“Human Capital – they said it was important”

Last spring we conducted a district-wide resource utilization and effectiveness survey.  The results were presented to the Board of Education and published on the district’s website.  The nature of the survey was to ascertain the perceptions of teachers of awareness, use, and perceived effect of the myriad programs and initiatives in the Anson County Schools.

The top four out of sixteen areas that staff identified for continuous as well as additional training, learning and application were Common Core, the Learning Development Centers (LDC), Total Instructional Alignment (TIA) and Discovery Education. Common Core and TIA are one in the same.  The LDC is a “how” we deliver training and learning.  Discovery Education is the digital tools and content.

Stating the obvious, our staff identified and placed value on the very initiatives included in our Human Capital Development (HDC) plan. The HDC was central to our Race to the Top (RttT) application approved by the Board of Education, State of North Carolina, and United States Department of Education.

Last year’s Discovery Education training, as reported by our instructional staff county-wide, had the most effect on student learning.  Last year, we began the first year of a four-year plan.  Year one included a lot of awareness training and learning and resulted in all staff participating.  Some staff based on their readiness received customized, individual training.

This year’s training will ratchet up the customized, individual training.  This year staff will have a dedicated trainer to work one-on-one with them through individual training in planning, modeling, assistance, feedback, and support in digital integration and implementation.  This intense training will not require any staff to be absent from their instructional responsibilities.  Simply put, our design will not pull any teachers away from their students.

The intensity of our design is based on what we know about adult learning as well as from the body of research on addiction. 

The addiction research sheds light on thinking, habit forming-breaking-reforming, monitoring, feedback, support, expectations, and etc.  The adult learning theory informs motivation, dissonance with learning, experience, relevance, feedback, fear, support, and etc.  Simply put, adult learning theory and addiction research has influenced our thinking about our training and learning model.

The digital age is fraught with anxiety, apprehension, fear, and trepidation.  The mere mention of digital tool or device use can paralyze even the most accomplished educator.  When the expectations for actual use are added to the expectation, meltdown occurs.

Therefore, creating a safe learning situation with a trusted guide to model, mentor, and support as each teacher learns by “doing” new skills, new knowledge, and new experiences, we are confident that each teacher will grow in competence and confidence to authentically and effectively implement and integrate digital tools and content in their daily instruction.

It is understandable that those not familiar with our RttT plan, HDC plan, capacity building, and the strategies to continuously improve teaching and learning would question the investment in our staff.  Our model is expensive, labor intense, and “different”. 

Why was human capital and the investment in our staff proposed and approved?

We identified human capital development and capacity building as the primary focus of RttT to build competence and confidence of staff to authentically, effectively and efficiently apply the tools, programs, and practices commensurate with the performance expectations of our community, state, and nation.

Lest we forget, the Anson County Schools must improve its’ performance as an aggregate as well as in each of our schools or all aspects of governance including fiscal and decision making authority, responsibility, and accountability will be turned over to the Department of Public Instruction.

Hence, the Human Capital Development initiative was birthed as a focused initiative to ensure that we have done everything within our power, authority, and control to ensure each staff has had access and opportunity to acquire and apply the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to provide each learner with the necessary learning to be successful.