Police Training Officer (PTO) Certification – Online Blended eLearning

$650 per registrant, which includes: personalized coaching,  24-hour access to our learning management software (LMS),  a hard copy workbook, and an Everything DiSC Workplace Profile.

Please use registration link only when you are prepared to advance. Once payment is processed, a course access code will be issued which allows participants to immediately begin the course. While a pdf version of the course workbook is contained within the LMS, a hard copy workbook will also be shipped to each student.  Participants can complete the course based upon their own schedule, with most typically completing the course over a three week period around their existing work schedule. The course must be completed within 60-days of course issuance. Note that the course is not formatted for cell phone usage.

The MTS Basic Police Training Officer (PTO) Certification course is designed to introduce participants to the Reno Model of Field Training, while also developing their facilitation, leadership, and coaching skills. These are the same skills that thousands of trainers have told us they need, as they help the trainee transition from the academy to their apprenticeship training setting. Throughout the course participants will be exposed to time-proven field training practices, the same curriculum that is contained within our 5-day (40-hour) Instructor-Led PTO program.

This PTO certification is being facilitated through a blend of self-paced eLearning and personalized coaching. Participants can access the course 24-hours a day, at their own pace, via our online learning management system. Select modules will have clearly defined assignments that must be submitted, in order for the learning management software to permit user advancement.  Each receives instructor review within 48-hours of submission.

As this course targets general PTO and coaching practices, it is important that participants also familiarize themselves with their Agency’s internal program requirements, and documents, which may differ from the samples provided. Participants are expected to ask questions, speak to experienced training officers, to research answers, and to “own responsibility for their training.”

Here is a high-level overview of the course, detailed objectives follow.

INTRODUCTION

Module 1:       PTO Program Process, Systems, Forms and Roles
Module 2:       Leadership
Module 3:       New Trainee Welcome and Kick-off
Module 4:       Coaching Adult Learners
Module 5:       Bloom’s Taxonomy & Evaluation Approaches
Module 6:       Emotional Intelligence and the Everything DISC©
Module 7:       Remediation and Training Liability
Module 8:       Practical Application

In addition to gaining developmental resources targeting core job competencies, participants will gain methods to develop the probates interpersonal communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Skills identified as being the most important skills needed in law enforcement.

(Underlined “assignments” require submission and receive individualized feedback/coaching)

MODULE 1: PTO Program Process, Systems, Forms and Roles  

  • Review the evolution of the Police Training Officer Program – Mod.1.1
  • State the objectives of the Police Training Officer program
  • Label 4 levels of competency – Mod. 1.2
  • Share student perspectives regarding critical law enforcement skills
  • State the history of problem-based learning
  • Define problem-based learning
  • Discuss learning-centric training approaches
  • Review a five-step approach to problem-solving

Assignment 1.2

  • Introduce portions of the PTO program structure and systems – Mod. 1.3
  • Illustrate an example PTO schedule
  • Introduce participants to PTO forms – Mod. 1.4
  • Define PTO roles and responsibilities – Mod. 1.5
  • Identify PTO duties and expectations
  • Review PTO acronyms and training terminology

MODULE 2: Leadership

  • Name the origins of leadership – Mod. 2.1
  • Distinguish leadership from management
  • List 12 qualities of outstanding leaders
  • Review John C. Maxwell’s’ Five Levels of Leadership

Assignment 2.1

MODULE 3: New Trainee Welcome and Kick-off

  • View techniques to improve study habits and cognitive recall – Mod. 3.1
  • Review note-taking approaches to address large volumes of content
  • Discuss study strategies
  • Identify methods to improve cognitive recall
  • Label the ACME acronym associated with effective story-telling
  • View approaches to integrate trainees – Mod. 3.2
  • List eight topics that may help in building rapport

Assignment 3.2

  • Discuss the value of identifying the trainees learning preference – Mod. 3.3
  • Review how adults learn
  • View a sample trainer – trainee discussion on learning preferences & expectations
  • Review the importance of setting expectations
  • Define two types of training overrides – Mod. 3.4
  • View a sample discussion regarding overrides
  • Apply your related learning
  • Discuss stress inoculation

Assignment 3.4

MODULE 4: Coaching Adult Learners                                  

  • Define coaching – Mod. 4.1
  • Reflect on the impact of trainers and coaches in your lifetime
  • List characteristics of top performing coaches
  • Analyze a top performing NFL coaches’ approach
  • Identify techniques that trainers use, that are effective
  • Name 7-reasons employees leave their workplace
  • View the psychology of coaching
  • Review steps to coaching
  • Identify the value of open-ended questions
  • Create and capitalize on coachable moments

Assignment 4.1

  • Define feedback – Mod. 4.2
  • Discuss the inherent challenges with providing effective feedback
  • Identify four commonalities of persons known for providing effective feedback
  • Label the SERVE acronym associated with effective feedback
  • Label the SMART acronym associated with stating concise objectives
  • List roadblocks, and obstacles that hinder effective communications – Mod. 4.3
  • Experience perspective variance
  • Name strategies to communicate more effectively
  • Label the LADDER acronym associated with effective listening
  • Review Edgar Dale’s Cone of Learning
  • Identify what hinders effective communications
  • Analyze sample debriefing approaches – Mod. 4.4
  • Experience the value of open-ended questions
  • Discuss David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle

MODULE 5: Bloom’s Taxonomy and Evaluation Approaches                           

  • Distinguish coaching from evaluation – Mod. 5.1
  • Review Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning
  • Describe learning domain examples (Affective, Cognitive, Psychomotor) and their associated taxonomy
  • Discuss how Bloom’s Taxonomy is applied within the PTO Program

Assignment 5.1

  • State the purpose and role of a CTR – Mod. 5.2
  • Review CTR formatting
  • Discuss types of situations or performance for narrative comment
  • Review approaches used by trainers for CTR completion
  • Analyze sample evaluation comments

MODULE 6: Emotional Intelligence and The Everything DISC©                                    

  • List dimensions of diversity in the workplace – Mod. 6.1
  • Define implicit and explicit bias
  • Discuss training scars
  • Define Emotional Intelligence (EI)
  • Review how EI is applied within training programs
  • Discuss methods to that may help develop the coachees EI
  • Complete an Everything DiSC© Workplace Profile – Mod. 6.2
  • Analyze how you may sometimes be misunderstood
  • Obtain strategies to improve overall workplace effectiveness

Assignment 6.2

MODULE 7: Remediation and Training Liability                                        

  • State the purpose of highly focused Learning Activity Packages – Mod. 7.1
  • Review the definition of remedial training
  • Discuss performance diagnostics considerations
  • Define SMART objectives
  • Name basic and remedial training tools
  • View sample Learning Activity Packages
  • Discuss potential training liability – Mod. 7.2
  • Define negligence
  • Discuss:
    • Negligent entrustment
    • Negligent assignment
    • Failure to direct
    • Negligent retention
    • Failure to train
  •  Define vicarious liability

MODULE 8: Practical  Testing and Application                                                         

  • View video-taped trainee performance – Mod. 8.1
  • Participate in virtually facilitated practical testing – Mod. 8.2
    • Apply your learning by facilitating a trainee debrief/feedback session
    • Provide praise and recognition (SERVE)
    • Correct a performance issue
    • Add a realistic variable/layer
    • Complete a Coaching and Training Report (CTR)

COURSE CLOSE

  • Remediation as needed
  • Course feedback
  • Issuance of certificate