New SLS and CLC Curriculum

[JC004]

I searched for mention of this on the board so far, but I didn't see anything.  I went to get the instructor materials for a couple SLS modules and discovered it to be far different than the SLS stuff I've previously presented twice.  Did this just kind of slip under the radar?  The CLC page also has draft stuff up.

http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/professional_development/index.cfm?nodeID=6701&audienceID=4

What do you think about the new stuff?

[ZigZag911]

I'd heard it was coming, did not realize it was available on-line already....I just skimmed the outline for SLS, and I have to say it looks like a much improved curriculum: there is a definite focus on leadership, and there has been an obvious effort to connect the various topics, rather than present them piecemeal.

I'm looking forward to instructing or directing a course again one of these days!

[RogueLeader]

When did it come out? 

[JC004]

When did it come out? 

Unknown.  It seems to have appeared at random.  Our wing PD director said he was on the site ~3 weeks ago and it was the old material.

[c172drv]

Wow, what a touchy feelly version of the curriculum.  I think that this change really gets away from teaching folks what they need to know for conducting their jobs in the squadron.  I've been in a long time and finally got my SLS done and actually learned something.  Granted it wasn't much but it was useful to my duties.  I don't see much there.  No info on proper wear of the uniform, no guidance on how to conduct proper correspondence in CAP, the don't even have slides with the actual positions in the squadron.  You do get to watch some movie clips though.  What gives? Looks like the CLC is up for a similar dumb down.

John

[JC004]

Wow, what a touchy feelly version of the curriculum.  I think that this change really gets away from teaching folks what they need to know for conducting their jobs in the squadron.  I've been in a long time and finally got my SLS done and actually learned something.  Granted it wasn't much but it was useful to my duties.  I don't see much there.  No info on proper wear of the uniform, no guidance on how to conduct proper correspondence in CAP, the don't even have slides with the actual positions in the squadron.  You do get to watch some movie clips though.  What gives? Looks like the CLC is up for a similar dumb down.

John

I agree.  I just feel like it's missing a practical application element to it.  I know that the old material wasn't the best, and it certainly wasn't up to date, but we have to provide some of that training.  The trouble is...where does certain training fit in?  What's in Level One?  What's in SLS?  What's the job of the squadrons?  Will the squadrons actually do the practical training that is needed (or have the resources to do it)? 

It raises some interesting questions, which I hope they are considering when they are putting out this stuff.

[ZigZag911]

Gentlemen:

OJT is part of specialty track training.

SLS, CLC, and UCC are about leadership and officership, not vocational training.

If you feel further hands on guidance is needed in various specialties, ask your group or wing.

My group offered seminars in each speciality track, taught by experienced group & wing staff officers....very practical, nuts and bolts, responsive to individual questions and concerns...works well with half a dozen or a dozen squadron staff officers withone or two 'subject matter experts'.

[JC004]

Gentlemen:

OJT is part of specialty track training.

SLS, CLC, and UCC are about leadership and officership, not vocational training.

If you feel further hands on guidance is needed in various specialties, ask your group or wing.

My group offered seminars in each speciality track, taught by experienced group & wing staff officers....very practical, nuts and bolts, responsive to individual questions and concerns...works well with half a dozen or a dozen squadron staff officers withone or two 'subject matter experts'.

SLS has the word "Leadership" in it, but it has never really been a leadership course before.  As it stood, it had more to do with how to function at the unit level.

