Flexible Pathways Initiative (S.130) was recently adopted by the Vermont Legislature. The May 28, 2013 edition of the VPA, VSA, VSBA Education Legislative Report provides a summary of S.130:
“The bill creates a Flexible Pathways Initiative within the Agency of Education, meant to ‘encourage and support the creativity of school districts,’ to ‘promote opportunities for Vermont students to achieve postsecondary readiness,’ and ‘to increase the rates of secondary school completion and postsecondary continuation in Vermont.’ It includes amendments to dual enrollment and early college programs and the creation of a ‘personalized learning plan process’ for secondary students.
A personalized learning plan process will be required for all 7th-12th grade students and will include, among other things, any plans for participation in dual enrollment courses or early college programs. The planning process - the documentation of which is the lan, or PLP - will involve the student, a school representative, and a parent or guardian (if the student is a minor) and will be updated annually by November 30. The plan is meant to be ‘developmentally appropriate’ and should ‘reflect the student’s emerging abilities, aptitude, and disposition.’
The plans are to be implemented on a rolling basis, beginning in the fall of 2015. By the end of November of that year, each 7th and 9th grade student, and each 11th or 12th grade student participating in dual enrollment, will need to have a plan. The following year, those students will continue their personalized learning plan process, while the new 7th and 9th grade students will have plans developed. Eventually, beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, all secondary students will need to be participating in this personalized learning plan process on an annual basis.”
The current calendar has minimal flexibility for the development of Personalized Learning Plans. The proposed Calendar 2.0 encourages and builds-in time for school systems to meet the requirements as outlined in S.130, according to the mandated rolling schedule:
Date
|
Grades
|
Notes
|
Nov. 30, 2015
|
7, 9
|
gr. 11 and 12 if dual enrolled
|
Nov. 30, 2016
|
7, 8, 9, 10
|
gr. 11 and 12 if dual enrolled
|
Nov. 30, 2017
|
7, 8. 9, 10, 11
|
gr. 12 if dual enrolled
|
Nov. 30, 2018
|
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
|
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