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Xello Frequently asked questions from dpi.wi.gov/acp/faqsWhat does ACP stand for?ACP means Academic and Career Planning or Plans. “Planning” emphasizes the Process; “Plans” indicate the “Product.” What is ACP?Academic and Career Planning (ACP) is a collaboratively developed, student-driven process for planning for success in middle school, secondary school, and post-secondary academics and career development. Also known by some groups as Individualized Learning Plans (ILP), research on the benefits indicates that the ACP process increases student motivation, engagement, school connection, and awareness of individual strengths and weaknesses. Students utilizing ACP also improve their understanding of postsecondary options, better connect their goals to educational coursework and career goal activities, and engage in long-term planning for life after high school graduation. The term ACP refers to both a process that helps students engage in academic and career development activities and an e- portfolio product that is created and maintained for the student’s academic, career, and personal advancement. These student-owned planning and monitoring tools help students create personalized programs of study that are aligned with high school graduation requirements, personal interests, and individually-defined career goals. SEE the ACP Basics Document. Which students will participate in ACP?All students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in a public school district will participate in ACP. This also includes students with disabilities who have Individualized Education Programs (IEP)/Post-secondary Transition Plans (PTP), as well as students with Section 504 Accommodation Plans, English Language Learners, students who are Gifted and or Talented, students who are homeless, and students considered neglected and delinquent. Which schools are required to provide ACP services?This is a requirement for Wisconsin school boards. Under Wis. Stat. § 115.28(59)(b) every school board will ensure that it is “providing academic and career planning services to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 12 in the school district” beginning in fall 2017. What are the process features of quality ACP?Quality ACP features include alignment with current Education for Employment (E4E) law, and theWisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model (WCSCM) with opportunities that incorporate self-exploration, career exploration, and career planning & management activities. The ACP Model is KNOW-EXPLORE-PLAN-GO
How is ACP different from what I am doing now?It may not be all that different from what you are doing now depending on how thoroughly you are implementing the current components of the PI 26 Education for Employment (E4E) rule and theWisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model (WCSCM). ACP should not be viewed as another new initiative, but rather be considered part of an ongoing process of implementation, review, evaluation, and refinement as a district implements the components of college and career readiness. Furthermore, ACP reinforces similar requirements already in place for special populations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Career Technical Education Programs of Study required for federal Carl D. Perkins funding. On the other hand, schools may be struggling to fully implement E4E and WCSCM or achieve the respective goals and purposes. ACP is built on a strong paradigm of and commitment to student-centered and student directed processes. Moving your school, the entire staff, and even your community toward this paradigm and commitment may be the biggest difference from what is currently being done. Fortunately, resources are being developed to aid districts in the development and refinement of the ACP process including ways to ensure they are student-centered and student-directed. Are all students required to prepare an Academic and Career Plan?Wis. Stat. § 115.28(59)(b) requires that beginning in the 2017-18 school year, every school board ensures that it is “providing academic and career planning services to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 12 in the school district.” Are students required to declare their career choice in 6th grade?No. School staff, families, community members, and students should use the ACP exploration and planning process and activities to learn more about themselves and how their personal strengths and interests connect to future goals and potential careers. Frequent review and revision of a student’s choices and plan is encouraged as part of the ACP process to ensure more thoughtful decision-making related to future goals as they grow through middle school and high school. What if a student changes their mind about their ACP goal(s)?The premise of the ACP is for students to discover, learn, explore, and apply interests, skills and knowledge as they are acquired. Frequent review and revision of a student’s plan is encouraged as part of the ACP process to ensure more thoughtful decision-making related to future goals. How is ACP different from other “individualized” programs?There is a difference between personalization, differentiation, and individualization in education; however, many times the terms get used interchangeably. Originally compared in the U.S. Department of Education 2010 Education Technology Plan; Barbara Bray/Kathleen McCluskeycreated a chart to help clarify these terms. Please note that these definitions all address teaching and learning as an element of coursework. ACP, also known as an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP), comprises many of the same elements of “Personalized Learning,” but encompasses adocument and process focused on connecting academic coursework to career goals and post-secondary plans to inform decision-making about courses and activities while still in school. LINK to CHART: http://www.personalizelearning.com/2013/03/new-personalization-vs-differentiation.html SUMMARY:
