Even with tight budgets, public schools still have to engage their communities, parents, students and employees by keeping them informed of services, opportunities and news. The improvement of those district efforts is why KSBA and the Kentucky School Public Relations Association created the OASIS (Outstanding Achievement in School Information Services) Professional Development Program.
Entries are now being accepted for the 17thannual OASIS program, with several changes implemented this year.
A hard-copy Call for Entries was mailed to all KYSPRA members and all superintendents last week. All program-related materials also are online here http://www.ksba.org/2013OASISProfessionalDevelopmentProgram.aspx.
All entries in OASIS are judged by panels of peer professionals in public service communications. Each entrant will receive a written evaluation by two judges. Judges’ scores are used to determine awards that will be announced in November at KYSPRA’s annual training conference.
New for OASIS 2013
• An online resource at the link above will give participants details on how judges will be guided in scoring each entry category.
• Recognition of top-scoring entries will reflect the Distinguished and Proficient labels of the state’s school assessment system.
• The fee for an initial entry remains at $55, but all additional entry fees will be $45 each.
For the KSBA OASIS Sweepstakes Awards, eligibility will be based on submission of at least one entry in three of the five general classifications: print communications, written communications, photography/ videography, electronic communications and campaigns/programs. In a change, districts no longer have to designate three entries as their Sweepstakes package. All entries submitted will be considered as part of that package, and the average of all scores will determine honorees in the four district enrollment-based classes. This change has been made to allow a district’s complete package of communications work to be considered in the Sweepstakes program, while also removing the requirement that a district employee or team select individual entries to be judged for the special award. A representative of KSBA will present the OASIS Sweepstakes Awards at the KYSPRA conference and again at a meeting of the local board of education in each of the four award-winning districts.
All items submitted to the OASIS program are to have been produced between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. The deadline for OASIS program participation is July 8.
For more information, contact Brad Hughes [email protected] at 800-372-2962.