Page 21 - Creating Pathways to Success

In Grades 7 and 8, the IPP process will emphasize planning for the transition from elementary to secondary school; in Grades 10 to 12, it will emphasize planning for the student’s initial postsecondary destination.
In Grades 10 to 12, one of the two required IPP reviews must be made part of the annual course selection process and, hence, part of the students’ planning for the transition to his or her initial postsecondary destination (see section 4.2). Schools are encouraged to link one of the two required IPP reviews to the course selection process for students in Grades 8 and 9 as well. Linking the IPP review to course selection will help students choose courses and programs that support their education and career/life planning goals. In general, schools may find it both efficient and effective to coordinate IPP reviews with other student progress reviews and planning processes.
Web-based IPP programs allow schools to electronically track certain minimum requirements, identified by the board, with respect to the activities students are to record in every grade (e.g., in Grade 10, students might be required to identify two possible postsecondary opportunities and identify the courses that might be required for each). Such tracking helps to ensure that students will experience the core activities that enable them to achieve the knowledge and skills they need in the four learning areas of education and career/life planning. It also offers schools a way to evaluate program implementation (see sections 6.1 and 6.5).
The IPP serves as a record of student learning and an effective resource for facili- tating parent interviews and student-led conferences, illustrating where students have been and where they are going. In addition, the IPP helps students develop a fuller understanding of the education and career/life planning inquiry process and the value the process will have for them in their postsecondary planning and throughout their lives.
3.4.3 Tracking the Development of Learning Skills and Work Habits
The development of learning skills and work habits, described in Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, 2010 and reported in provincial report cards, is also a critical element in education and career/life planning. With the support of their teachers, students can reflect on their development of the learning skills and work habits in connection with the “Knowing Yourself ” area of learning. Students should be encouraged to document their insights in their “All About Me” portfolio or their IPP.
Program Components and Processes 19