How does ACP relate to Education for Employment (E4E) and the Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model?The administrative rule requirements for ACP services and delivery indicated in 2013 Act 20 were included as part of an overall revision of PI 26- Education for Employment (E4E) Administrative Rule with opportunities that incorporate ACP required self-exploration, career exploration, and career planning & management activities. The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model, although not required for school districts, is useful for setting accountability goals and developing or identifying standards-aligned curricula. Furthermore, many of Wisconsin’s school counselors have been trained on ILP (ACP in WI) implementation as part of the model. In addition to professional development and implementation tools, other resources are being created to aid districts in the development, implementation, and refinement of the ACP process. ACP State PlanningWhat is the State Plan for ACP Implementation?As we move forward toward the state vision that “Wisconsin Graduates are College and Career Ready,” under State Superintendent Evers’ Agenda 2017, a DPI multi-division team is working with an external ACP Advisory Council to advise on the development of several resources that would support statewide implementation of Academic and Career Planning. Targeted resources include:
Wis. Stat. § 115.28(59)(b) states “Ensure that, beginning in 2017-18 school year, every school board is providing academic and career planning services to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 12 in the school district.” At this time, a pilot phase is underway in 2015-16. Stay current by signing up for ongoing project information on the ACP Web Site via the ACP email listserv and ACP Blog. How are/were the ACP project requirements informed?A multi-agency and stakeholder group was convened in early 2013 by the DPI multi-division team to inform DPI regarding the requirements for the ACP project. This group utilized recommendations made by the 2012 Governor’s Council on College and Workforce Readiness to create the State Plan for ACP project priorities described above. Starting in March 2014, a larger ACP Advisory Council was created to review and comment on development, testing and implementation of ACP components and materials. Stay current by signing up for ongoing project information on the website via the ACP Email listserv and ACP Blog. ACP ComponentsWhat are the requirements for ACP?Requirements for Academic and Career Planning (ACP) services are outlined are in the PI 26 Administrative Rule published on December 1, 2015. How those services are determined and delivered will be defined by local school districts. Furthermore, districts should make efforts to incorporate ACP service delivery as an integral part of their overall college and career readiness strategic planning so that other educational efforts are leveraged and ACP responsibilities do not just fall on counselors to implement. For that reason, DPI is creating a set of tools to help districts prepare, plan, and implement ACP. Helpful Resources:
What is Administrative Rule?An Administrative Rule has the effect of law and is issued by an agency, such as DPI, to implement, interpret or make specific legislation administered by the agency. Who is required to deliver ACP services?The Administrative Rule designates that the school board take responsibility to oversee and deliver ACP services. Districts should make efforts to incorporate ACP service delivery as an integral part of their overall college and career readiness strategic planning so that other educational efforts are leveraged and ACP responsibilities do not just fall on counselors to implement. In order to realize the transformative potential of ACP, it will be critical that a district take a team approach that includes school board and administrative engagement involving representation from School Counseling, CTE, Special Education, Core Content staff, Parents, Student, and the Community at large. While school counselors will likely take a lead role, evaluation of the infrastructure and delivery of services cannot fall to them alone. I am a school counselor. Is this my responsibility to implement?While you will likely take a lead in ACP efforts, it will be impossible for you to shoulder a quality ACP program alone. “In order to implement a comprehensive school counseling program, the ASCA National Model directs school counselors to coordinate opportunities to assist individual student planning to help students identify personal goals and future plans. This is an essential element and purpose of ILPs (ACP in WI). It is especially important to note that school-wide implementation of ILPs should be coordinated by school counselors who are expected to