Kansas, Individual Plan of Study
Kansas IPS-Based Plan for CTE Concentrator and Completer Status
Kansas defines a CTE Concentrator as a student who earns 2 or more credits in a single approved CTE pathway, and a CTE Completer as a student who earns 3 or more credits in that pathway (often including a capstone or application-level course). Credits count from high school-level courses; middle school exploratory courses prepare students but do not typically count toward these thresholds.
The Individual Plan of Study (IPS) serves as the core framework. Kansas requires it starting in middle school (typically grade 8, but extendable to grade 7) as an ongoing process where students explore careers, set goals, and plan coursework aligned with interests. This plan leverages the IPS to intentionally guide students toward CTE pathways, ensuring they accumulate the required credits for Concentrator status (by grades 10–11) and Completer status (by graduation).
Recommended Web-Based Centralized Tool: Xello
Xello is a widely adopted, web-based platform in Kansas schools for managing IPS. It is cloud-based, allowing seamless access and collaboration between middle school and high school counselors (and teachers) across a district. Key features supporting tracking and documentation:
- Student portfolios for building and updating IPS (career assessments, goal-setting, course planning).
- Educator dashboards to monitor progress, track course enrollments, document advising sessions, and flag students off-track for CTE milestones.
- Reporting tools to identify Concentrator/Completer progress district-wide.
- Alignment with Kansas IPS requirements, including scope-and-sequence lessons for grades 6–12.
- Transition support: Student data carries over from middle to high school.
Many Kansas districts (e.g., Wichita USD 259, Columbus USD 493) already use Xello for IPS compliance. If not implemented, it can be adopted district-wide for centralization.
7th–12th Grade Strategy Overview
The strategy emphasizes early exploration (grades 7–8) to identify a CTE cluster/pathway, followed by deliberate high school course sequencing to reach 2 credits (Concentrator) and then 3+ credits (Completer). Annual IPS reviews ensure adjustments. Counselors use Xello to document progress and intervene early.
| Grade Level | Student Actions (via IPS in Xello) | Counselor/Teacher Actions (Tracking in Xello) | Target Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Grade | – Complete career interest inventories and self-assessments. – Explore career clusters (e.g., via lessons on 16 national clusters). – Identify 2–3 areas of interest. – Begin draft IPS with basic goals. | – Facilitate group or individual IPS sessions. – Introduce CTE pathways and middle school exploratory options (e.g., Agriculture Explorations or Family & Consumer Sciences). – Document initial interests and flag potential pathways. | Career awareness; preliminary pathway interest identified. |
| 8th Grade | – Deepen exploration with virtual job shadows, skills matching. – Select a primary career cluster and 1–2 potential pathways. – Build initial 4-year high school course plan, including at least one introductory CTE course in 9th grade. – Participate in pathway previews or fairs. | – Conduct mandatory IPS conference (student, parent, counselor). – Review course plan for alignment with selected pathway. – Document conference notes and approved plan in Xello. – Coordinate with high school counselors for transition. | Formal IPS completed; high school schedule includes CTE introductory course. |
| 9th Grade | – Enroll in Introductory-level CTE course (typically 0.5–1 credit). – Update IPS with reflections on coursework and experiences (e.g., internships, clubs). – Reassess interests if needed. | – Monitor enrollment in pathway courses. – Hold IPS review meeting. – Track credits earned and document progress toward Concentrator. | 0.5–1 credit earned; on track for Concentrator. |
| 10th Grade | – Enroll in Technical-level course (typically 1 credit). – Add related experiences (e.g., CTSO participation like FFA or DECA). – Update IPS goals. | – Mid-year check-in via Xello dashboard. – Document achievement of Concentrator status (upon reaching 2 credits). – Advise on next courses for Completer. | Achieve Concentrator status (2+ credits). |
| 11th Grade | – Enroll in Application-level or capstone course (typically 1–2 credits). – Pursue industry certifications or work-based learning. – Refine postsecondary plan. | – Annual IPS conference. – Track toward 3 credits; generate reports for at-risk students. – Document certifications and experiences. | Progress toward Completer (approaching 3 credits). |
| 12th Grade | – Complete any remaining pathway courses or electives to exceed 3 credits if possible. – Finalize IPS with postsecondary transition plan (college, training, employment). | – Final IPS review and senior exit conference. – Verify and document Completer status. – Export reports for Perkins funding or state reporting. | Achieve Completer status (3+ credits); graduate with verified pathway completion. |
Implementation Supports
- Annual IPS Reviews: Required each year; use Xello’s built-in tools for scheduling, notes, and parent involvement.
- Early Intervention: Xello dashboards allow counselors to filter students by credits earned, alerting those not on track (e.g., no CTE intro by 9th grade).
- Cross-Level Collaboration: Middle school counselors share Xello data with high school counselors during transitions (e.g., 8th-to-9th grade meetings).
- Documentation for Accountability: All advising notes, course plans, and credit tracking stored centrally in Xello for audits, Perkins reporting, or Kansans Can Star Recognition.
- Equity Focus: Prioritize outreach to underrepresented students during exploration phases to broaden pathway access.
This plan ensures systematic progression toward Concentrator and Completer status while fully integrating the required Kansas IPS process. Districts already using Xello can implement immediately; others may pilot it for centralized tracking.