Establishing effective communication with external stakeholders: The impact of training

The purpose of this research was to determine if communication skills training had an impact on public schools administrators' knowledge and application of communication skills, and their attitude toward school public relations. School administrators from three Tennessee school systems participated in this pretest/posttest quasi-experimental study. Multiple regression analysis of pretest/posttest scores showed that administrators who received a three-hour communication skills training session scored significantly better on communication skills knowledge and application, and attitude toward school public relations initiatives. Attitude was gauged using the Personal Involvement Inventory. Previous communication training as part of licensure requirements and prior unpleasant critical incidents significantly impacted school administrators' attitudes toward school public relations initiatives. Results indicate the importance of communication skills training for school administrators.