We created this rubric to help State education leaders reflect on their current communications and engagement efforts and take tangible steps forward to improve their work. The rubric helps leaders confirm areas of strength and identify areas of need while providing suggested steps for sharpening strategies, building capacity and enhancing reach. It is divided into five sections, representing the five core areas of focus SEAs should consider when assessing communications and engagement efforts: (1) Overall strategy; (2) Audience segmentation; (3) Audience-specific messages and diverse tactics; (4) Stakeholder engagement and coalition building; and (5) SEA communications capacity. Each section can be used individually or in tandem, depending on the State’s unique needs.
The rubric comes with an accompanying facilitator’s guide, which helps state leaders conduct an initial self-assessment of their communications strategies and design workshops to address specific topics from the rubric. After creating these tools, we pilot tested them in Massachusetts and Colorado and revised based on the States’ feedback.
