Read Across Auburn Campaign by Margie Evans

Ogletree Elementary School C/O Carol Hamm

Dear Ogletree Elementary: We have truly appreciated working with you throughout our campaign. It is an honor to be a part of your efforts to improve literacy in the community by making leisure reading enjoyable to all ages. Using the goals and objectives that you have for the Read Across Auburn month-long event, we have developed a campaign that encompasses your organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture and values into a kickoff event that will increase awareness of this unique program, educate parents on ways to encourage their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leisure reading and create a joy for reading among children. Included with this campaign are helpful tactics that you can use to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff event. You will also have a compact disc that contains all of the tactics that can be used in the campaign, graphics developed and the campaign book. It has been our pleasure working with you throughout this semester. If you have any questions or comments about this campaign, please feel free to contact us. We wish you luck with all your future endeavors with Read Across Auburn. Sincerely,

Rebecca Bedsole bedsorc@auburn.edu

Beth Storey storeke@auburn.edu

Margie Evans mle0001@auburn.edu

Jacob Wilder wildekj@auburn.edu

Table of Contents I.

Executive Summary

II.

Research

III.

Planning

IV.

Implementation

Evaluation

VI.

Appendix

Executive Summary Read Across Auburn is a new, ambitious program which seeks to unite the Auburn Community in supporting child leisure reading activities. The Read Across Auburn program was adapted from the longstanding Read Across America campaign. Ogletree Elementary took the basic principles from the Read Across America campaign and adapted them in a local program to aid the elementary schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-standing efforts to raise awareness about the importance of childhood reading. To aid Ogletree Elementary School in its efforts, WEBS designed the Read Across Auburn Kickoff campaign. This campaign targets the primary public, parents of Ogletree Elementary School students and opinion leaders, the students of Ogletree Elementary School. Our goals are: To educate parents and legal guardians on the benefits of leisure reading activities in the home. To educate parents about ways to encourage the previously mentioned behavior in their child. To create a joy for reading among Ogletree Elementary School students. The objectives of this campaign are: To have 35 percent of the solicited primary public to attend the event, thus exposing them to the message.

To increase the number of books read by Ogletree Elementary students by 10 percent as an indicator of an increase in their desire to read. The key message that the Read Across Auburn Kickoff campaign is promoting is the same key message of the Read Across Auburn program. This message is that leisure reading is an important activity for children. WEBS used the Social Learning Theory to shape this campaign. Social Learning Theory supports the following principles: Children need a person whose behavior they can model. The modeler must have the belief that they can accomplish the behavior attempting to be modeled, a principle known as self-efficacy. Children must receive reinforcement with a perceived positive value for the behavior they are attempting to model. Parents act as models for their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leisure reading behavior. Our campaign is designed in two parts: Creating Awareness of the Event Producing a Kickoff Event To create awareness, the following tactics will be used: A School Web site Banner A Teacher Web page Banner A School Banner

Brochures A PTA Speech Save-The-Date Bookmarks Door Hangers Informative Flyers Backgrounders Biographies To produce the kickoff event, the following tactics will be used: The kickoff event Map flyer We address each of these tactics within our campaign materials in-depth by providing a timeline of when each should be distributed and why they are important. Our report also outlines how to achieve these tactics. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Implementationâ&#x20AC;? section details how each tactic can be used. The included budget shows the total projected price of the campaign and how much each tactic will cost to produce. This campaign also includes an evaluation section that will help your organization decide which practices of your campaign will be utilized as benchmarks for future endeavors. This will be achieved by measuring and evaluating the validity and effectiveness of each tactic that was utilized by your organization in a comparative fashion to your goals and objectives.

Finally, samples of all the tactics for the campaign can be found in the Appendix section of this campaign. There is also a copy of our survey and focus group research that supports our campaign decisions. Copies of a survey and focus groups questions are also included in the Appendix section to help evaluate this campaign.

Research Client and Situation Analysis

Ogletree Elementary School is one of six public elementary schools serving the Auburn community. Olgetree Elementary opened its doors to the public in August 1998, and as of 2009, Ogletree serves approximately 550 students distributed among first through fifth-grade and employs 45 faculty and staff members.

According to the Alabama State Department of Education School Profile Report of 2007-2008, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The average daily membership of students was 597.2.â&#x20AC;? The average daily membership is the average number of students on attendance rolls during the first twenty days of school after Labor Day.

Carol Ham, Ogletree Elementary reading coach, and Barbara Planz, Ogletree Elementary Title I reading teacher, came up with the concept of Read Across Auburn. Both Ham and Planz felt Read Across America was too broad of a campaign that had become stagnant within the public eye. They then determined that the issue did not only reside in just improving literacy, but also improving the desire to read among their students.

During meetings with WEBS, the client expressed their desire to encourage youth to talk about books the same way they would videogames, television shows and other free-time activities. The desires expressed by the client then became the founding principles in which the Read Across Auburn campaign would be built.

Preliminary Research of Possible Publics In order to begin the research process, WEBS began initial research on the possible audiences who would, or could be affected by the campaign. After analyzing the possible publics, WEBS and Ogletree determined that parents and legal guardians of Ogletree Elementary School students would be the primary public/audience in which most of the campaign efforts would be targeted toward. After deciding on the intended target public, both the client and WEBS agreed that the students of Ogletree Elementary School should be considered a valuable public. After deliberation, the title of “opinion leaders” was given to this public. The main reason behind calling students opinion leaders is because they have significantly more influence over the parents than do other outside audiences. They also control the flow of communication from the school to their home and vice verse by choosing whether to deliver information published by the client or not. Research of Primary Public During the research phase, WEBS sent surveys home with students via Ogletree’s “Weekly Friday Take-Home Folder.” The surveys were distributed to gain information about how the primary public felt about out-of-school activities, as well as what practices they were currently employing in their home to encourage leisure reading activities.

In the survey, parents were given a series of 22 statements. They were then asked to circle what response best represented their view of a certain statement.

The responses were as follows: “0” = does not apply to me “1” = strongly disagree “2” = disagree “3” = neither agree nor disagree “4” = agree “5” = strongly agree The questions and all 27 responses are documented in the Appendix section of this report under Appendix Item M.

Parents were also given the opportunity to add additional comments. There were two surveys completed that did provide additional comments. These comments are as follows: The internet plays a much greater role in my child's reading learning. There are many resources online that allow children to learn via games. I've never offered special incentives. They enjoy reading and getting new books. They enjoy reading and I guess that is incentive enough. We do read aloud together almost every night. It is a big part of bedtime routine and the whole family participates.

Through the research, WEBS concluded that parents are involved in their child’s reading activities and they “do” like to take their child to evening school functions.

Though the answers to these results are high and show a data that is positive to the campaign, WEBS has speculated that the results might be skewed because surveys were only distributed to

parents of students within a small sample size. Therefore, the results collected cannot be viewed as an accurate representation of the views of the primary public. In order to accurately describe the primary public, this survey should have been distributed to a larger sample size varying among ethnicities, classes, age groups, etc.