CAPR 50-17:

4-6. Squadron Leadership School (SLS).
The Squadron Leadership School (SLS) is designed to (1) enhance a senior member's performance at the squadron level and
(2) to increase understanding of the basic function of a squadron and how to improve squadron operations. Prerequisites for
attendance are completion of Level I and enrollment in one or more specialty tracks.
a. Objectives. Upon completion of the school, members should be able to:
1) Explain the correct way to wear all CAP uniforms.
2) Summarize weight and grooming standards.
3) Conduct a uniform inspection within the squadron.
4) Demonstrate proper courtesies to the flag and to other CAP and military personnel.
5) Identify the functions of squadron positions.
6) Explain how a squadron is organized and how the staff relates to each other, groups, and the wing.
7) Explain how the CAP mission elements are implemented and performed at the squadron level.
8 ) Determine ways to enhance squadron programs.
9) Demonstrate the ability to conduct a military-style briefing.
10) Write a military-style memorandum.
11) Explain the CAP corporate policy on nondiscrimination and sexual harassment.
12) Describe the need for core values in the CAP squadron.

[ZigZag911]

SLS has the word "Leadership" in it, but it has never really been a leadership course before.  As it stood, it had more to do with how to function at the unit level.

Over the years it turned into a course in how to fill out forms...frankly, I think we can offer our members better content than things they can find out, easily, by self study or informal networking.

It was intended, from the start, to give squadron officers an overview of the 'big picyutr'....it deteriorated into a 'how to' course.

[c172drv]

Just OJT leads to many problems. That is how you get wild ideas distributed.  Hence, we don't have one pilot teach another who teached another how to fly our jets at my airline.  We use dedicated instructors that use a standardized program.  It is the same issue here.  There are certain functions that require standardization for the system to work effectively.  Look at the prevelance of all the uniforms that don't look similar despite the same manual being applied to all of us.  Some people look like Central American Dictators, some like the just crawled out of bed and other look like they came out of a recruiting poster.  People will interpret the policies how they want if they are intructing themsleves or they will get a spin from their teacher.  Basically what I'm saying is that it is important to teach core curriculum issues that affect all areas of CAP in courses like SLS.  It appears to me that the new SLS program isn't meeting the needs and requirements of 50-16. 

I understand the need to work on getting leaders in the organization but leadership isn't something that CAP is really developing in the "Officer" program.  It is something that we bring to the program.  What most folks need in this program is to know how the system works.  Most wings have mutated the regulations so much that it is hard to actually apply the regulations to actual operations.  I've experience this in the past 13 years across a few wings. CAP has suffered many problems from the lack of centralization.  It would seem to make sense that NHQ would develop training that is functional down to the squadron level so that we are all operating in the same manor.

Regards,
John

[JC004]

SLS has the word "Leadership" in it, but it has never really been a leadership course before.  As it stood, it had more to do with how to function at the unit level.

Over the years it turned into a course in how to fill out forms...frankly, I think we can offer our members better content than things they can find out, easily, by self study or informal networking.

It was intended, from the start, to give squadron officers an overview of the 'big picyutr'....it deteriorated into a 'how to' course.

Well, I do agree with you, but we have to figure out how we fill in the gaps better.  Of course a senior course like has been discussed on this board many times would be great, but I think that isn't ready for a full-scale implementation at the national level yet (based on the many variations and viewpoints).

I'd advocate the development of more self-study courses deliverable by several media (online, CD, paper) to make sure it is accessible to all. 

[jimmydeanno]

The new SLS course is phenominal compared to the old one.  The purpose of SLS is to explain how the squadron functions and its role in CAP.  It also introduce the CAP officers to LEADERSHIP, something that is fundamentally lacking in this organization.

If you can fix the leadership training of the officers in CAP, then their OJT for the new members will be quality and comprehensive.

I also like the fact that there are "optional" lessons that you can pull in, or leave out depending on your student core.  In the old program, everyone was forced to sit through some speech by someone who was usually from wing, who told you what they do at Wing, and what forms you needed to send them.

There are other portions in the program that explain how to do all that.  The professional development courses should have cirriculum that pertains to everyones function in CAP.  A cadet programs officer doesn't really need to know that the Vehicle Inspection Log should be submitted to Wing by such and such a date.  Leadership, and the squadrons role in CAP is something that pertains to EVERY member, not just a specific job function.

