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RATIONALE
A parents’ decision journey to enroll their child in Pre-K begins with becoming aware of their options. It is important to find ways to communicate with families about the benefits of Pre-K and how to enroll as well as to create the venues and the spaces for two-way communication with families to ask questions and connect with their district or school.
CONCRETE STRATEGIES
CONCRETE STRATEGIES
DISTRICT-LEVEL
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Diversify Messaging Strategies
Provide multiple ways for parents/guardians to receive the necessary information (including the district's safety measures; the importance of Pre-K from a student social, emotional, and academic perspective; and the availability of different types of high-quality pre-k programs in the area) that will help them decide what is best for their family and their children as informed by the survey data (see recommendation above).
In-person is the most effective way to communicate this information. Additionally, districts should utilize text messaging, social media tools, mail outs to homes, advertisements at local businesses, and virtual meetings.
Facebook Live is a great tool to share messages and create a forum for families to ask questions; the video can be posted later as a resource for parents.
During July and August, include a pop-up banner on your district homepage for Pre-K.
Recognize that the technology divide goes beyond internet access. Ensure that families have the option to enroll either in-person or online. If offering online enrollment, work to make the application mobile-friendly.
2. Find Eligible Students
Find a vendor/demographer who can help target the areas with the highest population of eligible students and then target ads either through social media or digital media such as ads in cell phone apps to get information about Pre-K to them.
3. Leverage Trusted Sources
Engage community partners to share key messages with families including:
Faith leaders who can use their pulpit to encourage back-to-school through a Back to School Sermon Sunday (“Pews to Pre-K”).
Current parents who can contribute to online video testimonials promoted over social media or who can help with back to school door knocking.
Social services providers: partner with organizations that serve the eligible population. Work with local WIC offices, Federally Qualified Health Care Centers and Community Based Organziations to spread the word about the benefits of Pre-k and how to enroll.
Pediatricians who can provide information about the benefits of Pre-K participation on healthy child development during doctor and well-child visits.
4. Focus on Safety
Intentionally include information about the district’s safety measures in response to COVID-19 in all outreach and work to build trust with parents/guardians to assure them that the return to school is safe for their children.
Provide opportunities for families to visit schools and classrooms (examples include tours, summer PreK parent open house, PreK parent workshops).
5. Develop Digital Tools
Create an easily searchable, simple Pre-K enrollment website within your own district with FAQs, descriptions of different programs, information on who is eligible for Pre-k and instructions on how to enroll.
6. Staff a Pre-K Enrollment Helpline
Devote staff to a “Pre-K Enrollment Help Desk/Support Line” for families to get real-time help with their enrollment process and to make outgoing calls to families to proactively spread the message about enrollment.
7. Ensure Enrollment is Family Friendly
Ensure your preK enrollment process is family friendly from top to bottom. Can families get the information they need in a language they can understand in one phone call? Is there a process for helping families through the registration process. Is there follow-up with families that start, but do not complete the process? Identify where families may be dropping out the process and problem solve how to help more families enroll.
RESOURCES
RESOURCES
Explore the 2021-22 Commit Pre-K Enrollment Toolkit to learn potential strategies and best practices for implementing a regional enrollment marketing campaign in order to increase enrollment in your community!
SignalVine serves as a tool to support families enroll their child in Pre-K. By texting “PREK” to the number provided, families opt-in and receive individualized support (in their preferred language) by asking real-time questions and receiving real-time responses from a staff member from their respective district. In addition, families receive text reminders and linked resources relating upcoming enrollment events for their district throughout the spring and summer leading up to the first day of school. SignalVine can provide personalized, two-way communication as well as timed messages to send out to families based on specific criteria such as age, language, and enrollment status.
Additional benefits of SignalVine include that it is
Opt-in for parents and families
Less labor-intensive than its alternatives because districts can create a logic mapping of the messages based on individual parent characteristics
Explore E3 Alliance Central Texas Pre-K’s FAQ’s page on their website. Note: the messaging in Spanish was tested with Spanish-speaking focus groups to ensure that is would be relatable and compelling to Spanish-speaking families. The website also includes a page with resources for educators and community members including a social media toolkit and School Readiness Parent Guide (in English and Spanish).
See Houston’s Pre-K Enrollment Campaign Materials and watch the video of the district’s Pre-K Parent Testimonial Compilation
Get inspiration from virtual school fairs around the state
See pictures below of GPISD's "Feet in the Streets" event, during which district staff participated in an outreach effort to re-connect students to school and distribute Pre-K enrollment materials
<Coming Soon> Commit Pre-K Enrollment Toolkit
Provide families information so that they can make an informed decision about having their student repeat or restart a grade:
TEA Parent Resource: Restart Kindergarten
TEA Parent Resource: Repeat a Grade or Course
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