Beyond transparency towards accessibility and awareness

Key points:

In one of my graduate courses for future PK-12 educational leaders, students are asked to review a student handbook and provide their recommendations on how to improve those handbooks. Although students provide specific recommendations for changes to student policies or additions to improve the teaching and learning process, recently, many of the recommendations raised by students are more related to the way materials are presented. Sometimes these aspiring leaders are bewildered to learn the rules they have supposedly been working under for several school years. They are surprised that the rules outlined in the manual are not followed or, potentially, they are simply unaware of them as a staff member.

Over the past decade, transparency has been a motto for good governance at all levels. Archon Fung and Stephen Kosack reviewed the state of governance transparency and noted that the research literature on transparency programs “has so far yielded frustratingly contradictory conclusions: some studies conclude that transparency has enormous effects; others show little or no effect.”

It seems then that transparency is not enough. Providing access to government materials, policy documents, mission statements, DEI statements, etc. is not enough. The materials must be accessible to the public and other interested parties. Accessible, however, does not simply mean provided. They should be selected so that they are easily accessible and proactively shared with stakeholders so that they can understand them when necessary. Stakeholders must know the policies, objectives, missions, etc. That level of transparency requires three main things: context, the use of vernacular and understandable language in an accessible format, and routine use.

First, materials shared with any stakeholder group must be put into context before they are useful to more stakeholders. Schools (and most institutions) are complex, multifaceted organizations. Internal stakeholders often take a lot for granted and make assumptions when developing policy manuals, mission statements and procedures for the standard operation of the organization. A couple of methods can be helpful here. One would be to include a policy statement of intent or similar documents that explain the governance intent of the policy. This is often left up to individual stakeholders to interpret. Such context statements would help interested parties, particularly those without experience reading and interpreting such documents, better understand the organization's objectives. When it comes to a fillable form, you need to provide step-by-step instructions, complete examples, and contact information on who to contact for help. Almost every educator has experienced the frustration of having a form returned for some minor error in completing it, usually without a specific set of instructions on how to fix the situation. Recently, a colleague reported having to exchange a half-dozen emails over a $1.75 overage on an expense report. This is an exceptionally poor use of institutional resources. Clear, easy-to-use instructions can reduce these types of situations.

We are regularly asked to avoid jargon and write materials in accessible language. Several students commented on the excessive use of jargon in the manuals presented for use by students and their parents. Beyond eliminating jargon, consider a manual glossary with links within the policy to appropriate links for the terms in question. Ensure materials are translated into the first language of parents and other stakeholders. Don't just rely on machine translators, look for real interpreters to ensure that the spirit of the documents is translated correctly. Furthermore, poets are excellent translators.

Beyond eliminating jargon and ensuring that the language used is not a barrier to access, materials provided to users must be fully accessible. For digital documents, make sure they comply with web accessibility guidelines. Since more than a quarter of Americans have some type of disability, to obtain the full right to vote, documents must be fully accessible. Accessibility goes beyond text size. Consider providing documents in various formats, such as audio versions for the visually impaired or summaries for those who need a quick overview.

Once documents have been put into context and made fully accessible, it is important to ensure that they are proactively shared with interested parties. As one student wrote, what good is a mission statement if long-term employees don't know about it? When you join, don't just hand out a bunch of manuals and other materials. Instead, spend time walking new staff through key sections, explaining the “why” behind policies and procedures. This personalizes information and encourages understanding. For complex documents such as safety manuals, investigation protocols, or financial forms, consider specific training sessions. This allows for deeper dives, interactive learning, and room for questions. By sharing documents in a proactive and easy-to-use way, it allows students of all levels to grasp information effectively.

Useful and effective transparency requires moving from simply providing information to actively ensuring its understandability and usability. By incorporating context, clear language, and accessible formats, along with proactive sharing strategies, we can close the gap between policy documents and the stakeholders they impact. This allows educators, students, and families to navigate the complexities of a school environment, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and ultimately a more successful educational environment for all.

Dr. Steve Baule is a member of the faculty of Winona State University (WSU), where he teaches in the Department of Leadership Education. Before joining WSU, Baule spent 28 years in K-12 school systems in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, and two years teaching in the University of Wisconsin system. For 13 years before moving to the university level, Baule served as superintendent of public schools. He has written ten books on a variety of educational and historical topics and has served on the editorial boards of two magazines. Baule earned an advanced diversity and equity certificate while in the University of Washington system. He holds a doctorate in educational technology from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University Chicago.

Baule's academic interests focus on online student engagement, educational technology, particularly the impact of 1:1 implementations, social-emotional learning, and the history of education. Baule led several efforts to improve students' emotional health and reduce discipline problems before moving on to higher education. She also writes about aspects of early American history.

Baule has been a member of the American Association of School Administrators, the American Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Consortium for School Networking, the International Association of School Librarians, the National Association of Secondary Schools Principals, the National Staff Development Council and many of its state affiliates. He has served as a consultant in the areas of educational technology, facility design, library program development, team building, and communications.

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