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Growth Metrics for K-12 Human Capital Management Part 2: Engagement & Learning

Employee Absences

In our 3-part blog series, the Institute is breaking down the latest research report on Growth Metrics for K-12 Human Capital Management. In Part 1, we broke down the key performance indicators for measuring recruiting and hiring.

This week we’ll take a closer look at engagement and learning. What metrics should district leaders consider to monitor trends and identify opportunities to improve teacher engagement and student outcomes? Read the full report for more detail.

KPIs for Engagement & Learning

1. Teachers do not need to miss school for professional reasons and use time away sparingly.

Set schedules to dramatically reduce or eliminate the need for professionally related absences from teaching duties and cultivate a healthy work environment in which educators only need to miss school for illness or emergency.

ACTION STEP: If teachers are frequently absent at high rates, begin by investigating why. If some absences are a matter of professional obligation, try to eliminate or reschedule those. If others are frequent sick days, look for patterns that might be causing problems (e.g., certain schools or buildings with higher absence rates) and investigate.

Additional Resources

INSTITUTE REPORT: For more information on tracking and managing professionally related absences, please see the Institute report, Professionally Related Absences: Incidences, Causes & Key Findings for School Districts Get the Report
WHITE PAPER: Get actionable strategies for reducing the impact of professionally related absences. Get the White Paper

2. Professional development meets the minimum criteria set forth in ESSA.

Maximize educator professional development investments and ensure that educators have access to high-quality learning opportunities.

Maximize educator professional development investments and ensure that educators have access to high-quality learning opportunities.

ACTION STEP: Track these metrics and set short-term targets to make small improvements over time.

Additional Resources

INSTITUTE REPORT: For more on tracking these data and actionable ideas for improvement, see the Institute’s report series, Bridging the Gap. Read Now
EBOOK: Delve into why and how to evaluate your professional development program to make better decisions for teachers, staff and students. Download Now

3. Professional learning takes place at consistent intervals throughout the school year.

Provide a culture of continuous learning. 

ACTION STEP: Investigate the causes of concentrated bursts of professional learning. If they’re happening only during training sessions at the beginning of the year, consider retooling this training to include more collaborative time, and circulate learning experiences throughout the year to help educators experience them as timely and relevant to their work.

Additional Resources

RESOURCE CENTER: Get more ideas for ongoing and effective professional learning in the Continuous Educator Improvement Resource Center. Access Now
RESOURCE CENTER: Learn how micro-credentials are gaining traction as a way for teachers to demonstrate competency in a given skill area. Learn More

Get the Full Report

Ali Wert

Allison (Ali) Wert is the Content Marketing Manager of the award-winning content team at Frontline Education. She has been writing about education topics for nearly 10 years and specializes in best practices for K-12 strategic human capital management. Under her leadership, the team at Frontline was recognized as the Winner of CMA's 2017 Project of the Year and Best Content Marketing Program. Ali also helps to manage marketing for the Frontline Research & Learning Institute and The Line.