Research of Opinion Leaders

In order to decide the most effective way to conduct research about the opinion leaders, WEBS felt it necessary to first find data about the approximate number of students within Ogletree Elementary, as well as an approximate gender and racial breakdown of the student body. WEBS found the following information on LocalSchoolDirectory.com. Charts Illustrating Makeup of Opinion Leaders for 2007-2008 Academic Year Students Per Grade Breakdown 150

124

117

110

100

Student Gender Breakdown Female 281 51%

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

Student Racial Background

Male 267 49%

Once the ethnographic information about the opinion leaders was obtained, WEBS decided that a focus group study would be the best way to effectively obtain information from this audience. It was because of the opinion leaders varying ages and educational levels that WEBS decided a formal survey would not suffice.

Before the focus group was conducted, WEBS compiled questions that would solicit the most relevant information from this audience. A complete list of focus group questions and responses can be found in the Appendix section of the report under Appendix items K and L.

The questions and results of the focus group returned information that can be categorized into the following sections: Current Role Models Current Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Teachers Current Attitudes and Beliefs about Reading Favorite Books and Trends Among Readers

After analyzing the data, which is referenced in Appendix Item L, WEBS hypothesized that although the research reflected a positive correlation of students to the desired behavior of leisure reading, the results could have been drawn from a more representative sample.

The sample drawn for the focus group was not representative of the Ogletree Student body because of the following: the sample was made up of students in an accelerated reading program; the sample was only comprised of fourth-grade students with an age range varying of one year;

The focus group was only conducted one time.

WEBS recommends conducting a minimum of three focus groups to get a more accurate and representative sample of data. Within these focus groups, students must vary among age, grade level, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Planning Goals

The goals of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff are to seek participation in the Read Across Auburn Kickoff event, educate parents and legal guardians on the benefits of leisure reading activities in the home and ways to encourage that behavior in their child and create a joy for reading among Ogletree Elementary School students. This goal was impressed upon WEBS by the client and is measurable by quantifiable objectives. Objectives

The first objective addresses the parents and legal guardians of Ogletree Elementary School students. The objective for this group is to have 35 percent of this public to attend the event, thus exposing them to the message. Ogletree Elementary keeps records of the number of legal guardians of its students on file. Since the campaign is soliciting all legal guardians of students at the school, the police officer who stands guard at the entrance will be equipped with a clock counter to document the number of adult attendees. After the event, the number of attendees will be compared to the number of solicited guardians to determine if the desired 35 percent was achieved.

The other objective of this campaign involves the Ogletree Elementary School students. The objective for this group is to increase the number of books read by 10 percent as an indicator of an increase in the desire to read. This public is already required by the school to maintain reading logs. To measure this objective, WEBS recommends comparing the reading logs prior to

the event to those following the event. A statistical average of the reading increase will measure the change in the number of books read.

Publics

The campaign addresses both a primary public and opinion leaders with regards to leisure reading. The main focus for both of these groups is to have them attend the Read Across Auburn Kickoff. While there, both groups will be exposed to messages that advocate leisure reading.

The primary public consists of the parents and legal guardians of school-age children at Ogletree Elementary School, comprised of both male and females with varying age ranges. This group is vital because not only are they major factors in promoting and encouraging leisure reading, but also they are the means of transportation for the opinion leaders, their children. Without the primary public, the opinion leaders cannot attend the Read Across Auburn Kickoff. Also, our research has shown that this public has a major influence on their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reading habits.

As stated previously, the children of the primary public are the opinion leaders in this campaign. They attend Ogletree Elementary School. The Auburn City Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; District Accreditation Guided Self Study Web page shows these students are between five and 11 years old with a male to female ratio of approximately 50/50. Members of this group help influence their parents to attend events like the Read Across Auburn Kickoff. This group needs to be made aware of the benefits of and participate in leisure reading.

Message

The key message that the Read Across Auburn Kickoff campaign is promoting is the same key message of the Read Across Auburn program. That message is that leisure reading is an important activity for children. This message is reinforced by the main goals of the campaign. It seeks to increase attendance and participation in the programs designed to promote leisure reading as an important educational activity. The last two goals involve educating parents and legal guardians on ways to encourage their child’s leisure reading and create a joy for reading among Ogletree Elementary School students further promoting the importance of leisure reading.

Social Learning Theory and Read Across Auburn

Social Learning is the theory upon which the Read Across Auburn Kickoff is based. Social Learning Theory, or SLT, was proposed by Albert Bandura. SLT states that people learn by modeling, the act of observing and imitating others. (Kassin, 2004) In Saul Kassin’s book Psychology, a common example of SLT is children imitating their parents’ speech and actions through observation. WEBS has integrated the principles of SLT into the Read Across Auburn Kickoff campaign. The campaign focuses on two of the main principles regarding SLT.

The first principle is that children need a person whose behavior they can model. Within the campaign, there are efforts to inform parents about being better reading role models for their children. Educational materials, as well as real-life reading simulations at the event are designed to increase parents’ modeling ability.

The second idea concerns motivation. According to the behaviorists who proposed theories like SLT, the modeler must have the belief that they can accomplish the behavior being modeled. This principle is also known as self-efficacy. The modeler must also expect reinforcement with positive value for their efforts. The Read Across Auburn Kickoff will expose children to activities that will help them improve their self-efficacy with regards to reading. These reading activities will be incentive based to help children perceive the reinforcement and value of leisure reading. Participating in reading games at the Kickoff helps motivate children to read, and it reinforces confidence in their reading abilities.

Receiving rewards from those reading games at the event provides children with positive reinforcement of their reading activities. The building confidence and receiving positive reinforcement for reading activities is the beginning of a process that children should continue as they grow older. The proposition is that these young readers will continue to overcome their reading obstacles and attain and seek out positive reinforcements for their efforts.

Campaign The following section contains a flow chart to demonstrate the two parts of this campaign divided into awareness and the event. Directly below the flow chart is a timeline for when each specific tactic is to be released. An explanation of the campaign and its tactics follow.

A TWO PART CAMPAIGN Campaign

Awareness

•Web Banner •School Banner •Brochure •PTA Speech •Save - the - Date Bookmark •Door Hanger •Flyer •Backgrounder •Biography

Event

Kickoff Event

Map Flyer

Timeline for Tactics Tactics School Web Banner Teacher Web Banner School Banner Brochure

PTA Speech Save-the-date bookmarks Door Hanger Informative Flyer Map Flyer

Backgrounder Biography Kickoff Event J a n

J a n

F e b

1 5

1 6

1 7

1 8

1 9

2 0

2 1

2 2

2 3

2 4

2 5

2 6

2 7

2 8

2 9

3 0

3 1

1 0

1 1

1 2

The timeline above demonstrates when each tactic is recommended to be disseminated. The first part of the campaign deals with disseminating information and raising awareness among the target publics. In this step, the campaign uses free advertising and direct communications. The second part of the campaign is the creation of the Kickoff event that communicates the key message of the campaign and a map flyer to guide attendants through the event.

