For making a meaningful impact by using 天美网站传媒传媒 to gather diverse perspectives and ensure the presence of an authentic community voice in district plans.
Background
With 92k+ students, DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is Georgia鈥檚 third-largest district鈥 14k employees and 166+ spoken languages contribute to a vibrant, diverse community.
Bringing a diverse community together
Like many large districts, DeKalb was focused on department alignment and a cohesive vision. However, communication and engagement presented challenges due to diverse spoken languages in the community. The district needed help gathering authentic feedback and accurate data to make decisions that would meet their objectives.
In 2023, DeKalb introduced the to align district-wide efforts with the superintendent鈥檚 strategy for more equitable learning outcomes. Dr. Yolanda Williamson, Chief of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships, knew they needed on-going community insights to succeed.
天美网站传媒传媒鈥檚 AI experience and engagement platform helped them hear from their people and optimize their plan.
天美网站传媒传媒 optimizes MIRACLES Framework
DeKalb鈥檚 leadership used 天美网站传媒传媒 to gather quality data from a broad range of community members to inform the Framework鈥檚 eight focus areas鈥攁 process that could have taken months without the instant, in-depth analysis of the platform鈥檚 proprietary AI.
Using 天美网站传媒传媒, DeKalb received feedback on one of the following tenets every other week: Motion Towards Equity (M), Improved Instructional Core (I), Relevant and Rigorous Course of Study(R), Attract and Retain High Quality Staff (A) Commitment to Accountability (C), Learning Environments that Support Student Success (L), Establish Expected Targets Driven by Results (E), and Sound Fiscal Stewardship (S).
The district asked questions like: "How is our district doing in moving towards Equity? What suggestions do you have on how we might be able to improve?"
Educational partners discussed each tenet, suggesting improvements and providing insights the district may have missed.
Dr. Williamson explains, "The feedback has been very much appreciated. It's been authentic鈥攕ometimes not so easy to hear because we all like to hear we're doing a great job. But really it's about becoming better in terms of the way we do business here as we serve our students and our community."
She adds that the genuine effort to foster two-way communication has increased community engagement.
"We pose a question, solicit responses, receive feedback, and utilize the feedback to explore avenues for improvement. Having immediate access to engagement results in various formats is fantastic. Even more beneficial is the collaborative team discussion regarding these outcomes, resulting in actionable steps that correspond with our established goals and priorities."
Changing the engagement game
Improved communication & engagement聽
An Exchange at a town hall meeting revealed that the district wasn鈥檛 communicating as well as they鈥檇 thought. While they were releasing information in many languages, they weren鈥檛 doing so simultaneously.
With this insight, they could immediately correct the problem and improve communication and engagement efforts to ensure parents and community members could provide honest feedback on the district鈥檚 operations and initiatives.
Traditional surveys may rely on a translator, which can delay or stagger distribution, but as Dr. Williamson says, 鈥溙烀劳敬酱 eliminates that concern. All you have to do is click a little switch to change the language and boom! There鈥檚 no delay in getting the information out.鈥
Faster, more authentic feedback & accurate data
Getting authentic feedback was just one piece of the puzzle. To close the loop and accurately report back on issues raised, Dr. Williamson shares that 天美网站传媒传媒鈥檚 AI features were a time-saver.
Advisor, our AI-powered data analysis tool, was essential for summarizing key concerns, generating talking points, and prompting actionable next steps. The district used it to facilitate discussions around results, asking questions like 鈥淲hat were the top 5 responses? Give me some talking points on the top 5 issues that appeared in the 天美网站传媒传媒.鈥
Dr. Williamson says, 鈥溙烀劳敬酱 is a game changer because the outcomes extend beyond merely reporting the percentage of respondents to a question. Delving into their thoughts provides a more enlightening perspective on the given 天美网站传媒传媒 question.鈥
Addressing complex challenges with 天美网站传媒传媒
Using 天美网站传媒传媒 to implement the MIRACLES Framework has helped DeKalb address complex communication and data challenges and improve district alignment.
While they鈥檙e still working through the Framework, they鈥檝e met the following goals under their Sound Fiscal Stewardship tenet:
District leadership has implemented Smart Safes throughout the district, enabling bookkeepers to easily make deposits so that programs can access needed funds immediately.
The district recently established a Foundation Board for the DeKalb County School District Foundation to help promote equitable learning environments for all by providing financial support for students and staff.
As they wrap up their use of 天美网站传媒传媒 for the MIRACLES Framework, the team at DeKalb continues to use the platform to align their initiatives and improve their community engagement efforts.
Ready to hear from your community in their own words? Explore the Product Tour
鈥Having immediate access to engagement results in various formats is fantastic.
Even more beneficial is the collaborative team discussion regarding these outcomes, resulting
in actionable steps that correspond with our established goals and priorities.鈥
DR. YOLANDA WILLIAMSON, Chief of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships, DeKalb County School District, Georgia
Find out how 天美网站传媒传媒 can help you leverage community insights to develop and refine your strategic plan.