©2007 dr. karl squier toolkit 8 individual learning plans a program to personalize student learning...

©2007 Dr. Karl Squier

Toolkit 8Individual Learning Plans

A Program to Personalize Student Learning

and Contribute to Their Academic, Career

and Personal/Social Success


Why Plan?

Planning is a lifelong skill that is a requirement for personal growth

and success

If planning is so important to our success in life and the world of work, it is our responsibility as educators to help students become better planners by helping them focus on their own futures


What Is anIndividual Learning Plan

Program? The Individual Learning Plan

(ILP) Program provides students with guided and self-reflective opportunities to plan for their academic, career and personal/social development

Students use the ILP process to demonstrate their progress toward graduation requirements and the ASCA counseling standards


ILPs Are a State Requirement

An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is primarily authored by students themselves, with guidance from their school advisors, parents, and community contacts – such as a business or arts mentor, when applicable. Schools are creating structures and occasions – such as advisories – to revisit ILPs frequently and even rewrite them as the student chooses high school courses, documents his or her outside activities, prepares to meet graduation requirements, and generally plans for the future. The ILP helps students focus on goals and how to use the time in high school to accomplish their personal objectives, in conjunction with completing graduation requirements. If a student changes schools within RI, the student and new high school has the ILP to help avoid disruption in that student’s progress towards graduation. ILPs offer an excellent opportunity to engage parents in their child’s learning. [Source: RI High School Diploma System, 2005)


The ILP and Student Success

Students are more likely to succeed in school, work and life when they know how to plan for their future

The ILP:— is a structured process that enables students to plan for their future in three developmental domains: academic, career and personal/social

— allows counselors and teachers to observe student progress along the learning continuum

— is results-based with specific learner outcomes and functions as a pathway to personalization


ILP: A Results-Based Program

As a result of participating in the ILP Program, students can expect to: Have meaningful interactions with school counselors and teachers who help them plan for their academic, career, and personal/social development

Learn how to plan for their future (set goals, develop action plans, monitor progress, reflect on one’s experience, use results of reflection to update plans)

Become skilled in identifying and addressing barriers to their learning and developing strategies to overcome them

Always know how they are progressing toward graduation and being able to make informed decisions about post-secondary opportunities


Student OutcomesThe ILP provides a structured process to help students plan for their futures through the:

a) acquisition of knowledgeb) development of skillsc) adoption of appropriate behaviors/attitudes

In order for students to demonstrate progress and be assessed as proficient, the ILP Program must first deliver opportunities for students to learn relevant content and practice applying what they are learning to real-world contexts

This content is called the “ILP Curriculum” and consists of learning opportunities already in use in other areas of the curriculum and new activities designed specifically for the ILP Program


Relation of ILP Program (TK8) and the Counseling Curriculum

(TK2) The ILP Program is an organizing

principle for the counseling curriculum It organizes what we deliver to

students in terms of teaching them how to learn, how to plan for their future, and how to cope with the many challenges of growing up and preparing for life after high school

ILP activities are identified in the Scope and Sequence, aligned with ASCA and NCDG standards, and documented as part of the district’s Curriculum Framework for School Counseling


Knowledge We Want Students to Acquire

Essential information students will learn through the ILP:

― Importance of planning for their future

― Steps in a complete planning process

― Standards which affect their future

― Roles and accountability


Skills We Want Students to Develop

Tasks and skills that are essential for students to do in terms of individual student planning:

Envision the futureIdentify developmental needsDevelop an action planImplement their plan and monitor

their progress

Evaluate their progress and document their conclusions

Develop new planProvide evidence of progress toward

results


Behaviors We WantStudents to Adopt

One’s behavior and attitude are critical to success in school, work and life

The ILP highlights behaviors/ attitudes required for success by business and educational communities


ILP—A Personal Challenge to Take Ownership for One’s Learning

The ILP provides students with meaningful and ongoing processes focused on their personal success in the future

It is a personal challenge to students to assume ownership for their learning and to learn self-direction as a life-long skill

Students are guided in their efforts by adults who interact with them to arrive at a mutually agreed-upon set of learning goals and developmental activities

Support for meeting this challenge also comes from parents who are encouraged to become more aware of their children’s plans through signing their ILPs


Six Steps in TK81—Complete TK8 Welcome Center activities

— Gain relevant knowledge about ILPs— Diagnose your current ILP Program— Develop a plan for using TK8 in your school

2—Design your ILP Program

3—Develop scope and sequence for ILP Curriculum

4—Document the ILP Curriculum activities

5—Document roles and accountabilities, and policies and protocols

6—Implement the ILP Program and generatecompelling data


Essential Design Components

Documented ILP curriculum ILP support infrastructure ILP data management and reporting Strategic and annual ILP

implementation plans Professional development on the ILP

for counselors, teachers and building leaders

Family and community engagement

The ILP Program design will focus on these essential components:


ILP Exemplar

TK8 uses the ILP Program developed by Hope High School, Providence (RI) Public Schools, as an exemplar

The following slides are examples of their critical processes and forms used to help students plan for their academic, career and personal/social development


Individual Learning Plans2 Components: 2 Components: ALP and I-PASS

The Academic Learning Plan (ALP) is a road map with detailed directions to graduation by monitoring quarterly through progress reports and report cards and recording grades and credits annually.

I-PASS (Individual Physical Academic Social Success Plan) addresses the physical, social, academic, and career goals of the individual on an annual basis. New goals and aspirations are modified and updated throughout the academic school year. The student completes a new I-PASS each September.

Student success is personalized and individualizedand students learn to plan and become accountable for their futures.


Hope High School’s ILP Providence, Rhode Island

ALP Academic Learning Plan

Credit Audit of courses, grades and credits earned

Academic road map to graduation One ALP for all 4 years that is updated annually

I-PASS Individual Physical Academic Social Success Plan

Designed to promote a balanced individual — Mind (academics) — Body (physical) — Relationships (family and friends)— Spiritual is a personal goal that is not

addressed with the I-PASS


Students are accountable for understanding and tracking courses, grades and credits with help from advisors and counselors

ALP is updated annually by students and retained with advisors in individual folders

Road map of core courses required, small learning or theme choices, and elective options

Course of Study is enclosed with student’s file for detailed course description

Academic Learning Plan (ALP)


How We Deliver the ILP to Students

Introduce the ILP through Advisories

Quarterly Academic Review

with Students

Start of YearALP Packet4-Year PlanTranscript

ILP Folder Checklist

Beginning of Year

ALP Packet (4-Year Plan, Transcript)

I-PASS Packet (I-PASS Goal

Setting Activity,I-PASS

Template, Examples)

ILP Folder Checklist

During the Year

Quarterly Academic Review by Students

Parent-Teacher Conference at

End of 2nd Quarter

(Student, Parent, and

Counselor Sign the ALP)

1-on-1 Assistance

End of Year

Written Reflection on I-PASS Activity

Review ILP Folder using Checklist and

Rubrics

Student and Teacher Surveys

on Impact of Using ILP


Next Steps Complete the steps in TK8 to design/

enhance your ILP Program

Talk with your colleagues in other schools and districts to learn about their experiences and insights

Participate in the Rhode Island School Counselor Association’s (RISCA) professional development on ILPs

Ask for technical assistance on ILPs from the RISCA Professional Development Initiative (contact: Belinda Wilkerson at [email protected])

©2007 dr. karl squier toolkit 8 individual learning plans a program to personalize student learning...

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