Indian Land High becomes 100th school to win state recognition for quality customer service
Indian Land High School was honored today with a Red Carpet Award to recognize its success at creating a family-friendly school environment and providing excellent customer service.
State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum announced 99 winners of this year’s awards last month. Indian Land High was named the 100th winner today after state officials discovered a judge’s scoring error in evaluating the school’s written application. That error initially kept the school from receiving follow-up judging that might have led to its winning an award.
Schools that pass Red Carpet’s initial written application phase are screened by independent judges who rate how telephone callers and visitors are treated. Judges do not identify themselves during telephone calls or site visits. In Indian Land High’s case, after the written application’s scoring error was discovered the school received a special follow-up evaluation.
Indian Land High will receive an actual red carpet to display in its lobby.
“Red Carpet schools provide a welcoming climate for parents and community members alike,” Tenenbaum said. “They have a positive attitude, an inviting appearance and the friendly touches that make each visitor feel like part of the school family.”
More than 300 schools applied for the award last fall. Applicants provided written details about their family-friendly philosophies and environments, along with the methods used to self-evaluate those efforts. They also were required to include copies of their schools’ communication plans.
Over the past four years, 388 schools have been recognized in the program. Winning schools receive actual red carpets with the state seal to display in their lobbies, and they maintain their recognition status for a three-year period.
This year’s recipients include 62 elementary schools, three intermediate schools, 19 middle schools, two combined middle/high schools, 12 high schools and one child development center.
“The variety of winners shows that a positive atmosphere can be created in any school setting,” Tenenbaum said. “A school that embraces and involves parents and the public in decision-making is a school where students will succeed.”
“There’s real interest in winning Red Carpet recognition,” said program coordinator Frank White. “Each year, about one-fourth of the schools in the state apply, and the list of winners is eagerly anticipated. It’s heartening to realize how many are fine-tuning their customer service skills to build better relationships.”
Funds for the actual red carpets are provided as part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department’s Truancy Center.
Members of the South Carolina chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (SC/NSPRA), and staff from the Department of Education, Communities in Schools and current Red Carpet Schools volunteered to take part in the judging process.
"A positive school environment and positive relationships between teachers, students, parents, staff, and the community are instrumental in supporting high student achievement," said SC/NSPRA President Oby G. Lyles. "SC/NSPRA is proud to partner with the State Department of Education to evaluate the level of customer service and communications efforts by schools vying for Red Carpet School status."
In addition to recognition, the Red Carpet Schools program sends weekly electronic customer service tips provided by SC/NSPRA to all interested schools. A live teleconference featuring the principals of four Red Carpet Schools from 2003-04 was broadcast to all schools last fall; it included a question-and-answer period and video tours of award-winning schools.
The Red Carpet Schools initiative was one of only two programs in the nation to receive a Distinguished Single Project Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) in 2003. The program has also been featured in NSPRA’s monthly newsletter as well as the monthly newsletter of the National Elementary Principals Association.
Across the state, Red Carpet schools show many examples of family and community-friendly programs:
· Mellichamp Elementary School in Orangeburg Consolidated District Five keeps a “Red Carpet Notebook” by the main office telephone. The notebook contains school data, procedures, lists of current events, a school calendar and up-to-date class and student information. The notebook allows staffers who answer the telephone to quickly provide callers with current, accurate school information.
· Brennen Elementary School in Richland District One hand delivers flyers and announcements to people who live near the school to let them know about school events and to invite them to participate.
· At North Aiken Elementary School, color-coded floor tiles allow visitors to find their way easily to the location they are seeking.
· Representatives from business and industry in Spartanburg District Six serve on Dorman High School’s Business Advisory Board. The board meets regularly with Dorman’s administrators, faculty and staff to share insights into changes in the business and professional world.
· Gaffney’s local newspaper, The Gaffney Ledger, provides a “Roll Call” service where teachers at Limestone-Central Elementary School are assigned extension numbers that are published in The Ledger. Parents can call the extension and hear their child’s teachers providing timely information.
· All teachers at Macedonia Middle School in Berkeley County School District must make a minimum of five parent contacts each week, and at least three of those must be positive.
Schools were judged on a variety of factors, including the exterior and interior appearance of the campus, the way people were treated in person and over the telephone, and the information and programs available for families and visitors.