ILPs

ILPs help ensure that our advanced learners remain engaged, challenged, and prepared for future academic and career pursuits while continuing to build their love of  learning.

Goal-Setting  

An Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) for an advanced learner is a personalized roadmap that challenges the student beyond standard curriculum expectations. The ILP focuses on specific needs of each student within identified strength areas, specifying how acceleration, compacting of curriculum, or enrichment (ACE) will be used to differentiate and customize instruction to build on strengths. The ILP focuses on 1-3 specific goals for academic outcomes aligned to career aspirations (especially in high school) or to specific academic area domains (especially for elementary and middle school.) ILPs also detail the learning opportunities that will be offered to help students achieve their goals. 

Student Pathways: Year to Year

The ILP is a living document, updated each year as students move through the ACE pathway in RSU 13. For continuing students, the goals and plans are set during the first few weeks of school. They are often started or developed earlier –  in the spring – especially for 8th graders and high school students whose learning plan involves selection of advanced courses for the coming year.  For students who are newly identified in the fall of the school year, their ILPs should be completed within by the start of the second trimester in elementary and for the second quarter for students in middle and high school.  

How are ILPs Created? 

The process of developing an ILP involves ACE advisors meeting with students and general education teachers. Families are also involved in this process, although it may look different as students progress into high school and students are expected to take more individual responsibility for their plans. We ask that students and parents sign an RSU 13 Learning Contract annually to indicate that they will participate and engage in the ACE learning designed for them in the ILP.  At the high school levels, families opt-in at the start of freshman year when students enter an Academy Pathway, and don’t need to opt-in again each year. 

Progress monitoring 

 The ILPs are used as guideposts for tracking student growth. Progress toward goals is updated at each trimester for elementary students and for students in grades 6-12 at mid-year and end-of-year. In addition families should expect to conference at least once during the year with the ACE advisor in-person or via TEAMS, phone call or email. This is an opportunity to hear about progress, ask questions, and share concerns or ideas. Student engagement in their learning is critical, and progress reporting time as well as conferences are  important check-ins to make sure students are accessing and benefiting from their ACE support.