V. Scott Solberg, PhD (@vsolberg; ssolberg@bu.edu)
School of Education, Boston University
National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth
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
Introduce the Nature and Promise of ICAPs

Use multiple sources of evidence to delineate state,
district and state implementation recommendations
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School preparing my child
for post high school
transi ons
70%
83%
Child Taking Leadership
Role in ILPs
32%
60%
With IEPS
Child Involved in ILP
79%
88%
Family Helping With ILP
88%
90%
0%
Without IEPS
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Altarum (2011). Parent and educator perspec ves on ILPs: Final recommenda ons
From a four state report. Report available from Altarum.
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School preparing my child
for post high school
transi ons
70%
83%
Child Taking Leadership
Role in ILPs
32%
60%
With IEPS
Child Involved in ILP
79%
88%
Family Helping With ILP
88%
90%
0%
Without IEPS
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Altarum (2011). Parent and educator perspec ves on ILPs: Final recommenda ons
From a four state report. Report available from Altarum.
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Create a personalized learning environment in which
youth:

Create stronger relational connections with their
family, teachers, and peers;

Choose a more rigorous course schedule; and

Engage in a wide range of career exploration and workbased learning activities.
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“When we do sit down, we talk about her
career goals and we’ll talk about her grades
now and we also talk about alternate
(careers)… There are other avenues she can
think of, like a vet assistant.”
Reported on more than one occassion:
“Because of the [ICAP], I have a better
relationship with my mother.”
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“I love it. For my students, it has been their
roadmap. It gets them focused and maps out
what they need to take in order to prepare for
careers and college.”
“The kids that we get have never been spoken to
about college even being an option, or guided as
to how they get through it. So when they dive
into that, all of a sudden, it’s kind of ‘Oh, I can do
that? Really?’ The whole concept of their future
changes.”
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[ICAPs] are the game changer
in education and the glue that
ties together all of the other
initiatives
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1.00 Statement of Basis and Purpose
•
Pursuant to SB 09-256, the State Board of Education is required to
promulgate rules to establish standards for Individual Career and
Academic Plans (“ICAP”) for students enrolled in public schools in
the state. The intent of this provision in the legislation is to ultimately
decrease dropout rates and increase graduation rates by assisting
students in developing and maintaining a personalized postsecondary
plan that ensures readiness for postsecondary and workforce success.
•
An ICAP shall be designed to assist a student and his or her parent or
legal guardian in exploring the postsecondary career and educational
opportunities available to the student, aligning course work and
curriculum, applying to postsecondary education institutions, securing
financial aid and ultimately entering the workforce.
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From the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
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All youth need access to a caring and
supportive adult who maintains the
highest expectations for their potential.
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ICAPs enable youth and their families to build
the self-exploration, career exploration, and
career planning and management skills
needed to navigate between their interests,
skills and values and the plethora of world of
work opportunities.
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Disabili es
Without Disabili es
Becoming Career
Ready
40%
Not Becoming
Career Ready
60%
40%
60%
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100%
100%
High Income District
95%
90%
74%
80%
70%
60%
69%
50%
54%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Students in
grad cohort
2006
Graduate
within 5 years
Enrolled in
college
(Immediate
Fall)
Persistently Obtain a degree
enrolled in
within 6 years
college
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Youth Who are Becoming Career Ready Can:
 Identify one or more careers of interest
 Clearly describe plans to pursue the careers of interest
 Connect career plans to personal interests, skills &
values
 Identify how current courses relate to career plan
 Articulate skill & entry requirements for careers
 Engage in additional learning opportunities
 Describe their needed skills & future development plan
 Exercise these skills throughout life – Ready to engage
in lifelong career planning & management
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“We get to learn about some of the students
better and learned about their hobbies. I got
one girl that loves plants and wants to learn all
about plants. I didn’t have any idea that’s what
she wanted to do. I got one that wants to travel
to Australia and I didn’t know that, so I’ve
learned things about students personally and
that’s one thing I like about the ILP.
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“We are now talking in 8th and 9th grade
meetings about Transition Plans and [ICAPs]
in a more organized fashion.”
“[Schools] develop a 6th–12th [grade] system
of advisement for all students through
systematic, comprehensive, and
developmental advisement.”
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ICAPs are implemented most effectively
when there is whole-school buy-in and thus
small groups of students are assigned to an
educator who meets with them on ICAPs
about two times per week
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[ICAP] “definitely gave them a sense … that they
had set goals around this. It wasn’t, you know, ‘oh,
here it is, the first grade check and I’m getting a C,
oh, that’s okay.’ It was, ‘I had written a goal that I
was going to get an A-minus or better and I’m not
there and I’m the one that did this, I’m the one that
said this.’ The ownership and responsibility piece I
think is greater for my girls because they lead this
conference, they tell me what they’re going to do,
[and] I listen, basically.”
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Quality Indicator 1: Self-Awareness
Definition: An understanding of how one’s unique
interests, talents, and aspirations play a role in
decision-making and interpersonal relationships.
Individual thoughts and feelings that get students
excited about life and learning, and the ability to
articulate passions and dreams; including
recognizing challenges and potential barriers to
attaining goals, and how healthy lifestyles
contribute to personal and professional success.
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Quality Indicator 2: Career Awareness
Definition:
An understanding of the difference between jobs,
occupations, and careers and the impact this might
have on one’s career satisfaction. Ability to articulate
the implications of a wide range of local regional,
national, and global career pathways and
opportunities, while giving consideration to economic,
cultural influences, and the impact of stereotypes on
career choice.
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Quality Indicator 3: Postsecondary
Aspirations
Definition:
Participation in career exploration activities
centered on students’ passions, interests,
dreams, visions of their future-self, and
perceived options.
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Quality Indicator 4: Postsecondary Options
Definition:
The knowledge and application of a variety of
postsecondary and career opportunities and
advancements available by using tools such as
career clusters, personality assessments and
learning style inventories highlighting individual
strengths and capabilities.
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Quality Indicator 5: Environmental
Expectations
Definition:
An ecological system in which school,
family, community, culture, and worldview
influence the students’ career development
and post-secondary plans.
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Quality Indicator 6: Academic Planning
Definition:
The skills and knowledge necessary to map
out and pass the academic courses
required to achieve postsecondary goals.
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Quality Indicator 7: Employability Skills
Definition:
To define, develop, and hone skills that increase
the likelihood of becoming and remaining
successfully employed and civically responsible
citizens.
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Quality Indicator 8: Personal Financial
Literacy
Definition:
Having an awareness of and be able to
articulate the cost of postsecondary options
and apply this awareness to their
postsecondary career and academic planning
process.
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





