Build It and They Will Come?
Yes! Probably too many!
But just in case!
Panel Presenters
• Kristie Clements, Moderator,
• Connie Ratcliff,
• Meagan Taylor-Booth
• Matt Waymack,
Marketing strategies that work.
MVPS targets:
1. Rural areas that cannot offer higher level
courses and electives
2. AP courses for schools that have low interest or
no certification
3. Credit Recovery
4. Alternative choice
5. Teacher shortage
Talk to:
Parents
Counselors
District representatives
Administrators
Platform:
Target your information to your audience
Counselors
Technology
Administrators etc.
Get on strategic PTO meeting agendas
Be wise with your time. Don’t attend Elementary teacher
meetings if your VS is middle and above.
Partnerships!
Sponsor conferences,
booths, printing, and
other marketing
strategies.
Partnerships!
Institutes for Higher
Learning
Community College
Consortiums
Technology
Coordinators
Districts
School
Improvement
21st Century Goals
Dropout
Prevention
16-State collaboration
Free-media resource for educating legislators,
superintendents, principals, site coordinators
School Awareness
Media:
Parents brochures
Student posters
School booklets outlining goals
Free AP Exam Preps, ACT Preps, Tutorials
Conference Give-A-Ways (some partner sponsored)
Sponsor at the Superintendents Summer Conference
meeting
About Gwinnett Online
• District-level program started in 1999
• Gwinnett County Public Schools,
Metropolitan Atlanta, GA
– @150,000 students, 14th largest in USA
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@102 courses – all authored by GCOC
eCollege LMS since 1999
Elluminate since 2002
17 full-time staff members
@100 trained adjuncts
YTD 2008 – Total GCOC Scope
High School
Middle School Online
3713
13
Middle School Hybrid/Web-Enhanced
325
Middle School Support
968
Staff Development
625
Special Entity Support
600
Curriculum Support
484
TOTAL
6728
Local School Site Coordinators
• Site-Coordinators at all 20 high schools
• Paid small stipend from Gwinnett Online
• Liaison between GCOC and schools, online teachers
and local students
• Promote Gwinnett Online locally
– School Announcements
– Distributes promotional materials
– Local school websites/newsletters
• Make available local student resources
County Level Support
• Communication With Local School
Administrators
• Communication with County Leaders
• Strong Board Support
Marketing
• Site-Coordinators
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Contact at all 20 high schools
Disseminates information
Local promoter of Gwinnett Online
School announcements
• Local School Counselors
• GCPS TV - Locally airs on cable TV
• Promotional Flyer
– Created by GCPS communications department
– Distributed to all schools and students
• Website
Local School Relations
• Since 2005, Gwinnett Online earns FTE within
county
• Pushback from On Ground Principals
• Concerned they will lose students, staff and
funding to Gwinnett Online
• Gwinnett Online is not in competition with
local schools
• No school has lost anything to GCOC
• Perception has improved
Strategies
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Promote being cost-effective
Serve maximum number of students possible
Provide good service
School communication
Virtual Virginia
Who is our intended audience, and who
are our advocates?
•Students
•Counselors
•Mentors
•Teachers
•District/School Administrators
•Parents
•State Legislators
Virtual Virginia
How do we market our program?
High Profile Multi-Media Campaign
•Press Coverage (NPR, Local Print Media)
•Extensive Website
•Video (local school cable, public TV, movie theaters)
•Email Blasts
•Dept. of Education Support (Superintendent’s Memos)
•Direct Mail
•Brochures
•S.W.A.G. for Brand Awareness
Virtual Virginia
How do we market our program?
High Profile Multi-Media Campaign
•Press Coverage (NPR, Local Print Media)
•Extensive Website
•Video Production
•Email Blasts
•Dept. of Education Support (Superintendent’s Memos)
•Direct Mail
•Brochures
•S.W.A.G. for Brand Awareness
Virtual Virginia
How do we market our program?
Grassroots/Word-of-Mouth Effort
•Presentations and exhibitions at state and national
conferences
•Student/Mentors/Parents as advocates
•Counselor and Student/Parent Newsletters
(see handouts)
•S.W.A.G. for Students
Virtual Virginia
When do we market?
•During important enrollment periods
•Opening of registration/spring scheduling
•Start of school
•After holiday break
•Periodic follow-up throughout the year
Thanks!