4 Steps to Effective Change Management for School Districts

Change management is critical to a successful learning management system (LMS) transition, but it’s not always easy. In this article, we share four best practices you can use to help implement timely change management initiatives. Plus, we highlight the ways in which D2L’s experts can provide support along the way.

1. Prepare Your Foundation

Before getting down to details, you want to ensure all key stakeholders have a seat at the table and that goals and objectives are set to manage the change associated with your project. We can help you:

• measure your district’s readiness for change
• outline a clear plan
• map out an ideal student and educator experience
• determine milestones and success criteria

The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to make the transition.

2. Create a Communication Plan

Next, you’ll want to develop a communication plan that outlines what everyone needs to know and how you intend to spread the word. Ultimately, a successful communication plan should help people:

• understand the why behind the change
• get the support they need to navigate
• effectively address any additional impacts, risks and requirements

You can leverage materials and resources created by our learning experts to set up your communication plan. Our team of learning strategy consultants can also guide you in building a customized plan suited for your school district.

3. Make an Adoption Plan

A strategic adoption plan will help you reinforce your district and school’s learning culture and set people up for success with newly introduced tools.

Our learning experts can help address impacts through change leadership coaching, designing training and onboarding materials for students and educators. Plus, our customer success team can provide continuous support and strategic guidance and recommendations.

4. Measure and Sustain

The final step to a successful change management initiative is to track your progress and adapt where, how and when needed.

Our learning experts can help you improve your measurement and evaluation methods to optimize your learning environment to meet your district’s needs. We can also provide strategic advice on risk mitigation, cost-cutting measures and sustainability change methods, so you continue to expand and evolve your goals to tackle more complex objectives.

Organizational change management can be overwhelming. When you partner with D2L, you get a team dedicated to helping you guide your vision, plan your approach, and execute your learning strategy to drive change management in your school district.

We’re here to help every step of the way.

Let’s talk

Written by

Joanne Struch

Joanne is a Prosci© certified Change Management Practitioner with 15+ years of experience in the development and delivery of learning programs, including as a senior leader responsible for strategic program development. She has led an implementation of Brightspace that involved creating a transition plan, training and developing instructional teams, and formalizing a delivery framework for successful remote and hybrid instruction. She also led the plan for the transition to remote teaching and learning for her institution in March 2020. As an educator, Joanne has delivered interactive classes to 100s of students domestically and internationally with a focus on clear, consistent, and student-focused delivery and feedback practices. She has contributed to the enhancement of institutional, educational planning and delivery through analysis of student needs, pedagogical practices, and instructor training needs.