There are many tactics in the first part of this campaign. All banners, including both Web and school banners will remain posted throughout the four-week period to create awareness and

remind parents about the Read Across Auburn Kickoff. Some tactics will be distributed by the students of Ogletree Elementary School in their “Weekly Friday Take-Home Folder.” Items like the brochure and informative flyer have contingency releases denoted by “C” in the previous timeline. These contingency releases are sent out when the students are absent, or the parents designate in the take-home folder that they did not receive the information.

Other tactics that are delivered by the students include a save-the-date bookmark, door hanger, a backgrounder on the national Read Across America campaign and a biography of the guest speaker, Mike Artell. All of these items are delivered in increments throughout the four-week campaign as the timeline demonstrates. Utilizing students, we are asking teachers to encourage parents to sign and date the top left corner of the Friday take-home folder acknowledging they have seen the material. This will also help evaluate how many members of the primary public were exposed to the information. This data can be used later to compare the number of members of the primary public who received the message to the number that attend the event. The purpose is to provide weekly reminders about the event and not to overwhelm the parents and legal guardians with too much information at once.

Tactics like the Parent Teacher Association, or PTA, speech will be delivered during a meeting called on Jan. 15, 2010. This tactic seeks to gain the PTA’s participation in attending and creating awareness for the event.

The second part of the event may seem small, but there is a lot of detail concerning the creation of the Kickoff event. The first tactic is a map flyer that will be handed out at the entrance of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff. A major focus of this campaign is the second tactic, the actual

event. A great deal of planning and detail goes into the actual Kickoff. This event has 15 stations that include games, activities and a guest speaker. Each station has its own requirements and works in different ways to achieve the campaign goal and communicate its key message.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Campaign

Overall, the Read Across Auburn Kickoff campaign has many strengths. The removal of uncontrolled media like radio and newspaper has opened up the ability to use highly personal message mediums. The public is reached through the use of flyers, bookmarks, door hangers and other items to be taken home. The best aspect of this strength is having complete control of the information being sent out.

Another strength of the campaign is the highly-personalized tactics used to reach both the primary publics and opinion leaders. The opinion leaders will be treated to a carnival style event. Carnivals are time-proven child favorites that will create the positive reinforcement needed to encourage their reading behavior. Likewise, the dissemination of useful information to the primary public should be appealing. Also, it provides parents with a child-and family-friendly atmosphere that removes some of the burden encountered with entertaining their children.

Finally, this campaign is easily reusable. It can be replicated to other venues and be modified from one year to the next. These strengths far outweigh the weaknesses.

There are only three weaknesses to this campaign. First, the primary research methods could have been improved. The survey sent home to parents could have had a larger sample size. Additionally, there could have been more than one focus group held with students in different

age ranges and grade levels. However, other research from the Reading is Fundamental Web site and the National Education Association site has supported our findings.

The second weakness to this campaign is that it is new. There is no history of similar events to show that these methods will be successful. However, as stated earlier, the carnival-style tactics used are time-proven methods that have been used before to engage and entertain children.

The final weakness of the campaign is the reliance on the Ogletree Elementary School students to disseminate information to their parents and legal guardians. However, WEBS has taken steps to ensure that the information is delivered. By requiring parents to sign off in the Friday takehome folders that they received the different tactics, the campaign can determine if the parents and legal guardians are receiving the information. Furthermore, the return of parent and legal guardian take-home surveys has shown that at least some of these children are capable of delivering the information.

Implementation The proposed plan for the implementation of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff event is detailed within this section. For the convenience of our client, we have broken this section down into subsections utilizing subheads for each tactic being described.

WEBS proposes that the implementation of all materials regarding the kickoff event, be put into action during the months of January and February 2010. As referenced in the “Planning” section of this report, WEBS has outlined both the recommended and specific dates in which we feel each tactic should be employed.

Below each subhead, you will find a brief description of each tactic, as well as the purpose each tactic will serve. A physical example of each tactic, excluding the kickoff event details and the school banner, can be found in the Appendix portion of this report.

Tactics: Banners for in Front of the School The Auburn Chamber of Commerce has decided to be a financial backer to many of the Read Across Auburn campaign endeavors. Therefore, at the discretion of our client and the provision of a banner by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, WEBS has included this as one of our tactics. As specified by the “Timeline for Tactics” located in the “Planning” section of this report, WEBS recommends the banner be placed out in front of the parent-student dropoff on Jan. 15, 2010, and should remain in use until Feb 12, 2010, which is the tentative

kickoff date. The banner should include the title of the event, a logo, as well as the time and date of the event.

School Web site Banner (Appendix Item A) In order to reach the largest audience, in the shortest amount of time and in the most costefficient manner, WEBS has proposed that Ogletree place a Web banner on the Ogletree Elementary School Web site. The Web site banner WEBS has provided should be strategically placed in the center of the “HOME” Web page on the Ogletree Elementary Web site. The banner itself contains the logo, title, date and times of the kickoff event. The banner will serve as a reminder to parents of the upcoming event. WEBS would recommend uploading the banner on Jan. 15, 2010 and leaving it up until the kickoff had taken place.

Teacher Web page Banner (Appendix Item B) In order to cater to the members of the primary public who only utilize individual teacher Web pages, WEBS has provided a Web banner to be placed on every teacher’s Web page. This Web banner provided contains the same information as the Web site banner. As mentioned in the “Timeline for Tactics,” it is recommended that the banners be placed on the individual Web pages on Jan. 15, 2010 and remain in effect until Feb. 12, 2010. In order to make sure all teachers place the banner on their individual pages, WEBS recommends the banner be sent to all teachers on Jan. 12, 2010. The early release of this banner will allow adequate time for teachers to upload the file, or seek help if any problems were to be encountered. Instead of placing the banner in the center of the page, like the previous banner,

WEBS would recommend using this banner as a header so it is the first thing both the primary public and their children will see when accessing the page.

Brochure (Appendix Item C) The “Reading Success Begins in the Home Brochure” was created by WEBS to offer parents facts and statistics regarding the impact leisure reading activities practiced in the home have on both literacy rates and educational motivation. More importantly, the brochure offers tips to the primary public on how they can implement and encourage leisure reading, which directly addresses the organizations stated goal. Because WEBS feels the brochure will help increase awareness of the benefits derived from reading, as well as giving a direct call-toaction to the primary public, WEBS has allocated this tactic as one of the contingency materials discussed in the “Planning” section of this report. Since this tactic has been labeled a contingency item, WEBS recommends three release dates. The original date for dissemination is Jan. 29. The contingency brochures should be distributed on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12, 2010.

