A comparison of Indiana school public relations programs with and without public relations specialists based on standards set by the National School Public Relations Association

Abstract

Since public relations specialists began working in public school districts in the 1970s, only five percent of public school districts in Indiana have employed these specialists. The objective of the study was to identify factors that would explain why so few districts employ specialists. The study focused on the impact that employing a public relations specialist had on a district's overall public relations program as a means of explaining this lack of employment. The study tested the hypothesis that school districts with specialists would differ significantly from districts without specialists in the National School Public Relations Association standards employed by the districts.Superintendents of all 263 Indiana public school districts were asked to complete a 45question survey that identified public relations standards met in 11 categories established by the National School Public Relations Association for a minimum public relations program. The study received a 62 percent response rate.The respondents were divided into two categories: districts with specialists and districts without specialists. Districts with specialists answered 65 percent of the questions in the survey yes, indicating that they employed particular NSPRA standards; districts without specialists answered 35 percent of the questions yes. A chi-square analysis found this difference signficant, which allowed the research hypothesis to be accepted.Further analysis found that advanced public relations education and training slightly increased a superintendent's likelihood of employing a public relations specialist and that superintendents with specialists attributed greater importance to public relations in particular communications scenarios.