New Member Communications Tool Kit For Secondary Schools

Transcription

1 New Member Communications Tool Kit For Secondary Schools 1

2 Hello! Congratulations on becoming a member of Parchment! We want to make it easy for you to tell your faculty, staff, students and their families, and your community. Your school has taken an important step towards simplifying your transcript process and ensuring that credentials earned translate into the best opportunities for your current students and alumni. Let s shout it from the rooftops (and announce it via a few other important channels too)! We ve put together this Communications Tool Kit with templates to help you easily communicate this exciting news to a variety of audiences. These templates and tools were developed with current member input, and have been successfully implemented in their local communities. Our members tell us that regular reminders through multiple channels-- about requesting transcripts from Parchment.com is the most effective way to ensure a smooth transition to the new process. School Webpage and Student/Family Portal Do this today (or at least really soon)! Place a notification on your school s website and/or portal using this template to ensure students and families know to go to Parchment.com to request transcripts. Also, remember to place the Request My Transcript button on the webpage and portal as well! Family Newsletter Submit this for publication within the first month. Use this template in your school s monthly or quarterly hard copy or electronic newsletters. And give it to your school s PTA/PTO representatives to distribute in their communications too. School Newspaper Submit this for publication within the first month. If your school publishes a school newspaper, we have an article template to introduce Parchment etranscripts. You can also adapt part of the article in future editions to remind students to request their transcripts on Parchment.com. Social Media Announcements Do this EACH month until your program is really humming. Does your school have a Facebook page or a Twitter account? Use these templates to create posts to let students and families know how to request transcripts and explore colleges on Parchment.com. Registrar Voice Mail Message Do this the first week. Use this quick script on your registrar s voic message to remind students and families to go to Parchment.com to request their transcripts. Press Release Submit for publication within the first month. A press release to local media can be a great way to let students and parents know your school is using Parchment etranscripts, and to encourage students to sign up. It is also a great way to let the community know about efforts by the school to serve students better, and to increase efficiencies. Your local and community newspapers and websites are great outlets. 2

3 In the coming weeks, your Account Executive will be checking in with you to see how the communication process is going, but If you have any questions at all in the meantime, please don t hesitate to reach out. Sincerely, The Parchment Team 3

4 Table of Contents Webpage and Portal Messaging... 5 Family Newsletter Template... 6 School Newspaper Template... 7 Social Media Post Templates... 8 Registrar Phone Menu or Voic Message Script... 8 Press Release Template

5 Webpage and Portal Messaging Make Your School s Website and Student/Parent Portal Parchment-Ready! An important part of simplifying your transcript process is to ensure that your school s web page and student/parent portals clearly point to Parchment.com for transcript requests. Making it easy for students and parents to order transcripts online with Parchment means 24/7 convenience for them and valuable time savings for you. We suggest that you place the Request My Transcript button prominently on the homepage of your school s website and student/parent portal. As well, on the Counseling/Registrar page, place a link to the student flyer and registration and ordering videos. Your school s webmaster or IT specialist should be able to help with adding these links and resources. Request My Transcript Button Link to image: HTML Code to Image: <a href="{{lead.zz-sender URL:default=edit me}}"><img src=" width="210" height="62" title="request your Transcript from Parchment - Leader in etranscript Exchange" alt="request your Transcript from Parchment - Leader in etranscript Exchange" border="0" /></a> Link the button to: Links to Add: Student Flyer Video: Registering for a Parchment Account Using an Link or Registration Code Video: Requesting Your Transcript on Parchment.com 5

6 Family Newsletter Template Customize the fields in red, and then your parent/family newsletter article is good to go. etranscripts are here! District/School name is making the college application process easier. Is your child applying to college? Documents, data and deadlines seems like there is so much to gather and remember. But [District/school name] has teamed with Parchment to make the process easier for you and your child. One of the required documents you will need when applying to college is an official high school transcript, a student s academic record. [District/school name] has a new, online service where you can request an official high school transcript and send it to the college of your choice with just a few clicks. Parchment sends your transcript securely, accurately and confidentially to any college or university. The best part is you can request your transcript anytime from anywhere. All you need is an internet connection and to visit Parchment.com. Just follow these 3 easy steps to get started: 1. Register for a free account at parchment.com/register 2. Request your transcript 3. Track your transcript [Insert cost information here]. And Parchment is fully integrated with the Common Application too. You can also use Parchment to send additional information electronically, including letters of recommendation. Sending your child s transcript electronically is easier, safe and saves money! Because it s online, it is processed much faster; your high school can send it instantly, and the college or university receives it immediately. You no longer have to wonder if your transcript was sent by your high school, or received by the college or university to which your child is applying. Now you can track it all online at your account on Parchment.com. That s peace of mind! etranscripts are great for schools too. For high school counselors, it means they spend less time pulling files and stuffing envelopes. That s good for students and parents, because now your counselor has more time to spend helping students decide how and where to apply to college. It s also less expensive to send electronically, and requires fewer resources. If you have questions about e-transcripts you can contact your child s school counselor. Don t delay! Get your registration code from your counselor and sign up for your Parchment.com account today at parchment.com/register. 6