Speech for the PTA (Appendix Item D) In order to reach the members of our primary public who are willing to take action and participate in the campaign process, WEBS has ghostwritten a speech to be delivered by Carol Ham, or another representative of the Read Across Auburn campaign, during an Ogletree Elementary School Parent Teacher Association meeting. This tactic seeks to gain the PTA’s participation in attending and creating awareness for the event. WEBS

recommends the speech be delivered during the first PTA meeting that takes place after the holidays in January 2010. If a meeting is not currently on the meeting schedule, WEBS would recommend assembling one to take place during the first week of school in January. Save-the-Date bookmark (Appendix Item E) In order to incorporate an age-old tactic into this campaign, WEBS opted to create a savethe-date bookmark to be distributed to the primary public. The bookmark ties in the “reading theme” our client has requested, while still serving its primary purpose. WEBS has recommended the bookmarks be distributed on Feb. 5, 2010, which is exactly one week before the event will take place. Unlike other tactics, WEBS felt the bookmark should be sent later in the campaign to reduce the chances of the save-the-date getting lost or misplaced in the weeks prior to the event.

Door-Hanger (Appendix Item F) According to the Reading is Fundamental Web site, “A great way to encourage children to read is to provide them with new and enticing ways to start reading.” In order to do this, WEBS has developed a door-hanger, similar to the “Do Not Disturb” door-hangers one would find in bookstores and novelty shops. The format of the door-hanger provided by WEBS is one that is eye-catching. It utilizes bright colors and bold designs to immediately engage the recipient. With the text stating “Hope to See You There” on the front and “Reading: Do Not Disturb” on the back, this tactic then becomes multifunctional. Not only will it be sent home in the “Weekly Friday Take-Home Folder” the day of the event serving

as a last-minute reminder, it will then serve as a reminder to engage in leisure reading within the home when placed on a door. The recommended date for distribution is Feb. 12, 2010.

Informative Flyer (Appendix Item G) The informative flyer provided by WEBS should be utilized to inform the primary public of the importance of reading, while reinforcing the desired behavior of attending the event. In order to do so, WEBS incorporated a few facts and statistics about literacy and leisure reading and paired those with event details. Like several of the other tactics mentioned, this flyer will be sent home in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weekly Friday Take-Home Foldersâ&#x20AC;? as well. This tactic has also been labeled a contingency item. Therefore, WEBS recommends the initial distribution date be Jan. 22, with Jan. 29, Feb. 5, and Feb, 12, 2010 serving as contingency release dates.

Map Flyer (Appendix Item H) For the convenience of the kickoff attendees, WEBS has produced a map of events to be distributed at the event site. This map flyer consists of a generic map of the school grounds with a major emphasis on the basketball courts where the event will be taking place. On the diagram of the basketball courts, WEBS has provided a sample layout of how the booths could be set up.

Backgrounder on Read Across America (Appendix Item I) With Read Across Auburn being a brand new initiative, WEBS feels it is important to inform the primary public of where the initiative idea originated. In order to do so, WEBS has created a backgrounder about the Read Across America campaign which takes place annually throughout the United States. Since the Read Across America campaign is the foundation for which the Read Across Auburn campaign was built, WEBS feels this is an important tactic to utilize. WEBS recommends this tactic be distributed on Jan. 15, 2010 to spearhead the initial publicity efforts of the Read Across Auburn campaign.

Biography of Mike Artell (Appendix Item J) Mike Artell is an esteemed childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s author which has been solicited by Ogletree Elementary to speak at the kickoff event on behalf of the Read Across Auburn initiative. A biography about Artell, including books he has written and where he is now, has been written by WEBS to be used as additional promotional material for the kickoff event. Because he is being featured at the event, WEBS recommends the biography be distributed on Feb. 5, 2010, the Friday before the event takes place. WEBS feels this tactic will prove useful in the opinion change of parents who are not reached by the previous tactics because having an esteemed author as a speaker provides a larger amount of credibility to this new initiative than would an event which had no professional in attendance.

Kickoff: The Ogletree Elementary kickoff will be comprised of booths, much like that of the Auburn City Fall Festival. In order to instill and reinforce positive attitudes toward reading, with a specific emphasis on leisure reading and the benefits of reading, WEBS proposes the use of reading-oriented booths. Student service organizations from Auburn University and Auburn City Schools (e.g. National Honor Society) could run the booths in alternate fashion free of charge. Some of the ideas proposed are:

1. A Bookmark Booth o This station will allow children to create their own custom bookmark as an incentive to use it while reading. This allows children to add their own personal touch and associate positive emotions with leisure reading. o COSTS: 

Construction paper (pre-made cutouts would be best)



Yarn (for tassels on to hang outside the book)



Lamination for pages if desired



Cups for rinsing off paint brushes



Water for rinsing



Paper towels for clean-up, rinsing hands, etc.



Tables Look into the possibility of schools loaning them on the night of the carnival.

2. Face-Painting Booth o This station will allow children to get their favorite book character painted on their face as a way to connect reading with something fun and exciting. o COSTS: 

Paint brushes



Face paint.

3. Reading Booth o So often do parents want to hear their children read aloud to them, but because of time constraints or prior obligations, children have to wait to show off their skills. This event provides ample opportunity for parents to listen thus increasing children’s confidence in their reading endeavors and more leisure reading could ensue. o COSTS: 

Four sheets of plywood to be constructed to resemble a house



Three chairs for sitting Computer chairs from teachers at Ogletree Elementary School



Books to be read inside the make-shift house.

4. Book Walk Booth o This booth can be a fun way for children to win books. It will continue throughout the duration of the carnival. In order to amass the amount of books necessary for the book walk, WEBS recommends the entry fee to the carnival be one new or used book per family.

5. Hats Off to Hometown Heroes Booth o This idea came from the National Education Association Web site and includes a booth that will allow students to write local heroes and ask them about their favorite books. Showcase these hometown heroes and their choices in your reading celebration. (http://www.nea.org/grants/20122.htm) This would include copies of the letters written and responses and photos of both the child and the respondent. These could be placed on a “Wall of Significance,” “Wall of Contributions,” etc. o COSTS: 

Paper fee



Postage



Copying fees to produce the wall or strategic placement of the photos throughout the carnival grounds



Tape to hang the submissions

6. Costume Contest Booth o Encourage children to dress like their favorite book characters for a fun and exciting way to promote reading. This booth will have winners for fun categories such as “most creative,” “best design,” etc., rather than a first, second and third place. Children should not be discouraged from reading because they did not win a contest. o COSTS: 

Stage Supplied by the school



Microphone

7. Character Descriptions Trivia Booth o This booth will give the children of Ogletree Elementary School the opportunity to put their reading knowledge to the test and guess who the description is describing or guess what book the character came from. o COSTS: 

Paper and printing costs of trivia cards

8. Go Fishing Station Booth o This booth is essentially a replica of the Go Fish station at the Fall Festival. There would be a volunteer worker asking a child an open-ended question about reading. Once answered, the child could claim a prize by casting a makeshift fishing pole over a wall. This idea would be based off Dr. Seuss’s “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” Book. o COSTS: 

