Five Tips For Designing A Training Program

Regardless of whether you’re newly implementing the “ON” Products, or looking to increase adoption among your constituents, there’s no doubt that trying to change established processes in a school is hard. You not only need to train your school’s community on how to use the tools, but you must also spearhead a major change in your school’s culture. That’s why it is critical to have a plan for managing the transition, and for how you’ll prepare and train your constituents.


Here are five tips to help get you started:

1. Determine who is responsible. Every constituent will be affected by the changes your school makes to implement and adopt the “ON” Products. You should therefore think carefully about who you need to include in the decision-making process for developing your initial training plan. You should also think carefully about who will lead the trainings and provide ongoing support.
   
   
2. Outline what constituents need to know. Before you begin training, make a list of the constituent types you need to train. Then make a list of what each constituent type needs to know (e.g., faculty need to know how to add assignments, parents need to know how to subscribe to notifications). This is also a good time to outline the policies and expectations you wish to enforce.
   
    
3. Develop a communication plan. A training program cannot be successful if you’re not dedicated to proactively, openly, and regularly communicating with your school community. It is therefore critical that you create a clear and detailed communication plan for constituents and administrators.
   
    
4. Establish your resources and tools. Training your school community requires numerous resources and tools, and it’s a good idea to make a detailed list of all the resources and tools you need. For example, what personnel do you need, what facilities do you need (e.g., computer labs), and what technology do you need (e.g., video-creation software)?
   
    
5. Register for the Blackbaud University course, K–12 Core Workshop: Training Faculty and Parents. If you’re looking for additional assistance with designing a training program for the “ON” Products, this instructor-led workshop can help! Learn to identify what questions you need to answer in order to create a comprehensive training program for your faculty and parents. Every student leaves this class with a completed workbook.
   
    

Good news for Blackbaud Learn® subscribers! If you have a Learn Everything training subscription, this class is included. Not a subscriber? Find out how a Learn subscription can help develop your efficiency and ongoing skills.


We hope to see you in class! And once you design your training program, we encourage you to share the details right here in the K–12 Community!