If you want specific training on what forms you need to fill out, ask your Wing ______ officer to conduct a training class  for all the ______ officers in your wing.  You want standardization, have the people who are doing those jobs get taught by a central instructor in their field separately...what do they call that...oh yeah, OJT.  1 Hour usually isn't enough to cover everything anyway, so leave it out of the PD courses.

JMO...

[JC004]

The new SLS course is phenominal compared to the old one.  The purpose of SLS is to explain how the squadron functions and its role in CAP.  It also introduce the CAP officers to LEADERSHIP, something that is fundamentally lacking in this organization.

If you can fix the leadership training of the officers in CAP, then their OJT for the new members will be quality and comprehensive.

I also like the fact that there are "optional" lessons that you can pull in, or leave out depending on your student core.  In the old program, everyone was forced to sit through some speech by someone who was usually from wing, who told you what they do at Wing, and what forms you needed to send them.

There are other portions in the program that explain how to do all that.  The professional development courses should have cirriculum that pertains to everyones function in CAP.  A cadet programs officer doesn't really need to know that the Vehicle Inspection Log should be submitted to Wing by such and such a date.  Leadership, and the squadrons role in CAP is something that pertains to EVERY member, not just a specific job function.

If you want specific training on what forms you need to fill out, ask your Wing ______ officer to conduct a training class  for all the ______ officers in your wing.  You want standardization, have the people who are doing those jobs get taught by a central instructor in their field separately...what do they call that...oh yeah, OJT.  1 Hour usually isn't enough to cover everything anyway, so leave it out of the PD courses.

JMO...

As everyone's webservant and as someone who gets suckered into teaching courses and other fun stuff, I get a lot of feedback on what kind of information is being distributed properly and what kind of training is being conducted properly.  I, by no means, have a full picture of everything that goes on in a wing this large, but I can say this: leadership, training, and communication at the unit level is completely inconsistent.  I am an advocate of the senior training at wing level (like Iowa, et al) for this reason. 

I don't know that SLS is the answer.  I don't know that OJT, Level One orientation, or any of that is the answer at the moment either.  But we do need consistent, quality training up top.  Our wing doesn't require UCC for unit commanders.  I think they should.  I think we should standardize the training for the unit leadership and go from there. 

I get about 100-150 e-mails per month, on average, related to the wing web site.  A lot of them are requests for help with changes long past - things we never thought to include because they were so far gone - but, some units haven't communicated properly or the commanders are just ignorant of the changes/policies/etc.  I got two e-mails recently about OPSEC...the people have been around for a while, but somehow they missed OPSEC.  WTH?  I'm advocating a monthly newsletter by e-mail to anyone in the wing, which will include change summaries, new policies, that kind of good stuff.  I haven't got a response on it from the Wing King yet, but we shall see.  Communication is important - we should start by training the unit commanders properly, and, at least IMO, offering standardized training. 

Should it be in SLS?  CLC?  Small classes as described here?  Dunno.  But we need a comprehensive training plan.  I can, off the top of my head, think of a couple of units who do awesome OJT.  I can think of some units that sign off specialty track ratings and ignore OJT.  This is problem number one with just OJT - lack of standardization in execution.

[ZigZag911]

I completely agree that staff officers need more than simply OJT....my point is that SLS is not the place for position-specific training, IMHO.

[JC004]

I completely agree that staff officers need more than simply OJT....my point is that SLS is not the place for position-specific training, IMHO.

I can agree with that.  I would just hope to see some objectives for each level of training (they're in 50-17, but obviously they're changing), and a vision from National on how we are changing/developing our training. 

The director of our next wing SLS e-mailed me...said he got his directors packet this week and it had the old material.  I dunno what's up.  I did get an e-mail from the Black Van folks tonight (shhhh! they're watching!), so I'm gonna ask what's up.  It's fine by me if they drop the military-style memo objective and all that from SLS, but I'd like to see where we're going with senior training.