BACKGROUND
Portland is the most diverse school district north of Boston in a largely white and rural state -- and it is home to many refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants that make the city the vibrant cultural mecca for which it is renowned. 34% of PPS students come from homes where a language other than English is spoken.
The District suffered from a fractured public conception, in which some blamed the increased diversity of the district for the decrease in standardized test scores. Additionally, there was inconsistencies across branding channels, although it had already implemented its comprehensive strategic plan, the Portland Public Schools Promise. The Promise is a pledge that every PPS student will be prepared and empowered -- and that no outside circumstance, whether that be English proficiency or economic standing, will take away from a chance at their success. The Promise consists of four core pillars: Equity, Achievement, People and Whole Student.
CHALLENGE
Portland Public Schools seeks to distinguish itself among other similar districts.
The goal was to frame the diversity of Portland Public Schools as a strength, while underlining the District and geographical area’s unparalleled offerings in a succinct, consistent voice across all channels.
APPROACH
DerSimonian approached this challenge with a two-pronged strategy: producing a FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH & DISCOVERY AUDIT, which summarized messaging audit, peer evaluation, and stakeholder input collected through 9.29.20. with the singular goal of helping to establish a stronger articulation of what distinguishes PPS from other district, and: WHAT WE HEARD FROM YOU, which continues the Discovery Audit to include key findings from PPS stakeholders via digital survey and dialog.
From these initial findings, we were able to more fully grasp current perceptions of the District, as well as the particular pieces stakeholders felt important to highlight.
RESULTS
To apply our findings in a precise, accessible method, DerSimonian created the PPS Messaging Toolkit. The Toolkit is at its core a writing and branding guide for district leadership, communicators, writers, educators, staff & storytellers. The Toolkit builds off of the preexisting Portland Promise core pillars of Equity, Achievement, People and Whole Student to expand on the unique aspects that make PPS remarkable.
All 13 messaging themes we created include an engaging Call to Action, a secondary headline, and a description. To avoid simply making claims, each messaging theme also includes student, parent, staff, or alumni testimonials, as well as a comprehensive list of Evidence Points, taken from stakeholder knowledge, news stories and earned media.
The Toolkit is available in both eBook and printed form.