Effective staff training is critical for school districts to keep their operations running smoothly and efficiently as educational demands evolve. Oakland Schools, an intermediate school district (ISD) in Michigan, realized its in-person, traditional training methods could not easily meet the district’s needs and sought to re-vamp its training program.
The ISD chose Q Academy, a comprehensive learning platform to train staff on their Student Information System, MISTAR-Q. Julia Green, Senior Business Analyst, shared how Q Academy has streamlined training processes, increased staff engagement, and optimized resources. By providing targeted training modules and creating an interactive learning environment, Q Academy has become an essential tool for Oakland Schools.
Challenges with Ineffective Training Methods
Before implementing Q Academy, Oakland Schools required staff to watch recorded webinars before attending in-person training sessions. This approach to training lacked interactivity and engagement, making it hard for staff to retain the information.
“The webinars were challenging because they didn’t require any active participation from the trainees,” Green said. “Without being able to practice what they were learning in real-time, providing them effective training was difficult.”
Lagging staff engagement led Oakland Schools to rely heavily on in-person training to deliver staff professional development sessions. This required trainers to travel between districts, consuming significant time and resources. As a result, trainers didn’t have enough time to provide individualized support and develop new training materials.
Individualized Staff Instruction
Q Academy equipped Oakland Schools with an interactive and configurable platform to enhance their training program. One of the key features of Q Academy is the ability to create “playlists” tailored to specific areas of Q. These playlists are comprised of specific videos related to a particular function of the SIS.
This focused approach allowed staff to engage with targeted content about the features and workflows relevant to their roles. By concentrating on specific training needs, staff could learn more effectively and efficiently, leading to a deeper understanding of the SIS functionalities.
Enhanced In-Person Workshops
With Q Academy, staff complete online training modules before attending in-person sessions. This preparation allows them to arrive with a foundational understanding of the SIS, making in-person sessions more productive.
Trainers can also pinpoint areas where staff may be experiencing gaps in understanding. By analyzing detailed performance data and feedback from Q Academy, trainers can tailor in-person training sessions to focus on areas where staff require additional support.
“The in-person training has been transformed since our staff started using Q Academy,” said Green. “We see staff collaborating and discussing different scenarios rather than just reviewing the basics. It’s helped us save hours of training time since they feel much more confident right off the bat.”
Efficiently Scaling Training
As more districts within Oakland Schools migrate to the Q SIS, the demand for training has increased. Despite this growth, the number of trainers has remained the same, thanks to the efficiencies gained through Q Academy. The platform has allowed Oakland Schools to scale their training programs without incurring additional staffing costs, optimize resource allocation, and maximize the impact of their training efforts.
“Q Academy has helped us get even more training done with the same number of staff,” Green said. “It’s made us more confident with bringing more districts to Q, knowing we can train them effectively without needing to increase our staff size.”
Future Plans with Q Academy
Oakland Schools plans to expand its use of Q Academy by implementing Jumpstarts. Developed by Green, this new initiative involves creating condensed training modules that focus on the essentials of any given role or SIS function. These streamlined courses are designed to provide quick, practical learning experiences and can be integrated into district-provided professional development programs.
By leveraging Q Academy’s capabilities, Oakland Schools has improved training outcomes, optimized resources, and positioned itself for future success. As they continue to innovate and expand their use of Q Academy, Oakland Schools serves as a model for other districts aiming to improve training programs to benefit students.