Department of Professional Growth Systems → Professional Growth System for Administrators and Supervisors → Communications Plan

Communications Plan

The communications plan for the Professional Growth System for Administrators and Supervisors (A&S PGS) ensures that the Steering Committee will facilitate frequent stakeholder involvement throughout the development and implementation phases of the professional growth system. Although the A&S PGS Steering Committee will have primary responsibility for this communication plan, the A&S PGS Design Team will be expected to be in regular contact with the groups they represent as well as other stakeholder groups on the products they have developed.

Purposes of Stakeholder Involvement

Stakeholder involvement is critical to the success of the professional growth system. This involvement will be more successful if it occurs during the initial and ongoing development of the system, rather than when the system, or its various components, is completed. There are several different purposes for communications with these stakeholders, which include:

• Raising awareness about the need for the system, the vision and the objectives, and the expected outcomes
• Providing updates on the progress that is being made on the development of the system
• Generating broad-based support for the system
• Soliciting thoughts, ideas, and feelings about what is critical to include in the system
• Providing opportunities to get feedback on the products that have been developed
• Receiving approval from those who have the final authorization of the plan and the resources required to implement the system
• Issuing the final products that are developed and ready for implementation
• On-going evaluation of the professional growth system

Stakeholder Groups to be Included in the Plan

There are a number of different groups who should be involved in the development of this system. They include:

• Board of Education
• Executive Staff
• MCPS administrators and supervisors
• Montgomery County Association of Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Executive Board
• Montgomery County Education Association
• Montgomery County Council of Supporting Services Employees
• Parents and the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Association
• Students and the Montgomery County Region, Maryland Association of Student Councils
• Business leaders and the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE)
• Other community groups

These groups have a broad range of interests in the development of the professional growth system for administrators.

Methods to Communicate

A variety of methods for communicating and receiving input and feedback will be used. These will include:

• Status reports and memoranda
• Focus groups/dialogues
• Web site
• Presentations at representative/delegate assemblies and membership meetings
• Meetings with other groups, such as the Board of Education, County Council, MCBRE, association executive boards, and Executive Staff
• Stakeholder conferences

The steering committee will develop periodic written updates to ensure that a consistent message about the work on the professional growth system is being communicated. Fact sheets, a question and answer document, a list of common terms, a description of the components of the system, and other documents will be developed to inform the constituents about the professional growth system. These will be distributed to various stakeholders to be included in Association and PTA newsletters and other stakeholder communications. They also will be submitted for inclusion in the Bulletin, and periodic memoranda will be distributed to MCPS employees to inform them about the development of the system. The Web site will be an ongoing means of communicating with constituents. It is the intent of the steering committee to communicate with the largest audience possible.