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Home REL Central About REL Central Supporting postsecondary and workforce readiness of students in Kansas

Supporting postsecondary and workforce readiness of students in Kansas

This partnership will work closely with Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and district partners including Shawnee Mission School District and Wichita Public Schools to support sustainable, systematic organizational change by helping revitalize Individual Plans of Study (IPS) practices to help prepare students for postsecondary education and the workplace. In particular, REL staff will work closely with partners to support understanding of (1) student IPS participation and outcomes in partner districts, and (2) implementation of evidence-based IPS practices across Kansas. REL Central will support partner districts to gather and analyze student-level IPS participation and outcome data, then use this information to help implement evidence-based IPS activities that improve student postsecondary and workforce readiness and success. Support will include developing instruments and processes to collect student-level IPS participation data, conducting a study to examine student IPS participation and associated outcomes, and using study data to improve district IPS policies and practices. Concurrently, REL Central will support KSDE by conducting a literature review of evidence-based IPS practices, describing schools exemplary in their IPS implementation, and developing and refining statewide data collection instruments and guidance for student IPS participation and outcome monitoring. Findings may be used to improve district IPS implementation and inform guidance for IPS implementation statewide.

Current Projects

The study will use survey, demographic, and achievement data to provide a better understanding of how IPS are implemented in Kansas schools, how students participate in IPS, and which IPS implementation and participation components have the highest correlations with student secondary and postsecondary outcomes. Findings from the study are intended to inform potential revisions to the partnership’s IPS-related policies, guidance, supports, and training provided to educators to support the implementation of evidence-based IPS activities.

This project supports district partners to develop new data collection tools and processes to increase partners’ capacity to monitor the implementation of, participation in, and outcomes of IPSs. The project is also developing resources to support teachers’ implementation of, and students’ participation in, research informed IPS practices.

No completed projects at this time.

Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: February 29, 2024
This is the first technical support coaching session under the Phase 2 work to provide technical support to develop Individual Plans of Study (IPS) implementation and participation resources in Kansas.
Event Type: In-person Event | Event Date: February 07, 2024
REL Central will present at the 2024 Kansas Annual CTE conference along with it's partners from the Kansas State Department of Education. Come learn about the Supporting Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness of Students in Kansas partnership. This partnership...
Product Type: Infographic | Publication Date: August 2023
Individual Plans of Study (IPS) are education and career plans that are tailored to each student’s personal interests and skills and help guide and focus their efforts throughout middle and high school. This infographic detailed how these plans can support...
Product Type: Fact Sheet | Publication Date: August 2023
REL Central is supporting the Kansas State Department of Education and schools and districts in Kansas to improve the implementation of, and increase student participation in, promising IPS practices. This fact sheet summarizes research linking use of...