Effective Communication for Elementary

School Principals
Dianne Chapman
Neil McKay
Shelby Romero
Jonathan Ward

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 1

To:
From:
Subject:
Date:

Sallie M Gowdy-Burke
Team 4
Repurposing project update
April 6, 2016

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary

Introduction

Research Methods

Results

Conclusions

Recommendations

10

Appendix

11

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 2

Executive Summary:

To aid principals in becoming effective communicators with their staff and the parents of the
children they serve, we researched methods of communication among those groups. We found
that the most effective method of communication between principal and parents is Auto-dial
telephone calls and the most effective method between principal and staff is one-on-one
meetings. We then developed an infographic poster for principals to post in their offices to
remind them to always strive to use the most effective means of communication.

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 3

Introduction:
Elementary schools are the foundation of the modern education system. Students are
taught the fundamentals that they will use to attain higher knowledge and better the world
around them. In order for this system to work efficiently so that each student can get the most
out of their time in the classroom a communication network must be established between
every teacher, faculty member and parent. This network is delicate; it requires messages to be
clear and brief without losing any of the valuable information contained within.
The task of bridging this communication between the students support group is not
easy and it falls on the shoulders of the principals. The more effective a principals
communication is, the more effectively his staff and parents can support the students under
their charge.
In the Ferndale School District, there is currently no professional development training available
for principals who want to improve their communication skills, neither are there formal
guidelines or established procedures set for them to follow. Consequently, principals vary in their
ability to develop effective methods of communication.
Skyline Elementary principal, Bill Tipton asked us to investigate communications methods and
this project is the result of that research. Through research of peer reviewed journal studies
and a survey that sampled members of the three identified peer groups (school principals,
school staff and school parents) we made an attempt to identify the most effective methods of
communication available to elementary principals.
We found that parents overwhelmingly preferred to be contacted through Auto-dial recorded
telephone calls that provide detailed information. Staff, however, overwhelmingly preferred
one-on-one meetings with the principal to any other method of communications.
With this information in hand, we set out to create a tool that principals could use as a
reminder and a prompt to use the most effective means of communication whenever possible.
We chose to develop a poster-sized infographic which principals could post in a prominently
visible location in their office. The infographic would serve to remind the principals to always
choose the most effective means of communication.
We recommend that school districts print and distribute the infographic to all elementary
principals and thus reduce the amount of ineffective communication that threatens to
undermine the educational process for students.

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 4

Research Methods:
The research for this assignment was done mostly by one party. Neil McKay did the research in
two different ways: Task 1: Read peer-review journals about communication methods, Task 2:
Survey three groups: Principals, parents, and staff.
Task 1.
In order to identify the current state of Elementary Principal Communication as well as
perceptions of effectiveness, I first researched several peer-reviewed journals through WSU
Libraries website. I found a wide range of studies and articles written going back as far as 1968
discussing communications in the school environment as it relates to school leadership, parents
and staff. Many articles suggested that the responsibility for effective communication lies with
the principal.
Task 2.
I then conducted three surveys consisting of simple questionnaires asking participants to rate,
on a scale of 1 to 10, usage and effectiveness of several communications tools used by
principals with 1 being either the most effective or most used.
The questionnaire asked participants to rate the overall effectiveness of principals methods of
communication (MOC). Parents and Staff were asked to rate their principals MOCs and the
principals were asked to rate them as well. All groups were asked to rate the overall
effectiveness of the principals effectiveness at communicating.
The surveys were targeted to three participant groups, Principals, Staff members and Parents.
The layout and wording of the surveys was nearly identical for each participant group, with a
list of communication tools in a column and a column on either side with space to put a
numerical rating of usage (on the left of the list of techniques) and effectiveness (on the right).
Staff and Parents were presented with slightly different lists and Principals received both lists.
This was necessary because the tools available to communicate with Staff are different than the
tools used to communicate with Parents.
I let all participants know that I did not expect them to fill in a number rating for tools which
they did not use, for example, a school that does not have a presence in Social Media would not
use that tool so there would be no rating.
The lists of communications tools presented to the participants are delineated below (Principals
were presented with both lists):

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 5

Parent list

Assembly
One to one meeting
Written Note or Letter
Newsletter
Group Email
Individual Email
Website
Social Media
Other:

