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Career and Academic Plan: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Career and Academic Plan?

Moore Public Schools works to connect students and families with the processes and opportunities to engage in the Oklahoma State Department of Education's Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP), which is required to be completed by each student prior to graduation. The Career and Academic Plan is a collaboratively developed, student-driven process where students cultivate their own informed decisions for success after high school. The Plans are based on each student’s personal interests, skills, and future goals related to continued education and career, and they will work on developing their plan a little each year.

The Career and Academic Plan is a multi-year process to assist and guide high school students as they explore careers, along with researching academic and post-secondary opportunities. While Career development and exposure begin as early as PreK, in 9th grade, students, their families, and their teachers work together to develop Individualized Career and Academic Plans. The process to create each Plan is designed to equip students over their time in high school with the awareness, knowledge, and skills to create their own meaningful exploration of college and career opportunities available after graduation. The Career and Academic Plan is an evolving document that – over the years – should reflect a student’s changing aptitudes, interests, and growth. 

Career and Academic Plan Overview 

What is the Career and Academic Plan Process?

The Career and Academic Plan process includes:

• Awareness – Who am I? Get to know your interests, skills, and strengths using self-awareness activities. The process involves individual reflection and goal-setting.
• Exploration – Where do I want to go? Explore career pathways and education opportunities.
• Preparation/Planning – How do I get there? Taking a career-awareness assessment and career research are involved.
• Action – Review and revise the plan as necessary.

High School Career and Academic Plan Timeline

Site/District Sponsored Workbased Learning Activities:

• MNTC Tours for Sophomores: December 2022
• Career Expo for Juniors: April 2023

What are the minimum components of a student’s Career and Academic Plan?

Each year starting in the 9th grade, Oklahoma students will update their personalized Career and Academic Plan which will include, but not be limited to:

• Career-and college-interest surveys. (taken/retaken annually)
• Written post-secondary and workforce goals and information on progress toward these goals. (created/updated annually)
• An intentional sequence of courses that reflect progress toward the post-secondary goal. (created/updated annually)
• The student’s academic progress, including courses taken, assessment scores, any remediation or credit recovery, and any Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, concurrent or dual enrollment credits earned and/or career certificate(s), certification(s), or endorsements. (updated annually)
• Experience in-service learning and/or work environment activities.

How will my student be guided through the phases of the Career and Academic Plan?

The Career and Academic Plan teams are made up of teachers, counselors, and administrators who will take advantage of what they do best: asking questions and directing students to resources. The working relationships that teachers develop with students will support efforts to connect students’ strengths and interests to their post-secondary plans. Teachers will also take advantage of externships and opportunities to learn more about how their subject area is used in different occupations.

How is a student’s Career and Academic Plan progress monitored?

• Students will use OKcareerguide to document their Plan. Students and teachers will utilize Canvas to navigate the grade-specific Plan activities.
• OKCareerGuide is an online resource where students will complete each activity related to their Career & Academic Plan.
• Canvas provides instructions (including videos) and digital worksheets for each activity.
• All students are enrolled in a Canvas course according to their high school and graduation year.

Why a Career and Academic Plan?

The goal of a Career and Academic Plan is to enable high school students to become college and career ready and it is also an Oklahoma requirement for all students to graduate. Students who are considered college and career ready understand the relevance of specific academic courses and out-of-school learning opportunities. As a result of moving through this process, students should select a more rigorous academic course schedule, increase their efforts to academically perform well, seek work-based learning opportunities and internships, and establish their intentions to pursue career training or a degree program while in high school and/or after graduation.

Research suggests that the benefits of the Plan process increase student motivation, engagement, school connection, and awareness of individual strengths and weaknesses. Students utilizing a Career and Academic Plan also improve their understanding of post-secondary options, they better connect their goals to educational coursework and career-goal activities and engage in long-term planning for life after high-school graduation. With the elimination of seven state assessments and tests, Oklahoma was able to create the Career and Academic Plan in order to measure college and career readiness. For details related to HB 3218, visit https://sde.ok.gov/hb3218.

How is the Career and Academic Plan different from traditional product-based planning for students?

The Career and Academic Plan is both a process and a product that helps students engage in academic and career development activities and produce an e-portfolio created and maintained for the student’s academic, career, and personal advancement.

These student-owned planning and monitoring tools help them create personalized programs of study that are aligned with high school graduation requirements, personal interests, and individually defined career goals. This also includes students with disabilities who have Individualized Education Programs (IEP/Post-secondary Transition Plans (PTP), as well as students with Section 504 Accommodation Plans, English Learners, students who are Gifted and/or Talented, students who are homeless, and students considered neglected and delinquent. For more details related to individual Career and Academic Plans and IEPs, visit www.okedge.com.

Additional Questions?

For questions concerning the Career and Academic Plan process, call the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Office of College and Career Readiness at 405-521-2820 or visit www.okedge.com.