Preparing Students for a Bright Future: Individual Learning Plans

Individual learning plans (ILPs) are both a process and a tool to help students define their college and career goals and choose middle or high school courses to support these goals. ILPs may contain several components to describe students' progress toward their goals, such as planned class schedules, personal reflections, strength assessments, career information, and service learning goals and achievements.

Although there currently is no rigorous evidence about the direct outcomes of the complete ILP model, such as whether ILPs help students find employment or attain a postsecondary degree, research indicates that components of ILP practices show promise to help students prepare for college and careers. This infographic highlights a sampling of ILP practices that studies have linked to improved student academic performance, engagement, and metacognition.