Learning
Year Program:
Continual
Learning Plans
The Continual Learning Plan
(CLP) is a required document for accounting for student learning
in the optional Learning Year Program (LYP). The goal of the LYP is to enable students to move towards grade
level attainment or graduation at an “accelerated” pace by receiving additional
instructional or “learning” time. Therefore, the CLP must define the annual
learning goals, activities and experiences as well as the annual
performance measurements and assessments that will be utilized for students who
choose to participate in this optional program. The CLP also enables instructional staff to determine when
students have met the grade level requirements or graduation standards so that
they can be grade progressed or graduate.
Additionally, the participation of a LYP student’s parent/legal guardian
in planning and signing the CLP is required
annually (M.S. 124D.128,
subd. 3).
The three main components of a Continual Learning Plan are annual academic goal setting, learning program activities and assessment.
The
CLP needs to identify the particular learning objectives, including graduation
standards, that a student will focus on during the entire academic year
, including the Learning Year Program.
For example, a learning objective could be to gain knowledge or skills
in one of the following areas: multiplication and division, social analysis of
the U.S. civil rights movement, literal comprehension at the primary level,
chance and data analysis at the secondary level, etc. Prior to developing the specific CLP goals, school instructional
staff must evaluate what knowledge or skills a student currently has. This can be accomplished through
standardized or criterion-referenced testing as well as other assessments such
as a portfolio of student work, teacher evaluation of student’s content
mastery, etc. Through choosing from one
or more assessments, a skills or knowledge baseline can be established from
which to set related annual academic goals.
Once the goals of the CLP have been established, the learning program of the individual student must be described. In other words, given a learner’s particular academic goals, what learning experiences are to be offered annually to move a student towards his/her goals of completing certain grade level requirements or graduation standards requirements. The CLP must also include those learning activities occurring during the Learning Year Program portion of the school year. While a course syllabus may be included in a CLP, an individualized learning program must include how teacher(s) will assist a student throughout the entire school year in accelerating academic achievement in the areas indicated on the CLP. For grade 9-12 students, the learning experiences that are needed in order for a student to meet graduation requirements must also be included.
In order to determine what content knowledge or skills a student participating in the LYP has attained, the LYP instructional staff must annually assess the LYP student to determine how successful an individual learner was in achieving her/his academic goals
in the LYP. While assessments can include standardized or criterion-referenced tests, best instructional practice would suggest that assessments should also be authentic and embedded into the curriculum/ course the instructor(s) is presenting. The annual assessment(s) should be able to demonstrate what actual gains (e.g. skills, content mastery) were made by each student participating in the LYP and which graduation standard(s) or grade level requirements were completed. If no gains in student learning occurred, evidence of performance measurements and assessments that document this must be also included in the CLP.
A summary of academic progress for each student who participated in LYP must be completed annually. This summary can also serve as a point of departure for developing the student’s CLP for the following year. The CLP must be updated and signed annually by the participating student, parent/legal guardian, teacher(s) and, if appropriate, other school staff.
Minnesota Department of
Children, Families and Learning 2/2001