schools, as every school carries the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award, is North Central Accredited, and has student achievement levels that are among the best in the nation. Students within TSD follow the general demographic trends of the community, and as of 2010 had a racial composition of 74% Caucasian, 19% Asian American, 4% African American, and approximately 2% of Hispanic or Latino descent. The socio-economic status of the community members, according to the 2010 census, indicated that the median income of families in Troy was $79,000. Education is highly valued, as is apparent in the 95%+ turnout rate for elementary parent-teacher conferences over the last three consecutive years.
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Grosse Pointe Public School System |
The Grosse Pointe Public School System (GPPSS) is an affluent school district in suburban Detroit whose demographics are changing rapidly, yet beliefs and stereotypes about their learners remain the same. The “Pointes” that make-up the GPPSS, include the city of Grosse Pointe, GP Woods, GP Shores, GP Farms and GP Park. Collectively, Grosse Pointe is surrounded by very differently socioeconomically and demographically different cities and districts. This includes Harper Woods, Eastpointe, Saint Clair Shores and Detroit. For this reason, it is highly unikely GP will ever become an district with open enrollment.
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Further Clarification
This study took place across the 2015-16 school year. Survey data was collected in late winter, a time frame that has been identified as the point when most parents begin to make choices regarding schooling for next year, and schools begin their scheduling processes. Although the study did look at enrollment, demographic and funding trends prior to 2015-16 as part of the study, the study itself takes place within the 2015-16 academic school year.
The data collection was completed from this action research project through interviews with marketing personnel in the respective school districts. The interviews were structured and tightly scripted. Notes and recordings of the interviews were reviewed by the entire team to correct errors and identify commonalities. Survey instruments were given to parents of current students in each district, as well as parents of potential enrollee’s at given schools. School enrollment, demographic, and funding data was also analyzed.
Numerous articles have been written regarding experiences with school marketing in educational journals, however, there is a limited body of formal research focused on the topic of effective school district marketing strategies without the help of external/outsourced marketing partners. This study is intended to contribute to that research base by examining what struggles school districts face in marketing, what parents believe are important in school choice, and what strategies are making an impact.
This study was limited to the perceptions of parents regarding the success of school marketing efforts. Only parents attending events targeting transitional stages in education (pre-k and kindergarten enrollment, elementary to middle school and middle to high school transition) were targeted for perception data. This is due to the different school of choice structures in the three districts that were a part of this study. The Roseville Community School District is an open enrollment district K-12, the Troy School District it open enrollment for kindergarten, and 9-12 at their alternative high school and International Academy High School. The Grosse Pointe Public School System does not participate in school of choice, so its marketing efforts are targeted towards young families that may move to the community. It did not examine how employees, or students perceive these efforts. Additionally, it did not provide a geographic analysis of who marketing efforts are successfully targeting. Determining a preference for social media versus traditional forms of communications while touched on, was not a key aspect of this study, but could provide an avenue for further research. A final limitation of the study is that it was confined to a singular, although diverse, metropolitan area, and the results do not address rural or other metropolitan areas.
The data collection was completed from this action research project through interviews with marketing personnel in the respective school districts. The interviews were structured and tightly scripted. Notes and recordings of the interviews were reviewed by the entire team to correct errors and identify commonalities. Survey instruments were given to parents of current students in each district, as well as parents of potential enrollee’s at given schools. School enrollment, demographic, and funding data was also analyzed.
Numerous articles have been written regarding experiences with school marketing in educational journals, however, there is a limited body of formal research focused on the topic of effective school district marketing strategies without the help of external/outsourced marketing partners. This study is intended to contribute to that research base by examining what struggles school districts face in marketing, what parents believe are important in school choice, and what strategies are making an impact.
This study was limited to the perceptions of parents regarding the success of school marketing efforts. Only parents attending events targeting transitional stages in education (pre-k and kindergarten enrollment, elementary to middle school and middle to high school transition) were targeted for perception data. This is due to the different school of choice structures in the three districts that were a part of this study. The Roseville Community School District is an open enrollment district K-12, the Troy School District it open enrollment for kindergarten, and 9-12 at their alternative high school and International Academy High School. The Grosse Pointe Public School System does not participate in school of choice, so its marketing efforts are targeted towards young families that may move to the community. It did not examine how employees, or students perceive these efforts. Additionally, it did not provide a geographic analysis of who marketing efforts are successfully targeting. Determining a preference for social media versus traditional forms of communications while touched on, was not a key aspect of this study, but could provide an avenue for further research. A final limitation of the study is that it was confined to a singular, although diverse, metropolitan area, and the results do not address rural or other metropolitan areas.