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Training Plan

Joann McKean

AET/570

February 20, 2017

Charity Jennings
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Part I

TRAINING PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Overview

Some paraprofessionals in the school system have higher than average workloads

compared to teachers due to their lack of sufficient specialized training. The paraprofessionals

instead take the role of an in-between and all around workhorse for students with various

disabilities that require a caregiver of some capacity throughout the typical school day.

Paraprofessionals are also in charge of helping teachers who have a fair percentage of their

disabled students that require some variation of specialized care in either academic or medical

areas. Paras, for short, assist teachers in their roles as general behavioral supervision,

learning, and test giving, as well as for assistance in lesson plans and basic errands that the

teacher needs assistance with now or later that day (i.e., fetching worksheets from the printer).

Teacher assistants or teacher aides depending on what that particular teacher or paraprofessional

thinks is an apt summary of their position at that particular moment can also know

paraprofessionals.

Certain laws enable these aides to provide particular forms of assistance towards those

that are eligible to receive it. Most schools and/or the childrens parents and/or doctors will help

identify those that might need an IEP at a young age or at least provide an alternative 504 plan

instead, if there are no specialized needs to be accommodated on a yearly basis in classrooms.

These paras have to uphold each students individual plan to which they are assigned, or groups

of students in a classroom they are assigned to supervise. Paraprofessionals are required to be

knowledgeable of each students plans outline. These paras have to, on top of that, also report to

teachers and the paras direct supervisors on a timely basis.

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Training Program Goals

The training program being proposed here is a series of courses to both address the

workload in a manageable fashion, and to make each para less dependent on direct supervisors,

or at least tone down the amount of reports they have to log. This plan is to also ameliorate

specific rules that are technically to be followed but cut into necessary time that is

simultaneously required to provide assistance to students within their supervision. This plan is

not supposed to replace the IEP or Section 504 system, but to assist in making the paras roles

most effective within these systems, not to undermine the systems. The roles paras fill are often

awkwardly occupied with both the logging of what they did, and performing the educational

activities they need to put into those logs. This makes certain aspects of their job in need of

refocusing on how to manage job duties and time-management in general.

Goals

Participants will apply time management techniques to increase productivity and lessen stress.
Participants will use SMART goals to plan success.
Participants will prioritize their workload more effectively to get more done.

Objectives

Participants will be able to choose successfully and demonstrate three time management

techniques.
Participants will outline and apply SMART goals into their work lives.
Participants will establish work priorities.
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Part II

NEEDS ANALYSIS

A needs analysis was conducted to verify the importance of time management within the

organization. The four techniques used in this analysis were:

General and informal interactions with students and colleagues.

Observations of Colleagues and students.
Questionnaires sent to the entire organization.
Interviews with colleagues and all persons inside the organization.

Informal interactions with colleagues were the first indicator of the need.

Paraprofessionals I have worked and interacted with were frequently concerned about not having

enough time to do all that was required of them in their respective roles. This general concern is

causing stress and performance issues throughout the organization. Time management and

special education protocols are common stressors are a common topic that came up in phone

conversations, meetings, and email correspondence. These concerns were noted for further

investigation. These concerns were checked for a month after they started to ensure that the need

was ongoing and relevant.

Observations of colleagues and students were conducted to judge that the need was

pressing. The observations started with the employees, colleagues, and students that identified

stressors were directly or indirectly caused by time management issues, then moved on to other

employees including managers and supervisors. These observations were informal, and

significant work activities and deliverables were identified. Often, employees and colleagues

had hopped around in their work tasks, and many found it difficult to focus on finishing one task

at a time because of the sheer variety in their workload.

Informal questionnaires were sent out by email, at least 50% of the staff ware required to

complete them. These questionnaires were informal and were kept anonymous to help ensure
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honest and uncolored responses among the participants. The questions were designed to identify

stressors in employees work lives and how they manage their time when at work. Often,

workers did not recognize time management as a concern, but identified various stressors that

directly correlated to mismanaging time. This leads the writer of this plan to believe that time

management is an issue affecting the employees, but the employees did not recognize time

management as the cause, and instead as a symptom. The concerns identified in the

questionnaires were recorded to influence training materials and objectives.

Finally, interviews were conducted both individually and in groups with representative

individuals within the organization. These interviews were open-ended and allowed participants

to discuss their stressors and their causes in a safe and open environment. Time management

was a topic many participants expressed interest in learning the techniques. Participants

admitted to knowing the importance of time management skills; but not knowing what they are,

or how to use time management effectively.

