The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released its statement on College and Career Readiness in 2015:

“All students in Wisconsin graduate from high school academically prepared and socially and emotionally competent by possessing and demonstrating:

• Knowledge. Proficiency in academic content
• Skills. Application of knowledge through skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity
• Habits. Behaviors such as perseverance, responsibility, adaptability, and leadership

These proficiencies and attributes come from rigorous, rich, and well- rounded public school experiences.

Academic and Career Planning (ACP) Defined

The term ACP (Academic and Career Planning) refers to both a process that helps students engage in academic and career development activities as well as a product that is created and maintained for students’ academic, career, and personal advancement.

The ACP process is student-driven and adult- supported process. Students create and cultivate their own unique and information-based visions for post secondary success, obtained through academic planning, self-exploration, career exploration, and the development of career management.

In Sun Prairie, the ACP process is an ongoing, K-12 process that actively engages students enabling them to:

• Understand their own interests, strengths, values, learning styles
• Create a vision of their future
• Develop individual goals
• Prepare a personal plan for achieving their academic and career goals

Course pathways for individual students should be explored with a counselor and/or teacher to ensure students are prepared with the necessary skills to be successful in the suggested career pathways. Students with diverse language backgrounds should consult with language and/or ESL teachers to be placed in appropriate courses of study.

What does it mean to be College and Career Ready?

1. Students understand their unique strengths and interest that align to a wide variety of future opportunities.
2. Students have an integral part in the creation of a personal plan for goal attainment that provides flexibility based on individual preferences and experiences.
3. Students will be exposed to different problem solving processes that apply to innovate, invent, design and build products and systems in different types of environments and industries.
4. Students will be able to direct both the world of higher education and employment to support a transition to post-secondary options.
5. Students will develop knowledge, dispositions and skills that will assist them in their future planning and readiness for post-secondary options.

The ACP process will assist all students by empowering them with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve academic, personal, social and career knowledge and graduate ready for success.This is a strategic shift in practice as illustrated in the table, below.