ILPs are not required by federal law. They are required by state
law or executive edict.
ILPs do not replace IEPs.
ILPs can promote collaboration among school admin and staff
to support the Special Ed students’ career development
(Connects Counseling, Spec Ed, CTE, Gen Ed staff).
Students may work on their ILPs in an advisory period or
weekly class (Ongoing Process, Part of Regular School Day).
Students may meet frequently with an adult mentor/advisor
or small group to work on ILP (Inclusive, Personal Support).
ILPs inform the IEP/Transition Planning process - Students &
families come to table with understanding of student’s
interests, options, goals, & current plans.
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Final Model Students with Disabilities
Family
Involvement
Career Search
Self-Efficacy
Academic SelfEfficacy
GPA; Career
Decision-Making
Readiness;
Distress
General Sample:
GPA (std. est. = .023, p. < .001).
Career decision-making readiness (std. est. = .030, p. < .000).
Distress (std. est. = -.034, p < .000).
Disability Sample:
GPA (std. est. = .023, p. < .001)
Distress (std. est. = -.046, p. < .027).
A child's life is like a piece of paper
on which every person leaves a mark
– Chinese/Malay Proverb
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A bit of fragrance clings to the hand
that gives flowers
- Chinese/Malay Proverb
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V. Scott Solberg
ssolberg@bu.edu
Curtis Richards
richardsc@iel.org
Mindy Larson
Ph. 202.822.8405 Ext. 169
LarsonM@iel.org
NCWD/Youth: www.ncwd-youth.info
Funded by ODEP, U.S. DOL: www.dol.gov/odep
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