Education Elements & The Learning Accelerator Release New Communications Planning Guide for Innovation in Education

Includes Real-World Strategies for Schools Adopting Blended & Personalized Learning

San Carlos, CA – March 15, 2017 – Education Elements and The Learning Accelerator today released a new communications planning guide for school districts that are transforming education through blended and personalized learning. The new guide is in response to the nation-wide movement towards personalization in education and reflects what these two organizations, both deeply involved in this movement as blended and personalized learning implementation experts and catalysts, have discovered as critical to success.

“A clear takeaway from our past work is that effective communication is a cornerstone of successful innovation in education,” said Kira Keane, Partner at The Learning Accelerator. “School districts that develop thoughtful communications plans build a culture of engagement, transparency, and trust that is critical for innovation both to take hold in the classroom and to be scalable across many schools.”

In 2015, The Learning Accelerator released a step-by-step communication planning guide to assist schools that were embracing blended learning. Since then, they have been collecting feedback and tracking what’s most useful. Meanwhile, Education Elements has been in the field, directly helping over 500 public schools across the country implement personalized learning and capturing best practices. The new communications guide refreshes the earlier work, streamlines the planning process, shares real-world examples, and offers up-to-date resources and artifacts.

“One of the great things about this new guide is that it clearly lays out the steps for effective communications planning for those just beginning their journey, as well as practitioners who have been implementing for several years,” said Janice Vargo, Director of Knowledge Management & Impact, Education Elements. “Throughout the guide we have included short profiles of districts who have partnered with Education Elements and are in various stages of this work. These districts have led the way in communicating their transition to blended and personalized learning and we are thrilled to share their stories and strategies.”

Communications Planning for Innovation in Education is intended for school system leaders, including superintendents, school board members, principals and others whose commitment to communications as a district priority is crucial for success. However, the guide includes many tips and links to additional resources that others - including communications directors, technology officers, and teachers - may find useful.

Education Elements works with districts to build and support dynamic school systems that meet the needs of every learner, today and tomorrow. We take the time to understand the unique challenges school leaders face, and then customize the Education Elements approach for each district resulting in better student outcomes.

The Learning Accelerator is the catalyst to transform American K-12 education through blended learning at scale. We help organizations - schools, districts, nonprofits, and funders - understand blended and personalized practices, set conditions for scale, effectively support their people, and measure results, all with a keen focus on and commitment to equity.