Four ply-wood walls



Paint



Four sticks for makeshift poles



Yarn



Clothes pins



Prizes

9. Author Presentation o The presentation will take place at the beginning of the carnival. There will be a “meet and greet” after the presentation.

o COSTS: 

Travel expenses



Room and board for the author and meals



Service charge for public speaking

10. Basketball Booth o This booth will have a volunteer on hand to ask the children questions about favorite books that were found in the focus group conducted with Ogletree Elementary School students. If the student answers the question correctly, they will receive the chance to shoot the basketball into the hoop. o COSTS: 

Paper and printing fees for trivia cards



Basketball to be provided by the school

11. Timeline Booth o The timeline booth will allow children to put their favorite books in order. The plot structure will be broken up into several pieces including, the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. The students will then be asked to put the pieces together. There should be several books broken up into this fashion in order to avoid students answering questions from watching the person before them. o COSTS: 

Paper and printing fees for cards



Table to lay cards out on

12. Certificate Booth o The certificate booth is a fun way for every student to take something home from the event. The student can go up to the booth and put their name on a certificate of reading achievement. This way, the student feels they accomplished something and will be encouraged to continue reading after the event. o COSTS: 

Certificate printing cost



Pens

13. Exercise your Mind Booth o The exercise your mind booth is created to keep the children of Ogletree Elementary School active. Two volunteers, each with one student, will ask the students to answer a book-related question, thus exercising their mind. The children will have to hurry to answer the question correctly so they can move on to a hula-hoop contest or a jumping-jacks contest. The first one to complete a specified number of jumping-jacks or time with the hula-hoop will win. o COSTS: 

Hula-hoops



Paper and printing fees for trivia cards

14. Arts and Crafts Booth o This booth is for children of Ogletree Elementary School to explore their creativity. The arts and crafts booth could have anything to do with reading. The children could make their favorite book character, create a character on their

own or make their own door hanger. This booth is to allow children to relate reading with fun and exciting activities. ď&#x201A;§

COSTS: Paper Glue Glitter Paint Paint brushes Paper towels Cups for paint brushes Pencils/pens

15. Scholastic Book Fair o This booth would be set up to provide students with a variety of different books that suite their interests. They are great ways for children to learn about new books and explore book genres that they would have otherwise not have known existed. ď&#x201A;§

COSTS: Scholastic sponsors the fair at no cost

Budget

Public: Guardians of OES Students Campaign Personnel Volunteers Mike Artell Police Officers x 2 Total: Administrative Microtel (Room) Air Travel (Ticket) Rental Car Meals x 8 Total: Program Tables x 15 **Color Printing B&W Printing Prizes Presentation Material Construction Paper Yarn Lamination Card Stock Water Paper Towels Paint Brushes Paint Pizza Cups (Rinsing brushes) Plywood Sheets x 4 Books Stage Total: Total Public: Guardians of OES Students Campaign

Per Item Cost $0.00 $1,500.00 $108.00 $1,608.00 Per Item Cost $60.00 $560.00 $55.00 $12.00 $687.00 Per Item Cost $0.00 $0.70 $0.05 $25.00 $0.00

Total Projected $0.00 $1,500.00 $216.00 $1716.00 Total Projected $60.00 $560.00 $55.00 $96.00 $771.00 Total Projected $0.00 $1,690.50 $121.00 $75.00 $0.00

Sponsor Provisions $0.00 $1,500.00 $0.00 $1,500.00 Sponsor Provisions $60.00 $560.00 $55.00 $96.00 $771.00 Sponsor Provisions $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Provided

Actual Projected $0.00 $0.00 $216.00 $216.00 Actual Projected $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Actual Projected $0.00 $1,690.50 $121.00 $75.00 $0.00

$5.00 $2.30 $0.50 $0.11 $0.00 $6.84 $3.00 $7.50 $5.00 $1.17

$10.00 $9.20 $60.00 $26.18 $0.00 $6.84 $3.00 $7.50 $315.00 $1.17

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Provided $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $315.00 $0.00

$10.00 $9.20 $60.00 $26.18 $0.00 $6.84 $3.00 $7.50 $0.00 $1.17

$20.00 $0.00 $0.00 $76.47 Per Item Cost $2,371.47

$80.00 $0.00 $0.00 $714.89 Total Projected $3,201.89

$0.00 Provided Provided $315.00 Sponsor Provisions $2,586.00

$80.00 $0.00 $0.00 399.89 Actual Projected $615.89

Evaluation The evaluation phase is very significant to the public relations campaign process. Once the evaluation has been conducted and fully analyzed, the results will decide which practices of your campaign will be utilized as benchmarks for future endeavors. This will be achieved by measuring and evaluating the validity and effectiveness of each tactic that was utilized by your organization in a comparative fashion to your goals and objectives. It is WEBSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; belief, that after the evaluation phase has been completed, Ogletree Elementary School will be able to better understand how each tactic utilized to promote the kickoff event, as well as the event itself, will impact the goals set forth in the beginning of the campaign.

To evaluate the effectiveness of this event, WEBS recommends that a similar survey to that which was distributed to parents during the research stage of the campaign, be redistributed to see if responses have improved post event. WEBS also recommends that another focus group of students be held in order to measure how children perceived the event.

On the next page, you will find a chart that explains when each evaluation technique should be implemented. These implementations should be performed by the campaign leaders of Read Across Auburn within Ogletree.

The following list of evaluation techniques is not exhaustive. As the organization grows and changes and the Read Across Auburn campaign ages, different techniques may need to be utilized. Also, certain tactics might need to be eliminated that are no longer useful.

Evaluation Plan Timeline of Evaluation Techniques Technique Parent Survey Focus Group Gather and Evaluate data F F F F F F F F F F F F e e e e e e e e e e e e b b b b b b b b b b b b 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

During the evaluation phase, WEBS recommends that a parent survey be sent out in order to gather information from this target public about the 2010 Kickoff event to gauge its success. A sample survey can be found in the Appendix section under Appendix item O.

In order to gain a different perspective, WEBS also recommends that three focus groups be conducted among different age-groups of children in order to obtain an accurate representation of the opinion leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; beliefs regarding the event. WEBS recommends utilizing some of the following sample focus group questions: What was your favorite part of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff event? Did you win any prizes? Did you learn anything new?

Also, a group of sample questions to be asked in a follow-up focus group session can be found in the Appendix section of the report under Appendix item N.

The evaluation of data should be expected to take more time to analyze than it did to conduct. As referenced above, WEBS recommends that your organization allocate five days in order to successfully analyze the data collected.

Creating a sample

Because of the size of the target public, WEBS recommends that an evaluation survey be distributed to each member of the target public. This can be achieved utilizing the “Weekly Friday Take-Home Folder.” WEBS is aware however, this may not be an option for the client.

If this technique is not a viable option, WEBS recommends creating a sample that will represent the target audience. One way to do this would be to send the survey home with at least one class per age group. This would insure that each age range is represented among the sample.