It became clear that the lack of time management skills is having an adverse effect on

employees morale and stress levels as well as the organizations productivity. Introducing a

time management training program will help improve employee morale by increasing

productivity while simultaneously lowering stress levels and making them more positively

reinforced workers in an environment less critical of them. Many employees had expressed

interest in participating in courses for time management training, making the motivation to attend

natural for the organization as a whole.

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PART III

BUDGET
The following is the projected budget for the training program.

Item Cost per Number Cost

Personnel

Program Director 1,000 2 2,000

Trainer 1,000 1 1,000

Support Staff 500 4 2,000

Fringe Benefits

Program Director 850 1 850

Trainer 850 1 850

Other Staff 125 4 500

External Staff

Program Consultants 350 4 1,400

Others 125 4 500

Supplies and Materials

Instructional Supplies 250 1 250

Reading Materials 30 1 30

Certificates 1 200 200

Technical Support

Website Costs 500 1 500

Learning Management 5,000 1 5,000

System
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Total $13,080

Cost Justifications

Personnel

The training course will be held online. The only personnel needed to be present in

setting up and monitoring the online environment is the director, trainer, and support staff. These

people will need to be present as the environment is fitted to the needs of the organization,

trainer, and participants.

Fringe benefits

The cost of fringe benefits also needs to be considered. A standard 35% rate was taken

into account for the personnel.

External staff

Program consultants are used to ensure the highest quality of instructional materials and

content provided. Four consultants from different businesses were consulted with to gain greater

understanding of time management and the latest strategies involved in the subject. A buffer of

$500 is built into the budget for any unexpected issues that occur that require assistance to be

addressed in the future.

Supplies and Materials

As the course is conducted online, paper materials are not required, although an amount

of $250 is allowed for the trainers instructional materials, such as test generating software. The

only supplies needed are instructional supplies for the trainer and online reading material for the

course, the reading material is to be made publicly available as well.

Miscellaneous

Course completion certificates will be mailed to participants that have passed the course.
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Technical support

An online training program requires more technical support than one conducted in a

typical classroom. The learning management system has a 24-7 phone service and online

support available. Internet charges are already incurred by the organization. A single web portal

dedicated to the training program for participants to attend is needed.

Equipment

Computers, or other Internet accessible devices, are the only equipment required for this

training course. The organization has already provided their employees with computers; no new

equipment is needed to complete the training. The online environment does not require a

conference room, projector, or any other equipment necessary for traditional training.

Travel

Travel expenses are $0. The online environment does not require employees to travel to

participate in the training program.

Facilities

Facilities are not required. The facilities are hosted online, needing no physical

accommodations.
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Income Estimates
To finance the training program, income estimates are expressed below.
Income Source
Parent District
Participant Fees
Profit from Educational Unit
Miscellaneous/Sales
Total
9
Estimate Justification
$6,500 Some income will come from the parent district
itself. They have recognized the importance of
professional development for paraprofessionals
and the harmful effect of mismanaging time.
The programs projected budget estimate is
within the organizations $30,000 training
budget.
Free for The participant fee is free to encourage
Employees attendance. The course is mandatory for all
employees in the job classification.
Not This course is the beginning of a series of
Measurable courses being developed by the organization
based on continued learning and employee
needs. By analyzing employees needs and
values, the organization can reap benefits from
enhanced job skills, better productivity, and
employee fulfillment.
($75 per The course can be opened up to other
person) x organizations. Partner organizations can allow
(200 their employees and supervisors to participate
participants in the training course for a higher participant
) = $15,000 fee.
$21,500
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PART IV

STAFFING PLAN

To best support adult learning, the program will be conducted online. The program can

be accessed and completed from any location with an Internet connection. Internal and external

resources are needed for the programs success. Consideration for required staff includes

required qualifications, time, internal resources, external resources, additional needs, resource

gaps, and staff performance evaluations.

Required Qualifications

Role Number Responsibility Skills Required

of Staff

Program Director 2 Leads program Program management,

development, reports public speaking, and
status, coordinator marketing strategies for
encouraging program
participation.