7 School Newspaper Template This article is similar to the family newsletter article, but targeted toward the students; it s written for the school newspaper. Just need to customize the fields in red, and voila etranscripts are here! District/School name is making the college application process easier. Seems like the college application process is designed to create stress-- it s a never-ending series of documents, data and deadlines. But [District/school name] has teamed with Parchment to make the process easier. One of the required documents you will need when applying to college is an official high school transcript, your academic record. [District/school name] has a new, online service where you can request an official high school transcript and send it to the college of your choice with just a few clicks. Parchment sends your transcript securely, accurately and confidentially to any college or university. The best part is you can request your transcript anytime from anywhere. All you need is an internet connection and to visit Parchment.com. Just follow these 3 easy steps to get started: 1. Register for a free account at parchment.com/register 2. Request your transcript 3. Track your transcript [Insert cost information here]. Parchment is fully integrated with the Common Application too. And you can also use Parchment to send additional information electronically, including letters of recommendation. Because everything is online, it is processed much faster. Plus, you can track when your transcript was sent and received at your account on Parchment.com. That s peace of mind! If you have questions about e-transcripts you can contact your school counselor. Don t delay! Get your registration code from your counselor and sign up for your Parchment.com account today at parchment.com/register. 7

8 Social Media Post Templates Social media is great for short announcements and reminders. It s great for all audiences, but it s particularly important for reaching students. Here are 3 options for social media posts on Facebook or Twitter, with some simple fields in red that you can customize. Your #collegeapplication just got easier. Now of #etranscripts! Track your #transcript in the #collegeapplication of Institution Ask your counselor for a registration link. Peace of mind in the #collegeapplication of Institution for #etranscripts! Registrar Phone Menu or Voic Message Script Mention the transcript process in your Registrar or Counseling office phone menu or voic . Our Members have found that a quick message such as the one below helps reduce call traffic related to transcript requests. Need a transcript? Go to parchment.com to create a free account and submit a transcript request online. Unless there is a hold on your student account, transcripts will be sent to your requested destination within <x> business days 8

9 Press Release Template Customize the fields in red, and your press release will be media-ready. If your school or district has a Communications staff member, your best bet is to work with them. They will have media lists and contacts, and can make sure any necessary approvals are in place. And if you have any questions or would like a representative from Parchment to help out, please don t hesitate to contact pr@parchment.com. School District Chooses Parchment to Make Applying to College Easier and More Accessible Electronic transcripts deliver cost and time savings to schools and improve service to students CITY, STATE and SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. (Month, Day, Year) School students, parents and staff have a new, online service where they can request an official high school transcript and send it to the college of their choice with just a few clicks. With Parchment, the leader in etranscript exchange, education credentials are requested, sent and delivered electronically, securely and confidentially. QUOTE ABOUT WHY THE SCHOOL CHOSE TO DO ETRANSCRIPTS. Should include cost savings, time savings and/or service to students, said Name, Title, School District. For over ten years, Parchment has proven that sending transcripts electronically is easier, safe and saves money. Schools report saving 87% of time spent processing transcripts, so counselors can spend more time helping students decide where and how to apply college. And schools can save $6.30/transcript funds that can be reallocated to learning. Students register at Parchment.com, which is accessible anytime and anywhere and is easy to use. Students, parents and staff can order transcripts at their convenience, and then use their account to track when it was sent and received. This more transparent process provides peace of mind during the stressful college application process. Parchment etranscripts play an important role in simplifying and completing the college application process, said Jeffrey Harris, Director and Registrar at Parchment. School has taken an important step to help their students succeed. About School <Insert boilerplate here> About Parchment Parchment is the leader in education credentials technology, allowing learners, educators and employers to collect, analyze, use and share credentials in simple and secure ways. More than 3 million people and 8,300 schools and universities have used Parchment to exchange more than 10 million transcripts and other credentials. Founded in 2003, Parchment Inc. is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, with offices in Roseville, CA, Denver, CO, Grand Rapids, MI and Washington, DC. # # # Media Contacts: 9

10 - District communications contact - Susan West, Parchment, pr@parchment.com, ext