Personalized Learning Plans help Springfield students set, track goals

Springfield High School and Riverside Middle School will begin the process of creating Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) for students early in 2015.
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Personalized Learning Plans help Springfield students set, track goals Nov 25, 2014 SPRINGFIELD — As part of a statewide initiative and a district goal to create more flexible learning opportunities for students, Springfield High School and Riverside Middle School will begin the process of creating Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) for students early in 2015. In preparation for this new project, a district-wide PLP committee was formed last spring, comprised of administrators, counselors and teachers from both schools. The team has been researching existing PLP programs and collaborating with the Agency of Education to create a timeline and a supportive implementation plan that will make the PLP process as simple as possible for staff, students and families. A PLP is an interactive tool that helps students identify their academic, personal and career goals and track their advancement toward those goals. PLPs also allow for teachers, counselors and parents to provide insight and reflections regarding the student’s strengths, needs, and progress. In Vermont, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) and Naviance (a college-readiness software program already in use at the high school) have teamed up with the state education department and have unveiled the online PLP tool that our students will begin using this year. Students and staff will be trained on the program in January, and students will be able to establish and update their PLPs in advisory groups throughout the second half of the school year. The district’s customized PLPs will include the following core components identified by the PLP committee: 1) basic student information, 2) student learning profile, 3) individual student goals, 4) common student goals, 5) transition plans and 6) reflections from students and parents. Having all of this information in one accessible location will allow students to make clearer connections between their current efforts and behaviors and their ability to achieve future goals. PLPs will also give school staff and families a broader understanding of a student’s long-term vision and how we can best support them along the way. If families or community members have more questions related to PLPs, feel free to contact Patty Davenport, the high school’s multiple pathways coordinator, at pdavenport@ssdvt.org or Jade Costello, the high school’s counseling director, at jcostello@ssdvt.org.