turners falls hs artifact – individual learning · web viewat turners falls high school...

Turners Falls High School

Turners Falls’ Individual Learning Plans (ILP)At Turners Falls High School (TFHS), the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a comprehensive four-year portfolio of a student’s progress and personal growth, academic plans, and career development through their high school career. Turners Falls was one of the first high schools in the state to create Individualized Learning Plans for all students, and the class of 2018 will be the first class with an ILP for all four years. The school is moving forward on institutionalizing their ILP approach funded through a state Integrating College and Career Readiness (ICCR) demonstration site grant.1

Students start their portfolio by using the Massachusetts Career Information System (MassCIS)2 to explore interests, careers, and colleges. They then develop their own ILPs and explore their interests and talk about their goals with assistance from school guidance counselors, teachers, and parents/guardians.3 ILPs are implemented through the students’ weekly advisory program that is taught by faculty members and designed to focus on college and career readiness, academic check-ins, and social-emotional growth.This TFHS sample material can help other interested high schools and districts learn about, design, and implement a framework for using Individual Learning Plans with students in grades 9-12. It consists of the following four parts, which can be used separately or as a whole, by administrators, other school leaders, faculty, and counseling staff:

1. Individual Learning Plans Summary – an outline of the ILP structure; description of strengths, challenges, and hints related to implementation; and next steps for implementation.

2. Individual Learning Plan Cover Sheet – a template for identifying and tracking the components of a student’s ILP and recording completion dates.

3. College & Career Readiness Advisory Lessons – a chart that shows the advisory monthly schedule and the CCR class activities planned for 9th-12th graders.

4. ICCR Grant Initiative at Gill-Montague Regional School District – A PowerPoint that outlines the initiative’s components and activities, e.g., middle and high school career lessons, ILPs, internships/work study, MA Model Implementation plans, and CCR enrichment activities.

1 The ICCR is an MADESE competitive grant program that provides start-up support to districts to create a comprehensive approach to college and career readiness through the creation and integration of activities that mutually support both academic and workplace readiness goals. The program offers two years of funding, with up to a year to create a plan, and then an implementation phase upon completion of the plan, so that participating districts can launch their plans. Awardees are expected to serve as demonstration sites for effective practices to help scale up efforts in other districts to prepare all students for success after high school.2 The Massachusetts Career Information System (MassCIS) is a comprehensive, internet-based career information delivery system that is made available free on-line to all state residents by the Department of Career Services (DCS). The system is designed as a tool for career and school counselors, job seekers, students and educators to help people make better-informed career and school choices. MassCIS provides information on career assessment and planning, occupations, the labor market, outlook, and educational options.3 Turners Falls High School 2014-15 Student Handbook: http://toolbox1.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/site_0606/gillmontaguetfhs_studenthandbook_093014.pdf

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PART 1: Individual Learning Plans (ILP) Summary Pilot with current 9th grade students (2014-15 school year). Implemented through weekly advisory program. Thirty-five advisory meetings once a week throughout the year,

beginning August 28, 2014 through June 4, 2015. Five-week topic rotation: College & Career Readiness, Academic

Check-In, Fun, Upstander (anti-bullying curriculum), and Teambuilding.

Each class is 30 minutes in length. Use MassCIS to administer most college and career readiness (CCR)

lessons.

ILP Implementation Strengths

o 9th graders have at least one trusted adult in the high school that they can go to if needed.

o Students are familiar with the graduation requirements and the academic expectations of high school.

o Counseling staff feels more connected with 9th graders.o Students get to create a plan, explore their interests and talk

about their goals much earlier than ever before. Challenges

o Students often forget usernames and passwords to MassCIS.o MassCIS can be difficult to navigate through and is not user-

friendly.o CCR lessons only happen once every five weeks within the

advisory program.o Advisory time is often not long enough for CCR lessons.

Helpful Hintso Select user names and passwords ahead of time for the students

and make them easy to remember. Maintain a master spreadsheet with all of the usernames and passwords for all facilitators.

o Provide students with the schools log in information first before logging in with their own user name and password on MASS CIS so the student’s information is captured under the appropriate school.

ILP Next Steps

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Turners Falls High School Will expand ILP implementation with the 9th and 10th graders next

year, however staffing cuts will affect how frequently those services are provided.

Continue to develop CCR curriculum to rotate throughout all of the grades.

Continue to grow our advisory program through feedback from students and advisors.

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Part 2: Individual Learning Plan Cover Sheet

Name: __________________________________ Date initiated ______________________

Check to indicate plan to

completeItem Date

completed

Create MassCIS Portfolio

Career Interest Inventory

Career Interest Inventory II

Career Values Inventory

Learning Styles Inventory

Resume

Graduation Audit

Graduation Plan

Reality Check on MassCIS

Other: __________________________________

Other: __________________________________

Other: __________________________________

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Check to indicate plan to

completeItem Date

completed

Other: __________________________________

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Part 3: College & Career Readiness Advisory Lessons4

Advisory Date

9th Grade(Will always be using

computer/Ipads, laptops)

10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

9/11/14

MassCIS Log In Portfolio Review/ILP

Intro (Computers needed)

PSAT PowerPoint PSAT PowerPoint

Post Secondary Planning (WVA) (2

Handouts)

10/16/14Education After High

School (Handouts)Study Skills

Assessment (WVA) (2 Handouts)

You and Your Abilities (1

Worksheet LDE)

College Interview Process (2 Handouts)

11/20/14College Search Lesson

Part 1 Using Big Future and MassCIS

Improving Organizational Skills (1

Handout)

Post-Secondary Planning

Completing a College Application

1/15/15College Search Lesson

Part 2 Using Big Future and MassCIS

Test Taking Strategies (WVA) (Handout 1)

Relating School to Career (WVA)

Fundamentals of Financial Aid

3/5/15Career Cluster

Inventory Using MassCIS

Career Cluster Inventory Paper

Career Cluster Inventory Paper

Reality Fair Lesson

4/9/15

Part 3 - College Door Decorating



Senior Advice Letter to Underclassmen (Also, last Advisory

Celebration)

5/28/15

Resume Preparation/Activity

Sheet Advisory Lesson

Resume Preparation/Activity

Sheet Advisory Lesson

Summer Calendar and Life After High School Options

Part 4: ICCR Grant Initiative at Gill-Montague

4 For related information, refer to Sparking the Future Curriculum: Lesson Plans for Grades 7–12. The Sparking the Future curriculum was designed for students who are the first in their family to attend college. These lessons supplement Navigation 101 by providing extra help for students in grades 7–12. Students follow a guided tour through postsecondary options, helping them explore college and career options. http://www.k12.wa.us/SecondaryEducation/CareerCollegeReadiness/SparkingFuture.aspx

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