How Ready are You for ACP Implementation?  Probably More So Than You Think

By Kevin Miller, School Innovation Consultant

If you are reading this because you’re looking for a quick and easy solution to another of those dreaded, unfunded state mandates, then definitely read on.  If you’re committed to implementing ACP in the best possible manner for your students and not looking for shortcuts and easy (but ineffective) solutions, then this article is for you, too.  And if you’re thinking that “maybe this article will validate that we’re already well on our way to effective ACP implementation,” then you certainly want to click on the “Read more” link because you may be ready but have a bit more to think about.

So, can one, relatively brief, article really address people in all these situations or is that just a clever (or maybe not even that clever) ruse to drag you down a rabbit’s hole.  I wholeheartedly (cross my heart and hope to die) believe you will find valuable insights in this article regardless of where you believe your district and school are at as far as ACP implementation.

Let’s start with the boring, statutory stuff that got us here to begin with (but we’ll move past that quickly, so don’t wander off).  Beginning this academic year, all Wisconsin public schools that enroll students in grades 6 through 12 must provide Academic and Career Planning services to all of those students (Wisconsin Statute sec. 115.28 (59) and Administrative Rule PI 26).  Like most education mandates, some schools and districts got moving on implementation quickly, while others have waited until the last minute (and a few may be waiting to see if anyone’s actually going to notice if they don’t do anything).

That statute and accompanying administrative rule do spell out certain specific requirements for districts, but I am down on my knees begging and pleading with you (okay, not really, I’m standing at my computer writing this, but know that I’m very, very, very serious about this desire) to not get too caught up in the legal mumbo-jumbo.  While it is true that as school administrators you must fulfill statutory requirements, at the heart of the Academic and Career Planning initiative is a set of beliefs about students and learning that cannot be somehow made tangible by complying with some state law.

So, if you feel you are well on your way to fulfilling the ACP mandate in your district or school, I hope you will read on to get a sense of whether or not your efforts are moving toward fulfillment of the spirit of ACP.  If you’re still early in the journey, read on to make sure that you work toward the spirit of ACP rather than focus on the “letter” of ACP.  And, as a bonus, if you do fulfill the spirit of ACP for your students, their families, your staff, and your communities, then you will be meeting the legal requirements of the ACP statute and rule.

Because your time is valuable and it’s the start of school, I know you don’t have time to read long articles (which is why I’m really appreciative you’ve read this far).  So, what follows are a fairly quick look at the beliefs about students and learning that informed much of the work that went into ACP.  These weren’t always literally verbalized by the leadership team, but I have no doubt that they were almost always present – and they are beliefs I hold very deeply.  Don’t just read these, however; think about them; take them in and swish them around in your brain; consider whether or not you embrace them and, if so, how can they inform your school’s journey toward ACP implementation.

  • Career awareness, preparation, and planning has traditionally been directed at students rather than driven by students (more of an awareness than a belief, but an important starting point).
  • Having a personally-derived vision for the future and being personally invested in developing a plan to attain that vision allows students to embrace the relevance of the instruction they are receiving (as opposed to the contrived relevance that someone else will try to sell to students).
  • Each student holds the key to unlocking their own passion for learning; others can only try to create the environment and circumstances that will help the student find that key; that’s why each student must be the driving force behind his or her academic and career planning and why ACP will look different for each individual student.
  • Every school is unique; just as each student holds his or her personal key, each school holds its own key to how it creates the environment and circumstances needed for its students to find their keys.  Consequently, ACP will look different in each individual school; it has to because no two schools are clones of each other; they have different staffs and students, different strengths and resources, and different needs.
  • No law, rule, or program can tell a school what ACP should look like or exactly how it should be implemented in order to be truly effective for all that school’s students; while laws and rules may direct certain activities or outcomes, each school must implement these in its own unique way.
  • Effectively implemented, ACP will not detract or in any way take away from any other program or initiative (unless it is discovered through ACP that something the school is doing is actually being detrimental to students and learning); in fact, implemented as envisioned, ACP will enhance and become a force multiplier for any existing efforts that are truly beneficial to students.
  • Every school already possesses all the skills and knowledge it needs to effectively implement ACP for its students; the only thing that may be lacking is an understanding of how to leverage these for ACP implementation and/or a lack of commitment to leverage these effectively for every student.

That last bullet is the killer.  Schools and seemingly the vast majority of us who work in education are trapped by our existing paradigms and past experiences.  We struggle to believe that any program or initiative can live up to its hype and, in many ways, we allow these entrenched biases to sabotage our efforts or at least to keep us from fully committing so that the initiative can fulfill its potential.  This isn’t surprising given how often we’ve been disappointed by promising initiatives – especially those with loads of impressive data showing incredible results at this school or that.

So, what makes ACP different?  You’re being asked to trust yourself, your colleagues, your students, and your communities (which includes the families of your students).  Like every other initiative, you can find all sorts of testimonials and promises about what ACP can do for your school and your students.  While that’s all fine, I encourage you step back from the hype and just think about yourself, your colleagues, your students, and your communities.  Ponder this question: “Do I trust the judgment, motives, and abilities of those in my school and those who support and partner with us to develop and implement a program that will allow every student to become truly and personally vested in his or her future?”

The truth is, many of you – if you’re being honest – would initially hesitate and quite possibly say “no, I wouldn’t trust all those things right now” and you would be right, because most of these stakeholders in most districts and schools have ever been asked, collectively, to take on that level of responsibility.  Yet individually – or collectively in a crisis – many have and would absolutely be ready.  There is probably nothing short of an immediate crisis that is more important than the futures of your students.  Isn’t that worth forming a coalition of all those noted above and seeking this commitment: “Let’s develop the ACP program for our school that will truly result in our students becoming actively engaged and invested in their learning so that they are personally engaged in pursuing their individual vision for the future!”

Here’s the caveat if you implement ACP in a truly effective manner built around the beliefs noted above: Students will become increasingly dissatisfied with a traditional educational program.  They will get frustrated if the options available, in their school, for them to be able to pursue their vision, are not ones that will actually contribute toward achieving their vision.  If done well, ACP will start to rekindle the innate curiosity and hunger to learn that has been lost through years of directed, structured education.  So, start now, in the early stages of ACP implementation, to consider how you would change your programming if students started to demand more intense, but also more personalized, options built around their visions and goals for the future.

You are more ready than you know to effectively implement ACP in your school, but are you ready for the fantastic challenges that will occur when your ACP implementation is truly successful and you suddenly find yourself with a school full of eager, energized, and engaged learners?

Kevin Miller served as the DPI Dual Enrollment Consultant and was part of the leadership team that was responsible for developing and implementing Academic and Career Planning for Wisconsin; he now works to assist schools with implementation of innovative practices including ACP and personalized learning; you can find Kevin through his website: 34thstreeteducationinnovation.com.

Read more at:

Elementary Edition - Secondary Edition - District Level Edition