An individualized learning plan (ILP) is both a document and a process that students use – with support from school counselors, teachers, and parents – to define their career goals and postsecondary plans in order to inform their decisions about their courses and activities throughout high school. Many states have adopted policies that require all middle and/or high school students to develop and maintain an individualized learning plan in order to make schools more personalized and improve student outcomes.
The ILP research studies by NCWD/Youth and our partners indicate that ILPs show promise as an effective strategy for delivering quality career development opportunities that improve several student outcomes.
See which states are using ILPs!
https://www.dol.gov/odep/ilp/map/
Featured individualized learning plans resources include:
- Individualized Learning Plan Fact Sheet
- Promoting Quality Individualized Learning Plans throughout the Lifespan: A Revised and Updated ILP How to Guide 2.0
- Families and College and Career Readiness: What Schools Can Do to Engage Families in the Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) Process
- Use of Individualized Learning Plans: A Promising Practice for Driving College and Career Efforts
We also recommend these resources from the field on individualized learning plans.
- Student Learning Plans: Supporting Every Student’s Transition to College and Career – Brief by the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
- The Nature and Use of Individualized Learning Plans as a Career Intervention Strategy – Journal for Career Development, 2012
- Quality Learning Experiences, Self-Determination, and Academic Success: A Path Analytic Study Among Youth With Disabilities – Career Development & Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 2012
