ICAP Award Winners. 2015-2017

Katy Anthes, Commissioner, Terra Lynn Gray, Supervisor, Employability Center, Steve Durham, State Board of Education member

Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind

The staff in the Employability Center at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind work with students who "exit our academic program with a better sense of who they are and how they can meaningfully contribute to the community. Included in the ICAP - that each student designs - are post-secondary education, independent living, and employability goals that they can live by in their personal lives and in their communities, because the ICAP goals are created by and for them, which they embrace as a road map for their future."

Congratulations to your Sherri Anderson and Tera Lynn Gray for the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind

Promising Practices 

• Employability Center
• Employability Fast Facts 

Katy Anthes, Commissioner, Sandra Watkins, School Counselor, Holmes Middle School, Rob Utter, Principal, Holmes Middle School, Dan Hoff, Executive Director of Alternative and Nontraditional Schools, Julie Johnson, Principal of Russell Middle School, Steve Durham, State Board of Education Member, Cory Notestine, District 11 School Counseling Facilitator, Logan Laszczyk, Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Counselor.

District 11

The ICAP leadership team in District 11 has made ICAP a priority. "Internal and external stakeholders are driving the process. Schools own their part in the process, parents are engaging because they see the value, students love learning and charting their future, local industry is engaged in the process. Ownership is high.

We have written ICAP into District Board Policy as a graduation requirement. Even the mayor of Colorado Springs in involved in promoting ICAP... CTE programming participation is up, FAFSA completion is up, College applications are up. And remediation rates are down…

"Dr. Gledich, our superintendent calls it 'adding value to the handshake' as we help students 'prepare for a world yet to be imagined.' He adds, Our community believes in the ICAP mission and its residual impacts!"

Congratulations to the ICAP team from D11, including D11 ICAP district administrators, and counselors and principals from Russell and Holmes middle schools.

Promising Practices

• ICAP Overview (website)
• ICAP Requirements (graces 6-12)
• ICAP Resources for Families and Students

Katy Anthes, Commissioner and, Joyce Rankin, State Board of Education member are holding the award for Superintendent, Ken Haptonstall and Counselor Mandie Dovey who could not attend the ceremony due to inclement weather.

Garfield 16

In Garfield 16 "We believe that the ICAP is essential in helping our kids plan for their future, as well as helping the district plan to meet their needs as they work towards 21st Century skills.

The ICAP is meaningful because it is focuses on the students' interest. We are starting at a very young age in exposing our students to as many experiences as possible and, through their ICAP, students are able to put into words and take action toward that post-secondary goal. They are really taking ownership of the process and each is as unique as the students themselves. Also, this process involves in-depth talks with parents about what is next and how we can support each student. We can see the students much more relaxed in their senior year, simply because they have a plan. That is huge

We are making strong connections with our community through mentor/job shadowing/internship opportunities and you can see students really making a correlation with the work they are doing in class and how that will be used in their careers. It's starting to click that what they are doing here in our district will have a great impact on their post-secondary life."

Congratulations to Superintendent Ken Haptonstall and lead counselor, Mandie Dovey.

Promising Practices 

• ICAP Implementation Plan 

Angelica Schroeder, State Board of Education members, Tom Dodd, Principal, Stacy Arellano, Counselor, Katy Anthes, Commissioner

Lesher Middle School

At Lesher Middle School, students are involved in the ICAP process all year. In November, many were part of a Future Planning Extravaganza, and the ICAP teams wrote about it: For two days, 8th graders attended interactive sessions with professionals to learn about health care, law, real estate, and avionics, along with postsecondary options like Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and concurrent enrollment. Then they joined their teachers and workforce center representatives for visits to businesses all over the Ft Collins area. This program - one of many at Lesher - has opened partnerships with local businesses that have flourished. It builds relationships between teachers, students, counselors, administrators, and community members. Students look forward to this event, and parents are engaged and call to request preferences."

Congratulations, Rachel Eaton, School Counselor and Stacy Arellano who are here from Lesher Middle School.

Promising Practices 

• Lesher Middle School website
• MIddle School to High School Transition Series

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

"Over the past several years, the ICAP process is becoming part of the student's everyday curriculum. It is not just the counselors taking the students through their ICAP but also the classroom teachers and administrators. Our curriculum is respected throughout the district and it is an expectation that it is delivered to all students. The data is used to make changes year to year and evaluate strengths and weaknesses."