Limitations of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff

The possible limitations of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff should be classified as subjective, based on the audiences’ perceptions of the event itself. Because WEBS has identified the limitations of the event as subjective, only one example will be given. One such limitation would be that the audiences did not enjoy themselves at the event, thus negating the personal drive to motivate children to engage in leisure reading activities.

Another potential limitation of the event is the weather and season in which the event will be taking place. Aside from the frigidity of February weather in Auburn, Ala., the potential for rain could arise. If the weather were to be deemed unpleasant by audience members, the overall turnout could be low, or the length of the event could be cut short by audience members leaving early.

Difficulties that May Arise During Evaluation

During the evaluation phase, time must be taken to ensure that data is collected effectively and accurately. If time is not allocated efficiently to gather the data in the correct way, several difficulties may arise. If there is not enough time allocated to conduct the research necessary to evaluate the success of the campaign, the data derived from the research could be skewed, thus causing the conclusion to be inaccurate. If the sample size drawn of your target publics is too small, the data will not be representative, thus causing skewed data and inaccurate conclusions. As mentioned previously, the evaluation techniques utilized by the organization should not be expected to stay the same over a long period of time. As the campaign goals, objectives and tactics change, so should the evaluation techniques. If the techniques used to evaluate do not change, once again, the data could be skewed, thus causing the conclusion to be inaccurate.

How Success and Effectiveness Should be Defined

A successful campaign would mean that the goal of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff was met. Since goals are not measurable, the achievement of the objectives that meet the goal must be assessed. There are two objectives in this campaign. Thirty-five percent of the solicited public should attend the event. The way to measure this achievement was outlined in the “Planning” section of this campaign. Also outlined in the “Planning” section is the way to measure the second objective of increasing the number of books read by Ogletree Elementary School students by 10 percent. Additional measures of success may include there being minimal to no problems with the direct forms of communications that go home in the students take-home folders and there being no major incidences, conflicts or mishaps at the Kickoff event.

Table of Contents for Appendix Items Appendix A School Web Banner Appendix B Teacher Web Banner Appendix C Brochure Appendix D PTA Speech Appendix E Bookmark Appendix F Door Hanger Appendix G Informative Flyer Appendix H Map Flyer Appendix I Backgrounder Appendix J Biography Appendix K Focus Group Questions Appendix L Focus Group Summary Appendix M Parent Survey Results Appendix N Sample Focus Group Questions for Evaluation Appendix O Sample Survey Questions for Evaluation Appendix P Contingency Plan Appendix Q Survey for Further Parent Research

Appendix A School Web Banner

Appendix B Teacher Web Banner

Appendix C Brochure

Appendix D PTA Speech Speech delivered by Carol Ham or other representative of the Read Across Auburn campaign at an Ogletree Elementary School Parent Teacher Association meeting inviting parents to attend the RAA kickoff event February 12, 2009 at 6 p.m. at the Ogletree Elementary School outdoor basketball courts. YOUR ATTENDANCE IS REQUESTED Let me first thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening as Ogletree Elementary School prepares for its Read Across Auburn campaign. Someone once said of child reading, “TV, if kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they’ll have with twenty-six.” Soon, there will be an opportunity to let your child experience that entertainment. You will be able to assist in this experience. The Read Across Auburn Campaign is being run by knowledgeable teaching professionals at Ogletree Elementary School. This staff will assist you and your child in learning about the benefits of leisure reading. Ogletree Elementary is requesting you and your child’s attendance at the Read Across Auburn kickoff event February 12 at 6 p.m. This event will be a free event with a fun, family-oriented atmosphere. It will also help increase you and your child’s awareness to the benefits of leisure reading. But most importantly, it will offer up ideas on how you can become more involved in your children’s reading education. The kickoff for Read Across Auburn on February 12 here at Ogletree Elementary School will be a carnival style event with many fun activities that the whole family can enjoy. There will be guest speakers, arts and crafts and different games and activities where all members of the family can become involved. These activities are not only fun, but will help reinforce the pleasure of leisure reading by integrating reading with other positive activities. According to the Reading is Fundamental Web site, the more that children read, the better readers and writers they become. Reading and writing are very important skills that will follow your child wherever life takes them. This is a major benefit of increased leisure reading. Mike Artell is the guest author at this year’s Read Across Auburn kickoff event. As an author of children’s books, Artell will discuss his role as an author and encourage children to develop good reading habits. Activities at the event will also encourage children to read. Activities like reading books to parents, dressing up as your favorite book character and book walks are incentives designed to nurture your child’s internal reading motivation, which research says is the best way to motivate children to read. Along with a child’s intrinsic motivation, it is important for parents to become more involved in their child’s reading education. At home, children need to be motivated and encouraged by their parents to develop good reading habits. The Reading is Fundamental Web site considers family involvement as one of the most important factors in any child’s success as a reader saying that parents can build reading skills through interaction with their child. The Read Across Auburn kickoff will offer up suggestions on how to be good reading role models, make reading materials available to their child and encourage reading time while limiting television, computers and video games. The Read Across Auburn campaign will incorporate schools, businesses and you the parents in your child’s reading educations. The free kickoff for Read Across Auburn on February 12 will start with you, the parents. Please make sure you come to the fun, family-oriented event that will not only teach your child the benefits of leisure reading, but help you learn how to encourage your child to develop good reading habits. Please remember to attend on February 12, and please encourage your child’s friends and other parents to attend. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you all there.

Appendix E Bookmark

Appendix F Door Hanger

Appendix G Informative Flyer

Appendix H Map Flyer

Appendix I Backgrounder

Read Across America History

Started in 1997 by the National Education Association with the first celebration being held on March 2, 1998. Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program. The celebration takes place every year on or near March 2, which is Dr. Seussâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; birthday. Focuses on motivating children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills. Research proves that children who are motivated and who spend more time reading do better in school. Read Across America is an opportunity to hold a variety of special bookrelated events and celebrate the joy of reading. NEA's Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program. Sponsored on a national level by the National Education Association; sponsored on a local level by teachers, government officials, libraries, etc. For more information, visit www.nea.org.

Appendix J Biography

Biography of Mike Artell Mike Artell is a celebrated children’s author, illustrator and television cartoonist. He has received multiple awards for his works. These awards include the recent 2009 Read Aloud Book of the Year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals for his book “Petite Rouge- A Cajun Red Riding Hood” and the American Association for the Advancement of Science named “Starry Skies” the Best Science Book for Children. Many of his books have been named Pick of the Lists by Publisher’s Weekly, Top 100 by Curriculum Administrator Magazine and Teacher’s Choice by Learning Magazine. His most recent work is a CD for children and families of the original Mardi Gras music which he has written and recorded with Shad Weathersby. The CD is named “Calling All Children to the Mardi Gras.” Artell has been recognized by the Northshore, La. chapter of the International Reading Association for “exemplary service in the promotion of literacy.” He is regularly involved in “author/illustrator in residence” programs at schools. He guides students through the process of writing and illustrating their own picture books. As an experienced keynote speaker, Artell speaks to multiple organizations on the importance of humor in people’s personal and professional lives. He regularly performs original poems and tales for audiences as well as musical performances that include playing the guitar, keyboard and blues harmonica. Artell graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor’s of arts in marketing. He is also a member of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. In a typical year, Artell shares his books with thousands of students at more than 50 schools across the United States. His schedule fills up with visits to public libraries, addressing conferences and conducting writing workshops; however, he finds time throughout the year to write and illustrate approximately two books. The renowned author will be speaking at Ogletree Elementary Friday, Feb. 12, where he will provide one of his famous lectures to all students and adults who attend the event.

