| This qualitative collective case study explored California school districts' Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP) for the inclusion of human capital management strategies in accordance with Assembly Bill (AB) 97. District LCAPs have become one of the most scrutinized documents ever generated within the California public school system. The study aimed to understand how districts plan to meet the challenges to fill open teaching positions with qualified teachers. Through the use of a framework for human capital in education (Curtis & Wurtzel, 2012), this research investigated five unified school districts' 2015-2016 LCAPs for embedded human capital management strategies.;The review found that funding source titles caused confusion and inconsistency across districts. Within the LCAP documents, budget transparency related to multi-funded strategies was difficult to identify and track, especially allocations to attract and retain teachers. Strategies related to teacher negotiated salary agreements were not evident in the LCAPs and once the increases were approved, it was beyond AB 97 timelines. The implications for policy and practice include the need for a review of the timelines embedded within AB 97 and current district practices, along with an increased role for human resource departments within in the LCAP process. |
