Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
T. Olin Huffman
Committee Member
Judith Stein
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Committee Member
Claudia Santin
Keywords
business and marketing education, charter schools, climate audits, community confidence, community representatives, customer service, database development, educational choice, educational environment, home schools, market research, marketing education, neighborhood schools, parents, professional development, school administrators, school choice, school climate, School District of Okaloosa County, strategic alliances, strategic marketing plan, students, survey research, teachers, traditional public schools
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to examine the impact of charter schools on a school district and to develop a strategic marketing plan for the School District of Okaloosa County. With the proliferation of charter schools, home schools, and other schooling options within the School District of Okaloosa County, the typical orientation of school staff members at traditional public schools must be broadened to include marketing of the school and its services.
The researcher developed a strategic marketing plan for targeted schools within the School District of Okaloosa County. Development of the plan included the following planned solution interventions: (a) database development, (b) climate audits, (c) market research, (d) survey research, and (e) professional development training in customer service. The implementation of the interventions involved parents, teachers, community representatives, and school administrators.
One hundred percent of the school administrators at each targeted school received a strategic marketing plan. The plan included specific strategies and resources for each identified objective. The objectives were (a) maintain a positive image of the school within the community (b) build strategic alliances between school staff members and target segments of the community, (c) strengthen the community’s confidence in the traditional public school, and (d) assist school staff members in creating extraordinary experiences for students and parents through professional staff development in customer service. An analysis of the survey research phase revealed that parents, students, and community representatives preferred to improve and strengthen the neighborhood school rather than seek alternative schooling options.