The following template has been developed by LERN Consultants to provide you with guidelines on how to prepare a report to your Superintendent or School Board. The goal of this template is to guide you in selecting information that will provide critical information necessary for you to demonstrate that you have solid information about your program’s performance and to positively impact any requests you may have for district support.
Remember, your goal in providing this report is to demonstrate both your value to the community and your capability as a manager of the Community Education Program. Reports that speak to decision-makers are fact-based and data rich, and this template provides the guidelines for you to make sure you are reporting the information that matters most to generate confidence in you as an administrator and your program as an important community service.
Here are some tips on how to use this template effectively:
1. Keep your report simple, factual and focused. Avoid using jargon and unnecessary verbiage. Let the facts speak for themselves.
2. Make this template work for you. Every program is unique, and not every item in the template may be right for you, or you may have areas not covered in this template. Ignore the parts that don’t relate to you and add information that might be valuable to your Superintendent.
3. Present the report in a narrative format with bullet points and headings to emphasize the data. Important information can get lost if there is too much information to read quickly.
4. Attach information that highlights major accomplishments, media coverage, testimonials from participants, etc. Focus on your major successes and wins. If there are areas that are especially important within your district, be sure to highlight those.
5. If you have requests for increased support or if there are proposed changes, for the coming year, attach a summary of those projects along with information about costs/revenues/impact on the district.
6. Use the fewest number of pages possible for your report, but make sure you include all the critical information you need to communicate what your program
is about. If your report is too long, your Superintendent may not read it. Keep all content useful and relevant, and show your Superintendent how you are making him or her look good.
Sample Report
School District ________________________________________________
Date ______________ Prepared By __________________________
• Brief summary statement outlining programs offered by Community Ed
department
• Mission/Vision of Community Ed department
• Alignment with District strategic goals
• Total number of district patrons served during previous fiscal year: _______
Breakdown of participation:
• Number of School-Aged Students Served _______
• Number of Adult Students Served _______
• Other Constituencies Served _______
Major accomplishments of past year:
1.
2.
3.
Number of Program School Sites _______
Locations (Include Off site):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Current number of full-time staff _______
Current number of part-time staff _______
Current number of partnerships with Community organizations _______