Trainer 1 Training staff on time Time management

management and special strategies, special education
education protocols strategies, adult training,
computing skills, LMS
experience

Support Staff 4 Technical assistance for Knowledgeable of the LMS,

setting up the LMS, management techniques,
organizes marketing evaluation techniques, and
efforts, evaluates program marketing strategies.

Program Consultants 4 Subject Matter Experts Time management, Special

(SMEs), both internal and education protocols
external

Others 2 Technical support for Computer skills and LMS

participants experts.
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Time Requirements

The program directors will be present throughout the entire program development. They

were assigned to the plan when the time management concerns were identified, in relationship to

the special education protocols and procedures, and will be present throughout each of the

critical decision-making processes and evaluations. There are two program directors to ensure

that the LMS course is aligned with the participants and the organizations needs. The trainer is

present for the development of the course to the very last courses end date (6 months). Support

staff includes technical support for setting up the course as well as for the participants. Technical

support is used as required throughout the course and can be reached as needed by both

participants and staff. Program consultants are to be consulted as subject matter experts. Two

are internal, and the other two are external consultants. They were used and consulted for two

months to develop the course materials and program. Other staff members are needed to

evaluate the programs effectiveness, these include staff that is not a part of the training

programs development, and they are not biased. They are used at the end of each programs

completion (6 months).

Internal Resources

The organization will cut costs by looking internally to fill most of the staffing needs.

The organization chose the program directors because of their passion for learning. The trainer

is employed by the organization as well. Internal trainers are aware of the organizations culture,

policies, and employees. In addition, the trainer has conducted online courses using a learning

management system before, which will make developing the training course simple and seamless

for the trainer. Two internal consultants were used for their expertise on time management and

the specific issues they see within the organization relating towards the topic.
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External Resources

The organization will use two external consultants and outside technical assistance staff.

The external consultants are experts in time management. They provide valuable insight into

new strategies, techniques, and common issues. The technical assistance is provided through the

LMS software organization.

Additional Resource Needs

The only other resource that may be needed to fill is the 24/7 technical support for

program participants. The technical support staff is available between the hours of 8am to 4pm.

The nature of the online environment allows participants to log in at any time. If they

unfortunately encounter a problem, they will have to wait until technical support becomes

available.

Strategy to Fill Resource Gaps

The first set of courses will be carefully monitored to assess if the additional resource is

needed for 24/7 technical support. If needed, the organization will contact the LMS business to

add this functionality. To help this potential issue, a FAQ page will be made available to all

participants.

Staff performance evaluation

Performance evaluations will be conducted throughout the training program. The support

staff and the program directors to ensure that the program efforts are on scope and that the

participants are motivated in these efforts will conduct these. The LMS allows this to be

incorporated into the overall program flow.

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PART V

STAKEHOLDERS AND GOALS

Stakeholders Partnership Goal Ways to Build Support

Trainer Change employee behavior. Inform of benefits

Potential increase in funding for Present easy-to-apply strategies
future programs

Participants Utilize time management strategies Encourage management participation

to be more productive at work
Enhanced promote-ability chances
Encourage employees through direct
managers
Build hype through emails, memos, and
meetings
Include participants in development

Directors More productive, focused Demonstrate benefits through emails,

employees producing better quality progress reports, and evaluations
work Show the need for time management
training

Participants More fulfilled, better-skilled Make managers a part of the training

Managers employees program development and evaluation
Workload becomes more process
manageable with reduced stress
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PART VI

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Program Benefits

The paraprofessional training program will provide many benefits for the participants,

organization, and adult learning. This course is the beginning of a series of courses being

developed for the organization based on employee needs and continual learning. Time

management skills will allow employees to not only be less stressed, more productive, and better

able to handle their workload, but also allow them to feel confident in taking more courses to

improve their skill set and themselves in the future.

Instructional Practices

One of the primary benefits of the program is its online availability. Employees often

become stressed or distracted when having to leave work for training purposes. They may think

about students or all of the other work that they could be doing during the training time. The

online environment and accessibility allows participants to login whenever, and wherever they

are. They do not have to travel or worry about taking too much time for training. They can fit

training around their schedule at their leisure. Once employees acclimate to the online

environment, this will motivate them to attend more online training when it is made available to

them.

