Spotlighting Student Achievement with The Nation’s Report Card
+25 quarterly board meetings
successfully planned and executed
+10 national testing results release events
executed to generate national media and awareness
6,000 people reached each month
through the Governing Board’s newsletter; increased open rate and click-through rate each year
Overview
“How are U.S. students doing academically?” It’s a question that the nation could not reliably answer without the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. For nearly 50 years, The Nation’s Report Card has served as the national yardstick for K–12 student achievement, informing the public and policymakers about what American students know and can do.
The Hatcher Group helps maximize awareness and impact of NAEP data through its engagement with the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the assessment. Since 2017, Hatcher has served as the board’s lead event strategy and execution partner. We plan, coordinate, and execute the board’s quarterly meetings and its marquee events: the public release of NAEP results. Our event support spans concept to completion, from sourcing the ideal venue and managing invitations to designing materials to create a cohesive look and feel and running a seamless hybrid event experience.
Hatcher has successfully planned and executed 28 consecutive quarterly board meetings held in the Washington, D.C., metro area and other locations across the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hatcher led a successful transition from in-person to remote events, and we have now expertly managed the transition to a post-COVID hybrid format. We’ve also led more than a dozen NAEP release events, drawing in a broad audience of the organization’s stakeholders, enhancing awareness of the results, and shaping public conversation and media coverage.
Challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to teaching and learning across the country, and its impact on student learning will be felt for years. The need for reliable student achievement data is greater than ever. At the same time, there is a risk of NAEP results being misused, misinterpreted, or politicized. In this context, the board must be strategic in how it uses events to build consensus among board members, shares NAEP data with key audiences, and shapes the public conversation about post-pandemic learning.
Solution
Delivering High-Impact Events for the Governing Board
The partnership between The Hatcher Group and the Governing Board has been instrumental in maximizing the impact and reach of the Board’s initiatives. Leveraging our extensive expertise in event management, deep understanding of the education landscape, and longstanding relationship with the Governing Board, Hatcher has consistently ensured that the board meetings and NAEP release events not only meet but surpass their dual objectives: fostering robust collaboration among board members and disseminating NAEP findings to a diverse audience.
Hatcher has led the planning, coordination, and execution of all quarterly board meetings and NAEP release events since 2017. Our footprint has expanded across the United States, with events in Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Nashville; and Charleston, S.C., among other places.
Leading the 2022 NAEP Release: A National Press Club Event
We’re particularly proud of our work leading the planning and execution of the October 2022 NAEP release event at the National Press Club. Offering the most comprehensive picture to date of the pandemic’s impact on student achievement, this event was crucial to the board’s efforts to create a sense of urgency about the results. Through strategic planning and promotion, it successfully drew in a broad range of key stakeholders in person and online.
Full-Service Support for the Governing Board
Our involvement in the Governing Board’s events has transcended logistics, encompassing all aspects from event concept to completion. This includes venue selection, program development, strategic outreach to key audiences, and progressional photography and videography. To develop a visually cohesive event experience, our design team creates tailored banners, signage, and other collateral that aligns with the organization’s overall brand look and feel. Hatcher’s dedicated audiovisual managers provide a seamless event experience for all attendees, regardless of whether they are attending in person or virtually.
Beyond event management, Hatcher provides the Governing Board with comprehensive administrative support. This includes managing its customer relationship management database; researching, building, and maintaining lists of key stakeholders; and formatting and disseminating monthly newsletters and other email campaigns.
Impact
The Hatcher team has successfully planned and executed 28 consecutive quarterly board meetings, including managing the transition from in-person events to remote events during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also planned and executed more than a dozen events to announce national testing results and achieved national media coverage. Our latest outreach event had a 79% attendance rate thanks to successful targeted outreach promotions. Our content and strategy for the Governing Board’s newsletter have led to its reaching 6,000 people each month, consistently meeting industry benchmarks by earning an average open rate of 10.59% in 2024 (up from 10.17% in 2023) and a click-through rate of 1.05% (up from 0.73% in 2023).
Capabilities
Analysis, optimization, and reporting
Animation
Audio
Content
Crisis comms
Digital products
Earned media
Events: activations and virtual
Public affairs
Social media
Strategic communications
Technical assistance
Visual (video and photo)