Communication Plan 2000-2001

To help elected/appointed officials understand the importance of EE and increase their support of EE programs.

Objective 2A – Elected/appointed officials will support the assessment of environmental literacy in conjunction with the ongoing statewide student assessment programs administered by the DPI.

Objective 2B – Elected/appointed officials will specifically support the WEEB and its programs.

Strategies for Targeting Elected / Appointed Officials

A) Organizational Steps

• Request WEEB support for annual environmental literacy assessment of Wisconsin students. The research project would: a) identify the existing state assessment questions that address the Wisconsin EE Standards, b) identify voids where the EE standards are not being assessed, c) develop valid and reliable questions to fill the voids, d) provide assistance to DPI in inserting the questions in appropriate on-going state assessments, and e) provide an annual environmental literacy assessment of Wisconsin students.
• Develop a news release highlighting reasons why Wisconsin schools need an EE Specialist at the DPI. Reasons could include: since the EE Specialist position was eliminated, there has been no assessment of the EE curriculum requirement and there has been no EE outreach program available to schools for staff or curriculum development.
• Identify interested parties who are willing to become involved in efforts to communicate the need for an EE Specialist position and for assessment of environmental literacy among Wisconsin students.
• Develop an example letter to elected/appointed officials to be included in the organizing packet, requesting the reinstatement of the EE Specialist position in the DPI.
• Identify elected/appointed officials who will support the assessment of environmental literacy in conjunction with the current statewide student assessment conducted by the DPI.

B) Implementation Steps

• Obtain the financial and political support of the WEEB for the development of an annual environmental literacy assessment of Wisconsin students.
• Distribute organizing packet to Summer EE Masters degree students and EE Liaison Teachers.
• Disseminate the news release regarding the lack of a DPI EE specialist to state media markets. Organize editorial board, radio, and television follow-up stories.
• Request EE Liaison Teachers and Summer EE Masters degree students to write letters of concern to the State Superintendent and other elected/appointed officials describing the importance of an EE Specialist at the DPI and the statewide assessment of EE literacy.
• Request EE Liaison Teachers and Summer EE Masters degree students to solicit similar letter of support for an EE Specialist at the DPI from other teachers, school administrators and parents.