Instruction will be varied. It will include relevant examples so participants can relate the

material to real world situations. Examples are also a great way to keep people engaged,

especially when it is directly related to their work lives. Instruction will also include a variety of

elements, including text and video to reach participants with different learning styles. Practice

opportunities will be made available to help participants try out strategies in a safe environment.
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Feedback will be a significant part of instruction as well. Feedback supports participants

learning experiences. Lessons are broken up into manageable chunks that are sequential. The

sequential chunks are more manageable for understanding and building on previous knowledge

for employees than other methods.

Promotional Channels and Materials

The purpose of this communication plan is to use marketing channels to reach the target

audience of supervisors, managers, and employees and encourage them to participate in the

newly available training course.

The communication plan will include:

Inform potential participants of the training program,

Persuade employees to sign up for the program,
Remind employees that the organization cares about their concerns,
Persuade employees to implement strategies learned in training, and
Reinforce positive behaviors learned in training.

In addition to the primary ideals of the communication plan, it will also include:

Develop enthusiasm for the program,

Fight resistance to the program, and
Address employee concerns.

These goals will be achieved through marketing.

The organization will use a mix of traditional and electronic methods to advertise the

program. Flyers and notices will be posted where employees can regularly see them at least a

month before the first set of courses begins. This scheduling will allow plenty of time for

employees to recognize the course and plan to take it. Flyers and notices will also be available

on the organizations website to increase awareness and interest in the program.

Awareness is an important concern. Employees that are unaware of a program will have

no opportunity to join. Blanket emails will be sent out to ensure awareness of the program. The
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emails will be first sent to the employees that identified time management issues in the needs

analysis. They, most likely, will be the first ones to sign up. These people will also be recruited

to spread news of the program to others through word-of-mouth and be advocates for the

program. Word-of-mouth is popular. Many employees may not be motivated to attend any

training unless someone else openly discusses interest in it.

The program will also be mentioned in organizational meetings, with support for

management, with a focus on the programs benefits. Management support is another important

factor. Managers have a more personal relationship with their employees. They can encourage

their employees to take the course and promote its benefits. In addition, it makes the course

more credible. Employees that see a manager or supervisor attending the course will get the

impression that it has value. After the first set of courses, employees that have had positive

experiences with the course will help encourage others to participate through word-of-mouth.
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PART VII

PROGRAM EVALUATION

Evaluation is essential to any training program. Evaluation determines if a training

program is providing value to the organization and its employees. The individuals responsible

for overseeing program evaluation include:

Trainer
Support Staff
Participants
Program directors

The trainer will use assessments to determine if the participants learned the materials

provided. Simple, short answer tests will be given to check understanding. Certificates will be

awarded to those that pass each course.

Support staff will gather relevant evaluation materials and information for the directors

review. The participants will have the opportunity to complete reaction sheets to assess the

effectiveness of instructions, the trainer, and materials. These reaction sheets will also be used to

alter instruction based on each participants needs to judge their effectiveness or the participants

comprehension level.

Participants will be interviewed after completing the course by the support staff to see if

any change in behavior has occurred. Ideally, the participants will immediately implement time

management strategies into their work lives. If not, they will be asked why. These interviews

will encourage truthful answers. The assessment information gathered and presented to the

program directors.

The program directors will then weigh the programs benefits and relevancy to their

employees and the organization. They will also discuss any alterations to be made to the
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program to ensure material relevancy, enhanced learning, and other changes to better reach

participants.

Evaluation Metrics

Evaluation will focus on operational efficiency. Support staff will reach out to management

to assess if time management strategies helped to increase efficiency. Managers will compare

the efficiency from before the course and after course completion using observations. Ideally,

learners will implement strategies presented to them and reap the benefits. Reaching out to

management can be an indicator of course content retention. Support staff will contact managers

at least two weeks after course completion.

Instructor performance and participant satisfaction will be measured and reviewed using

reaction sheets and interviews. Reaction sheets will be available to participants after completing

the course. Interviews will be conducted approximately one month after course completion.

Another area to consider is employee retention. A significant benefit of implementing

time management is that employees are happier when they can effectively manage their time and

potential stressors are lessened. Generally speaking, the more content employees feel in their

jobs, positions, or roles, the less they tend to quit.

Conclusion

In broad strokes, the plan is to improve the organizations time management skills, and

the general wellbeing of the participants and the organization from the inside as a whole. The

way this plan is to be implemented is by an online course that is accessible 24/7, with tech

support available should the need arise. The intent of the plan is to be a net positive for the

organization and is expected to improve workflow, increase morale, and ensure employee

retention.