Appendix K Focus Group Questions Today we are going to discuss about school and reading. One person will speak at a time, and we will keep side conversations to a minimum. I would like everyone to share their thoughts. Primer Question: Tell me about one of your favorite books. Do you find that you have enough time to read during the week? Do you ever visit the school Web site? How excited are you about coming to school every day? What are the benefits of reading? Do you enjoy having reading assignments? Tell me something you like about your teachers. What would make you want to read more? What are your favorite types of books? Do you like to tell your friends about good books you have read? Would you like to show/tell people about your favorite book? Who are some of your role models in the community? Would you like to meet someone who wrote a book? Would it be fun to dress up as one of your favorite characters from a book?

Appendix L Focus Group Summary WEBS Focus Group Analysis The following is information gathered from a focus group conducted on Oct. 13, 2009 with fourth-graders from Ogletree Elementary School in Auburn, Ala. The approximate age range of the children was nine to 10 years old with 14 children in attendance. Students met with WEBS member Jacob Wilder at 11:50 a.m.; the focus group commenced at 12:10 p.m. Information provided in the body of this document is divided into subject areas relative to the research and design of the Read Across Auburn campaign. Reading The children enjoy reading a wide variety of books. Students loudly and excitedly voiced their enjoyment of fiction, adventure, mystery and comedy books. They cited book series like Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars, Goose Bumps and Little House on the Prairie. Some very popular children’s books among the students were Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Adventures of Captain Underpants. The last two books listed are particularly favored by the reading children in this age range, and the discussion of them was recurrent during the remainder of the focus group. Students mentioned that they had adequate time to read their books during the week. While there were some that disagreed, most of the children believed that the 20 minutes they are provided during school each day to read is adequate. During these times, they are usually free to read whatever book they choose. The students ranged from slow readers that read only one book a week to some that boasted reading 20. The accuracy of these claims could not be readily verified and are therefore unreliable. Most of the students were well aware of the benefits of reading. They explained that higher test scores, increased vocabulary, use of imagination, better prose, speaking ability and a better education were all good reasons for reading. This confirms WEBS research and assumption that most children are well aware of the benefits of leisure reading. These young readers had their own ideas about how to make reading better. They believed in allowing more time at school to read, increasing reading programs times and increasing the selection of books available. When asked if they would show or tell their friends about their favorite books, the results were mixed. Approximately half of the students said it would be fun to participate in this activity. The other half was led by one particular member who feared that he would be ridiculed for being a “dork” if he participated in this kind of activity. The students also were excited about the idea of meeting authors. They shouted out several authors they would like to meet that included J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series and David Pilkey, the author of The Adventures of Captain Underpants. Other comments led the moderator to the assumption that the children would like to meet other authors. The primary public was most vocal and excited about the idea of dressing up as their favorite character. They immediately began listing characters they would enjoy emulating. One member of the focus group comically pointed out that it would not

Appendix L (continued) work for characters like Captain Underpants Teachers It was the assumption of WEBS that these school children would admire their teachers out of respect as mentors and authority figures. However, during the focus group it was learned that many of the members admire their teachers for other reasons. They gave reasons that included being nice, having a cheery face and being fun or funny. Other members said they liked their teachers because they read to them. One member confirmed the authority figure assumption saying that his teacher was strict, but fun. Schools WEBS discovered a new medium for reaching the target public. WEBS had previously assumed that children did not visit the school Web site. Dialog in the focus group proved otherwise. Many of the children visit the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site daily or weekly to play games or learn about the upcoming weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school events. WEBS also discovered that another of their assumptions about the target public was wrong. The target public was in consensus when they said they enjoyed coming to school. The members were also quick to point out which days of the week were most fun and why. A majority of the members were neutral regarding the first part of the school week. This same majority also enjoyed the later parts of the week. School programs like the library program Shine Time, recess and physical education were some of their favorite activities. Group members also mentioned other social and educational positives about school. They enjoy socializing with their peers, and as a surprise to WEBS, the members also stated that they enjoyed doing science experiments and tests, which are highly educational activities. Role Models The fourth-grade group repeatedly provided the following role models. It can be assumed that they have more, but when asked these were all that were provided. The mention of football players proves WEBS assumption that the target looks up to athletes in the community. Chris Todd, Ben Tate and Auburn Football players J.K. Rowling Dav Pilkey R.L. Stine

Appendix M Parent Survey Results Ogletree Elementary Survey of Parents Involvement in Child’s Reading Parents chose answers based on a scale of relevance from “0-5”, “0” for does not apply to me, “1” for strongly disagree, “2” for disagree, “3” for neither agree nor disagree, “4” for agree and “5” for strongly agree.

Q1. Our family reads often for enjoyment. 11

12 10

8 6 3

4 2 0

Q2. My child's enjoyment of reading is important to me. 30

25 20 15

10 5 0

Appendix M (continued) Q3. I like knowing the current best children's books. 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

13 11

1 3

Q4. I frequently ask my child about books they have read. 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

13 11

1 2

0 3

Q5. Reading games are entertaining to my child. 12

10 7

6 4 2

0 0

Appendix M (continued) Q6. I believe that by reading I can inspire my child to read. Appendix M (continued) 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Q7. I encourage my child to read on a daily basis. 25

20 15 10 5 0

4 0

Q8. I tell my child I believe in his/her reading ability. 19

20 15 10

5 0

Appendix M (continued) Q9. I praise my child for his/her reading ability. Appendix M (continued) 19

15 10

5 0

Q10. I expose my child to all types of reading, such as fiction, nonfiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books etc. 12

10 8 6 3

4 2 0

Q11. I read aloud to my child. 20 15

15 10

5 0

Appendix M (continued) Q12. I encourage my child to write often. Appendix M (continued) 12

8 6

4 2 0

2 0

Q13. I take opportunities to help my child develop vocabulary and comprehension. 20

15 10

5 0

Q14. I help my child use the dictionary or thesaurus to check on the meanings of new words they read or hear. 10

6 4 2

0 0

2 0 1

Appendix M (continued) Q15. I encourage my child to have a desire to read. 18

15 10

5 0

Q16. I take my child to the library often. 10

8 5

6 4 2

2 0

0 0

Q17. On gift-giving occasions, I give books and magazines to my child based on his/her current interests. 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

13 10

1 0

0 1

1 2

0 3

Appendix M (continued) Q18. I have set aside a special place for my child to keep his/her own books. 18

15 10

5 0

Q19. I offer special incentives to encourage my child's reading. 10

7 5

6 4

0 0

Q20. I enjoy taking my child to school functions. 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

12 9

2 0 2

Appendix M (continued) Q21. I am willing to take my child to evening school functions. 11

12 10

8 6

4 2 0

1 2

Q22. Evening school functions are acceptable. 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

12 8

2 0

Q23. This was an area to provide additional comments. There were two comments added. The internet plays a much greater role in my child's reading learning. There are many resources online that allow children to learn via games. I've never offered special incentives. They enjoy reading and getting new books. They enjoy reading and I guess that is incentive enough. We do read aloud together almost every night. It is a big part of bedtime routine and the whole family participates.

