NESSC School Redesign in Action

Rhode Island’s Secondary School Regulations have long supported student-centered learning. For example, for many years, regulations have required that school districts help students in grades 6–12 develop Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) that describe students’ academic, career, and social/personal goals and map out the path they will take to achieve their goals.

However, strong policies are not enough. In focus groups and surveys, many students reported that they did not have an ILP or that they did not see the value of their ILP because their schools were not using them as intended.The Rhode Island Department of Education is working to revitalize these plans to ensure that all students have plans that are meaningful. This session will focus on the tools and supports that have been created to support schools and districts in revitalizing these plans.

Participants will leave with concrete ideas about how to implement a meaningful Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that helps students translate their academic, career, and personal/social goals into a plan for how to achieve them.