Communication Process Flow in Secondary Schools
Introduction
The communication process flow may take several forms depending on the district but connects the superintendent as the final decision maker, the principal, school administrators, teachers and students. Communication processes and activities occur every single day in any school. In a typical school scenario, school representatives or secretaries often communicate to the public through reports, letters or memos and phone calls. School principals are involved in meetings with teachers, students, community representatives and with members of the board while teachers are always in communication with students sharing knowledge. School administration is a complex function and requires effective systems of communication in order for the realization of competitive performances in schools (Wilcox & Angelis, 2011).
Strengths and Weaknesses of School Communication System
The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) in 2011 reported that the communication flow in the secondary school system promotes sharing of best practices and competition among schools, participation of external community through meetings, student-centered, good spending on education resources, and safety in schools. Weaknesses include lack of consistency in communication (timing and attitudes across schools), diversity (cultural and socio-economic) and insufficient resources (facilities and staffing).
Health Status of the Current System
The current communication system is based on the need for sharing best practices among schools in the district and, therefore, brings together in policy meetings representatives from the various levels i.e. the students, teachers, administrators, principal, and the district education superidentant (Wilcox & Angelis, 2011). However despite the sharing of knowledge among schools, there are a few challenges that are constraint to successes in education. The current communication structure does not include communication training for administrators, formal schedule for regular meetings between senior and junior administrators, and doesn’t promote open interaction across cadres of administration.
Needs in the Secondary School Communication System
Opportunities in the prevailing system of communication include innovation, transparency, evidence-based decision making, collaboration, and educational resources (Wilcox & Angelis, 2011). These success factors for secondary education are based on research conducted to assess performance factors in best performing schools. These elements may not be absent completely in underachieving schools but the implementation may have to be reviewed to ensure that the student’s capacity for excellent performance is maximized.
Recommendation for Change
In order to ensure effective communication within and across grades and schools in the district, the district must institute new structures for communication. The district must create a schedule for formal meetings, focused on student learning development, between teachers in specific grades (Wilcox & Angelis, 2011). The trend should extend across grades within departments with the focus being curriculum and instruction review.
The district should facilitate through policy individual school partnership with external community and institutions that provide opportunities for learning for both teachers and students. The district should encourage all forms of communication flows (upward, downward, horizontal and diagonal) so that the communication system is open enough to allow participation from all levels. This recommendation is based on a system that is currently in play in Yonkers City, a school district in the state of New York.
References
NSPRA. (2002). “Communication Audit Report: Baltimore County Public Schools”. Rockville,
MD: Author
Wilcox, K. C. & Angelis, J. I. (2011). “Best practices from high-performing High Schools”.
New York, NY: Teachers College Press
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