Appendix M (continued) Break Down of Average Answer per Question

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Appendix N Sample Focus Group Questions for Evaluation Sample Focus Group Questions to Evaluate Read Across Auburn Kickoff 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

What was your favorite part of the Read Across Auburn Kickoff event? Did you win any prizes? Was the event fun? Did you learn anything new? What could be done to make next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event better? Would you be more likely to share your favorite book with a classmate now?

Appendix O Sample Survey Questions for Evaluation Sample Kickoff Evaluation Survey For the following statements, please circle the number that applies to you. If the statement does not apply to you please circle “0” for Doesn’t Apply to Me. Doesn't Apply to Me

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

1. I received valuable information from the Read Across Auburn Kickoff.

2. Information that I received will help me be more involved in my child’s reading activities.

3. The Read Across Auburn Kickoff was enjoyable.

4. My children expressed the fun they had at the Read Across Auburn Kickoff.

5. I learned tips and tricks to help motivate my child to want to read.

6. I would like to participate in the Read Across Auburn Kickoff again next year.

7. The speaker at the Read Across Auburn Kickoff was entertaining.

8. The speaker provided valuable information.

9. The prizes that my child received at the Read Across Auburn Kickoff were of good value.

Read Across Auburn Kickoff

Neither Agree Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree 3 4 5

Appendix O (continued) 10. My family plans to read more as a family after the Read Across Auburn Kickoff.

11. If you have more information you would like to share with us, please let us know. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your time and participation. *Please remember to have your child return this survey to his/her teacher at school.*

Appendix P Contingency Plan Based on a lack of resources and funding, the only contingency plan is to move the Read Across Auburn Kickoff indoors in response to inclement weather. The weather should be checked a week before the event. If it seems that it will be a factor, steps should be taken in advance to set up the kickoff in the gymnasium. The main strength of this plan is to keep kickoff attendees out of the bad weather. However, weaknesses would involve the logistics of moving the booths indoors, how the gym would be decorated and possibly running out of space for all of the attendees.

Appendix Q Survey for Further Parent Research Dear Parent: Students at Auburn University are distributing this survey so that they may better understand your beliefs about your child’s reading. During February and March, Auburn City Schools will be hosting Read Across Auburn. This is the first year of Read Across Auburn, a spinoff Read Across America. Every year, students in the area have participated in Read Across America activities, but this year schools would like for it to be centered on the Auburn Community rather than as a part of a larger campaign. This will be an opportunity to build a desire for reading in students in the Auburn area. This survey will help us better understand how much students are reading outside of school. It will also help tailor activities and events toward children during Read Across Auburn. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please fill this survey out and ask your child to return it to their teacher at school. The statements are presented on a scale of 1-5, “1” being strongly disagree and “5” being strongly agree. If the statement does not apply to you, please circle “0”. Please respond to each statement in the survey. There is no need to put your name on the survey form. This survey will be confidential, so please fill it out as accurately as possible. These students are a part of a class called Public Relations Campaigns taught by Dr. Brigetta Brunner in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Auburn University. They are working with the Auburn City School System to help write a campaign for Read Across Auburn. If you would like to speak with their professor, her email address is brunnbr@auburn.edu and phone number is 844-2755. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Rebecca Bedsole Margie Evans Beth Storey Jacob Wilder

Appendix Q (continued) For the following statements, please circle the number that applies to you. If the statement does not apply to you please circle “0” for Doesn’t Apply to Me. Doesn't Apply to Me

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

1. Our family reads often for enjoyment.

2. My child’s enjoyment of reading is important to me.

3. I like knowing the current best children’s books.

4. I frequently ask my child about books he/she has read.

5. Reading games are entertaining to my child.

6. I believe that by reading I can inspire my child to read.

7. I encourage my child to read on a daily basis.

8. I tell my child I believe in his/her reading ability.

9. I praise my child for his/her reading ability.

10. I expose my child to all types of reading such as fiction, nonfiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, etc.

11. I read aloud to my child.

12. I encourage my child to write often.

Reading for Enjoyment

Neither Agree Agree nor Disagree 3 4

Strongly Agree

Appendix Q (continued) Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Apply to Me

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

13. I take opportunities to help my child develop vocabulary.

14. I help my child use the dictionary or thesaurus to check on the meanings of new words he/she reads or hears.

15. I encourage my child to have a desire to read.

16. I take my child to the library often.

17. On gift-giving occasions, I give books to my child based on his/her current interests.

18. I have set aside a special place for my child to keep his/her own books.

19. I offer special incentives to encourage my child's reading.

School Events

Doesn't Strongly Apply Disagree Disagree to Me

Neither Agree Agree nor Disagree

Strongly Agree

Neither Agree Strongly Agree nor Agree Disagree

20.

I enjoy taking my child to school functions

21.

I am willing to take my child to evening school functions.

22.

Evening school functions work well with my schedule

23.

If you have more information you would like to share with us, please write on back. Thank You!

References

Alabama State Department of Education. (2008). School Profile Report 2007-2008: Ogletree School. Retrieved from ftp://ftp.alsde.edu/documents/ReportCard/2007 2008.110.0065.Profile.pdf Auburn City Schools. (2007). District accreditation guided self study. Auburn City Schools, Retrieved from http://www.auburnschools.org/AdvancED/Final-Self%20Study.pdf Auburn City Schools. (2007). Ogletree Elementary School. Retrieved from http://auburnschools.org/ogletree/ Colker, L.J. (n.d.). When Children Read Because They Want To, Not Because They Have To. Retrieved from http://www.rif.org/educators/articles/WhenChildrenRead.mspx Kassin, S. M. (2004). Psychology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Local School Directory. (2009). Ogletree School-School Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.localschooldirectory.com/public-school/96/AL National Education Association. (2009). Background on Read Across America. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/grants/13003.htm Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (2008). Fundraising resources: studies and statistics that support RIF approach. Retrieved from http://www.rif.org/coordinators/fundraising/resources/statistics.mspx

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (2008). Reading is Fundamental. Retrieved from http://www.rif.org