1. Enrolling for Next Year:
February 7, 2013
Enrolling for Next Year:
Marketing, Lottery, Etc.
Adam Miller
Charter Schools Director
Florida Department of Education
Curtis Fuller
Director of Charter School Operations
Charter School Services Corp.

2. Charter School Services Corporation
Charter Support Unit
Providing assistance to schools in their first three years of operation:
Support Hotline
Consultations
School Reviews
Webinars
Document Reviews
Charter Discussions
Resource Clearinghouse
Charter Schools Office of the Department of Public Education thanks to the US Charter Schools Program Grant
Charter School Services Corporation

3. Presentation Plan General Requirements Marketing Ideas
Legally Conducting a Lottery
Q&A

4. What year is your school in?
Help us understand who is participating.
How long has your school been in operation?
The longer you've been around the healthier your applications should be given your reputation.
Want to get to the point of building up a waiting list.

5. General Requirements
Charter school statute has specific requirements regarding enrollment. Be sure to be aware of the requirements.
You should have an anti discrimination statement, be sure you are aware of it, and I would recommend including it on your promotional materials.

6. Enrollment
“Enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building. In such case, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being admitted through a random selection process.”
(10)(a)
Poll here about t their enrollment history ("fullness")

7. Preferences Enrollment preference may be granted to:
Siblings of a student enrolled in the school
Children of members of the governing board
Children of an employee of the school
Employee of a business partner (if school-in-the-workplace)
Resident of municipality (if school-in-a-municipality)
Students who were in VPK provided by the charter
Children of active duty member of military branch
(10)(b)
CSP Grant recipients have other requirements
The top section is most common.
#4 & #5 are specific to the type of charter

8. Allowed Limits
Charters may limit the enrollment process only to target to the following student populations… Students who are:
within a specific age groups or grade levels
considered at risk of dropping out of school or academic failure (including ESE students)
enrolling in a charter school-in-the-workplace or school-in-a-municipality
residing within a reasonable distance
meet reasonable academic, artistic, or other eligibility standards established in application/charter
articulating from one charter to another if an articulation agreement exists and is approved by sponsor
living in a development owned by a business providing school facilities (very specific rules)
(10)(e)

9. Equal Chances
Students with disabilities and students served in English for Speakers of Other Languages programs shall have an equal opportunity of being selected for enrollment.
(10)(f)

10. Determine Your Capacity
... shall be determined annually by the governing board, in conjunction with the sponsor.
(10)(h)

11. High Performing Charters
Notify the sponsor by March 1 if you intend to increase enrollment or expand grade levels the following school year.
(10)(f)

12. Marketing Ideas Now on to the fun and timely part...
If you haven't started yet, you're late!
Develop an annual schedule
marketing and application materials ready by November.
align your process with your district's choice period
take advantage of the time period when parents are looking for alternative options.

13. Success breeds success
What came
first, the
chicken or
the egg?
You need students to make a successful school... but you need a successful school to attract kids.
Your best marketing advantage is being a successful school.

14. Know Your Mission
Dust off your mission statement if it isn't front and center
Be able to sell your mission
Be good at giving your "elevator pitch"
Have key points you want to share with parents
Be sure to include more stakeholders. (i.e. secretaries answering the phones, parent volunteers, etc.)
Make sure everyone who is promoting your schools understands and can accurately articulate your mission and purpose.

15. Develop Effective Materials
Share your story and your mission
Make it look professional (you're asking people to trust you with your kids)
Develop a common theme
Pictures are good
Shop around for printing costs
Check out Pride Enterprises

16. Communicate... ...and then communicate some more.
Keep your families and the public informed.
The more the better.
Help to ease concerns if they exist.
Use the tools available to you.
Be sure to communicate your mission and vision.
Especially if you are a new school or going through change - parents will be nervous

17. Is Your Website Effective?
Share your mission
Answer questions
Use Images
Think like a parent
Call to action
Keep it up to date
Tie in other tools you may use

18. Schedule Open Houses Variety of times and nights
Community meetings if no facility
Try to make opportunities for personal connections
Invite as many as possible to help sell the school
Demonstrate student successes
Again, share you mission and vision
Focus on the details
School Tours
Talk about best practices for tours:
- Let them see classrooms
- Manage time
- Manage who gives tours
- Groups versus individuals
- Scheduling

19. Word of Mouth is the Best
Get your families to talk about you
Have your families invite others to atttend
Stress the importance

20. Utilize Social Media Use what parents are using to connect Facebook
Twitter
Share successes
Invite visitors
Share your mission
Facebook is essential
Twitter is good
Google Plus is new
Share great stories.
Post often
Build connections
Tie it into your website using plugins.
Best of all, it's free!

21. Direct Mailing
Probably the most cost effective of paid marketing techniques
Apply for a not-for-profit mailing permit
$0.178 per letter instead of $0.46 first class
"Standard Mail" is slightly slower.
Ask your district for a list (be prepared for a no)
Google: Buy a mailing list. (
Invite the recipient to your open house

22. Paid Advertising?
Is it worth it?

23. Paid Advertising? Possible avenues: Newspapers Billboards Radio
Television
Online Search (i.e. Google)
FYI: Google Grants will give free AdWords advertising to not-for-profits

24. Get Creative
Invite your parents, staff and students to help come up with ideas that match your community:
Spring Fair, and invite the community
Rummage Sale, and invite the community
Some schools have rewards for referrals
Other ideas?

25. In a moment... Prepare to share your ideas,
after we discuss the lottery.,

26. The Lottery
Students residing within a reasonable distance of the charter school, as described in paragraph (20)(c). Such students shall be subject to a random lottery and to the racial/ethnic balance provisions described in subparagraph (7)(a)8. or any federal provisions that require a school to achieve a racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the same school district.
(10)(e)4

27. Lottery Process Suggestions
Develop a fair process
Build in ways to guard against discrimination
Be sure it is random
Doesn't need to be an "event," but could be

28. Ask the Experts
Discussion Time -- What are your suggestions (or questions) on effective marketing techniques?
Add your comments to the chat, or click the "Hand" button to raise your hand, I will turn on your microphone when it is your turn.

29. http://bit.ly/flcsu Help Us To Improve
Please take a moment to provide feedback at:

30. Charter Support Unit CSU Website: http://flcsu.org
Webinar Evaluation:
CSU Phone Number: (727)
Upcoming Webinars:
February 28 - Finding and Planning For Facilities
March 21 - Preparing for your Audit
April 11 - Hiring Practices for Charter Schools
May 2 - Dissemination Grants Discussion
May 23 - Developing an Effective Budget