Improving Information Dissemination Impact on Districts and Schools. Knowledge Brief Number 5.

The California Department of Education commissioned a study to help guide ongoing information dissemination practices to the educational community. A pilot study, department of education staff interviews, and field interviews preceded document tracking. Phone interviews were conducted with district administrators, principals, and teachers statewide to track the actual information uses and effects of 15 representative department publications. Dissemination problems and their proposed solutions are described under the main headings of planning, targeting, timing, content, format, and marketing. Study findings suggested that the chief determinants of information use are organizational readiness, information sufficiency, and change incentives. The relationship between incentives and information use revealed "compliance" as the most powerful incentive for document use followed by "leverage,""support," and "hot issue." The conclusions of the study are that organizations disseminating information must do more than provide generalized recommendations. School personnel must be provided with essential and specific guidance and assistance that will help them to prepare for, plan, implement, and manage change. (MLF)