Staff list:

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Group Meeting
One to One meeting
Written Note
Group Email
Individual Email
Intercom During Schoolday
Intercom Outside of Schoolday
Website
Social Media

Page 6

Results:
Staff and principals agreed that the most effective method of communication (MOC) between
principal and staff was one-to-one meetings.
However, Principals and staff disagreed on their perception of the most commonly used MOC.
Principals believed the most commonly used MOC was group emails while staff felt the most
commonly used MOC was group meetings.
Principals and parents agreed the most effective MOC between them was Auto-Dial messages.
These are recorded messages from the principal sent via telephone to all parents at once,
usually in the evening.
Parents and principals both said the most commonly used MOC was Auto-Dial.
Other MOCs which got high ratings for effectiveness by parents include Social Media and
individual emails. Assemblies did not score as effective MOCs.
Other MOCs which got high ratings for effectiveness by staff include individual emails. Social
Media and Website did not score as effective MOCs.
While principals self-assessment on a scale of 1 to 10 was generally high (average 8.5), parents
assessment of their principals effective communication was more widespread with ratings as
low as 2 and as high as 8 (average 5). Staff ratings of principals effectiveness were less
widespread, with an average of 7.5.
Knowing that principals agreed with both parents and staff as to the most effective methods of
communication for each group and also realizing that the most effective means was not always
appropriate, we decided that the solution to the problem of ineffective communication was
simply a constant reminder to always try to use the most effective means of communication.
An infographic poster seemed to be the ideal tool to utilize. Infographics can be designed to be
eye-catching, colorful and simple, while delivering a clear message. A poster-sized infographic
can hang on the wall in such a way that a principal, while creating communications, can see it
and internalize the message it presents.
The poster can also be reproduced and distributed to any number of principals. It could also be
made available as a computer screen saver or through other media.
The content of the infographic can be updated in the event that a new, more effective method
of communication supplants the most effective methods in current use. Content can also be
Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 7

adapted to the specific nature of secondary principals, college deans or other communicators.
The main points that this poster needs to convey are:
1. Parents
a. Prefer auto dial for effective communication and appreciate its effectiveness
b. Social media and individual emails are less preferred but also effective
2. Staff
a. Prefer one-on-one meetings
b. Individual emails are less preferred but also effective
c. Small group meetings are more effective than large groups
3. Questions to ask before communicating
a. How can I shape the message so it can be heard?
b. Does this message work for all my audience?
c. Am I trying to provide too much information at once?
d. Am I expecting a response or call to action?
This poster, when hung on the wall in the principals office, will be in plain sight at all times. In
turn, this makes it time efficient and easy to use when preparing communicate. If this were to
be a smaller 8x11 page per say it could easily get lost among desk clutter and therefore be
ineffective for a constant reminder. The infographic is very simple making it easy to see the
most relevant information by color coordinating communication techniques. It shows some
questions to think about before communicating.

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 8

Conclusions:
In this report, we demonstrated that communication is a critical skill for an elementary school
principal to master. Yet there are few options for principals to develop that skill and become
effective communicators.
There are, however, some very specific methods of communication that both principals and
their intended audiences (staff and parents) agree on as the most effective methods. In the
case of staff, one-on-one meetings are acknowledged as the most effective and in the case of
parents, Auto-dial telephone calls are seen as the most effective.
We felt an infographic poster would serve as a constant reminder to principals that they should
strive to always use the most effective method of communication available.

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 9

Recommendations:
It is our recommendation that the infographic poster (see Appendix A) be kept as a PDF
formatted document which can be printed on demand. The poster should be distributed to all
elementary principals with clear instructions to post the infographic in an area where it will be
seen and not ignored.
We also recommend that the content of the infographic be reviewed annually by a committee
composed of principals, staff and parents to ensure the relevance of the content. New methods
of communication should be compared to the methods outlined in the infographic and
evaluated for effectiveness.
As the poster was developed through the web-based infographic creator, easel.ly, the
infographic can be easily updated to accommodate new methods of communication.
If there is interest among secondary principals or college deans, the poster can also be modified
to meet the unique communications need of those positions.

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 10

Appendix A: Final Infographic

Effective Communication For Elementary School Principals

Page 11