have some expertise in career development; however, school-wide implementation should be coordinated among all or at least a team of educators…Relying on school counselors or other administrators with high student-teacher ratios will not allow for the level of implementation nor the quality of time needed to support effective ILP implementation.” Source. I am an English (Math, Science, Social Studies, Music, Arts, Physical Education, etc.) teacher. What is my role in the ACP process?Research shows that “engaging in ILPs (ACP in WI) has been found to be associated with students engaging in goal setting and becoming more motivated to attend school because it is perceived as relevant and meaningful... Students perceived that teachers were more encouraging and supportive. Teachers and parents perceived students as more engaged in school and more likely to be taking more difficult classes and classes that were aligned with career and life goals. Students reported that engaging in ILPs resulted in stronger intentions to complete high school and matriculate to a postsecondary education or training opportunity.” Source. If these outcomes are to be realized, it will be imperative from an ACP delivery capacity issue, that counselors alone cannot be expected to support all students, especially, when the average Wisconsin counselor to student ratio is 1:450. Moreover, student relationships with a consistent, supportive adult, outside regular classroom interactions, have been shown to increase motivationand reduce achievement gaps and behavioral issues. The ACP team in your district should already be preparing you for your role in the ACP process. If your district has not yet begun to form a team, please see the tools HERE to get one started. I am a Career and Technical Education teacher and already do career development. How does ACP impact me?“The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 directs Career and Technical Education (CTE) coordinators and teachers to link CTE course taking to positive secondary and post-secondary outcomes.” The Guide for Implementing Programs of Study (POS) in Wisconsindescribes many of the critical components necessary for students to become college and career ready including- advising, intentional course sequences, partnerships, dual credit articulation, connections to post-secondary transitions, and technical skill attainment. While ACP is broader than technical skill development in a POS, a CTE teacher’s experiences, knowledge, and skills are a necessary part of a comprehensive school or district ACP team. In partnership with school counselors, CTE teachers can assist to promote the value and inform other staff of the ACP process based on career pathways, post-secondary options, and community partnerships. CTE coordinators and teachers are often the ones that help students link academics and career interests through classes in which they can “try on” different broad occupational skills such as marketing, accounting, engineering, health care, and more. The ACP team in your district should already be preparing you for your role in the ACP process. If your district has not yet begun to form a team, please see the tools HERE to get one started. I don’t know anything about advising for career development. What do I do?One of the misconceptions of ACP is that you must be a career advisor expert in order to assist students. On the contrary, ACP teams should take advantage of what teachers do best- asking questions and directing students to resources. While you may not yet be familiar with the ACP tools your district intends to use, the personal relationships you develop with students will support your efforts to connect their strengths and interests to their post-secondary plans. Furthermore, take advantage of externships and opportunities to learn more about how your content area subject is used in different occupations. DPI is developing resources to support ACP teams to train staff to have advising conversations. If your district has not yet begun to form a team, please see the tools HERE to get one started. What is the families’ role in the ACP process?Families are an integral part of the ACP process! Families are encouraged to review their child’s plan and discuss all of the component opportunities in order to help them make thoughtful decisions that align with their goals. DPI is developing resources that schools can use to collaborate with parents in these efforts. What is the community’s role in the ACP process?From both a financial and staff perspective, it will be important to connect to other providers outside of school to ensure access to expertise and services that cannot be provided by the school alone. From occupational expertise; teacher externship opportunities; job-shadow, work-based learning, service learning and volunteer experiences; dual credit articulations; intensive social interventions; and career development support from workforce development and economic development groups, the district ACP team should leverage common goals and partnerships. Local and regional partnerships provide a means to collaborate and support mutual goals. Each CESA has designated an ACP Partnership Coordinator(s) to assist with these efforts, including connections to both the UW and Technical College Systems. Click HERE to see the partnership list to get started. ACP Software SystemCareer Locker
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