Promising Practices

• ICAP Process - District Counseling Curriculum (PDF)
• 8th Grade Sample Course Planner (Lesson Plan) (PDF)
• 8th Grade Sample Course Planner (PDF)
• 11th Grade Sample "Do What You Are" (Lesson Plan) (PDF)
• 11th Grade Sample "Do What You Are" (PDF) 
• Hobson Success Story (PDF)

_{Interim Commissioner, Elliott Asp, High School Seniors: Jennifer Valadez and Jazmine PenaSchool Counselor, Katrina Ruggles, High School Seniors, Yosedit Romero and Carmen Ruggles, and State Board of Education member, Joyce Rankin​}

Center Consolidated Schools

"All staff engage youth in career conversations. They embed them in regular content in addition to the ICAP days that are built into our schedule. Every student and staff member in our district knows about ICAP and its purpose. We have moved from working to create opportunities for all students to attend postsecondary education to an expectation that all students have a plan for some type of postsecondary education."

Promising Practices

• Center High School Culminating ICAP Capstone Process

_{State Board of Education member, Angelika Schroeder, Kelby Benedict, Assistant Principal, Cassie Poncelow, School Counselor, Kathy Mackay, Principal, Rochelle Lenox, School Counselor, and Interim Commissioner, Elliott Asp}

Poudre High School, Poudre School District

"Students aren't just answering the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" by doing a couple of career interest surveys, they are answering the question "What are you passionate about and who do you want to be?" by exploring, asking questions and experiencing professions first hand. Students are connecting the dots of academics with the world of work. They understand that high school is the place to explore and find their passion."

Promising Practices

• Poudre HS ICAP Pathways and 8th Grade Registration (PDF)
• Poudre HS Taking Your Career Programming on the Road (PDF)
• Poudre HS Community Collaborative and Career Pathways Model (PDF)
• Poudre HS ICAP Planning and Registration Form (Grades 9-11) (PDF)

_{State Board of Education member, Angelika Schroeder, Ashely McIntyre, Language Arts Teacher, Louise March, School Counselor, Tracy Zakavec, Language Arts Teacher, Lesa Kolm, Social Studies Teacher, Carolyn Clifford, Middle School STEM Coordinator, and Interim Commissioner, Elliott Asp​}

Timberline PK-8, St. Vrain Valley School District

"After spending this time on ICAP & career exploration through our English classes, not only are the students very motivated for their future, they have a much better understanding of how their education will affect their future. This includes a better understanding of graduation requirements, high school course planning and programming, and college admission requirements. They also show gains in writing, research and study skills."

Promising Practices

• ICAP Activities (Grades 5-8) (ZIP)

_{State Board of Education Chairman, Marcia Neal, Laura Karnes, School Counselor, Michael Hayes, Principal, and Commissioner Robert Hammond}

Crestone Charter School

"ICAP gives students a chance to explore the world of work while in high school. These classes are taught by local community mentors and are called mentorships. Mentorships are student-designed and the student and mentor work together to create a plan that meets the student’s learning objectives and career goals."

_{State Board of Education member, Steve Durham, Matthew Meister, Director of Communications, Mary Perez, Director of Concurrent Enrollment, Peter Hilts, Chief Education Officer, and Commissioner Robert Hammond}

District 49

"Beginning in 2013, district leaders initiated pathways. At the heart of Pathways is our belief that every student should travel down an individualized pathway that leads through competency and skill development to certain success after high school. Students will graduate after designing their pathway, completing a series of classes, presenting capstone projects, earning industry certifications, and achieving assessment results that demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful."

• 49 Pathways website

_{State Board of Education member, Val Flores, Laura Hetfield, Counselor Corps Grant Manager, Jon Widmier, Student Services Specialist, Bryan Krause, Director of Student Services, Commissioner Robert Hammond, State Board of Education members, Jane Goff and Angelika Schroeder}

Jefferson County Public Schools

"The ICAP process is meaningful for students because it is a guided, results-oriented way for students to engage in future planning based on learning styles and interests they have currently (starting in Middle School!) It helps them make what they are doing NOW in school, relevant to their future! It's awesome!"

Promising Practices

• Jeffco ICAP Process (PWR Practice file)

_{Misty Curtin-Sellden, School Counselor, Central HS, State Board of Education Chairman, Marcia Neal, Colleen Stabolepszy, School Counselor, Fruita 8/9, Commissioner Robert Hammond}

Mesa County District 51

"The team has worked for years with our district's curriculum planning committee - teachers, administrators and students - to help bring relevance and impact to our ICAP process . . . Our district's students have a clearer, more realistic outlook on their future plans. These future plans help them shape their current world (class planning, college searching, and career investigation)!"

Promising Practices