Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP)

Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP) are the vehicle through which Colorado students explore education and career opportunities beyond high school, reflect on their understanding of these opportunities, and plan for their postsecondary next steps. ICAP is also a tool that reflects how a student’s Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness is achieved, accomplished, and understood.

ICAP is:

• An intentional, integrated, and annual connection with readiness for college and career.
• Expected to commence in 9th grade and a required component of Colorado’s minimum high school graduation requirements. Schools are encouraged to engage students in ICAP starting in middle school.
• Captured in an electronic or paper format to be saved with the student’s record.
• Encompasses individual/self-discovery, career exploration, academic planning, and personal financial literacy.
• Reinforced by college and career planning programs, including concurrent enrollment, Accelerating Students through Concurrent ENrollmenT (ASCENT) and initial career and technical education (CTE).
• Connected with the Colorado Academic Standards through the academic and 21st century skills; components.
• Embedded in multiple educator effectiveness rubrics as a student artifact and educator process
• Benchmarked by employers; companies across Colorado continually reinforce their high expectations of student’s ability to articulate their transferable skills.
• Connected with individualized education programs (IEP), advanced learning plans (ALP) and career and technical education and integrated with students’ industry career pathways.

ICAP Resources and Professional Learning

• CDE Individual Career and Academic Plans
• CDE Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Playbook
• Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Career and Technical Education (CTE) ICAP and Meaningful Career Conversations
• CDE Career Readiness
• My Colorado Journey