Personalized Learning

Otter Valley Middle and High School is excited to share that we will be incorporating Personalized Learning Plans for our 7th, 8th and 9th graders for the 2015-2016 school year and beyond. With the

passage of Act 77 (S.130/Act 77) in 2013, the state of Vermont is making great strides by ensuring greater personalization into your child’s education. 

Of the several components to Act 77, one of them requires that students have a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP). Students entering the 7th and 9th grades will be required to have a PLP in place by November of 2015. In addition, any junior or senior planning to enroll in dual enrollment courses are required to have a PLP in place in order to access college courses by the end of November. A PLP is developed by students, in collaboration with teachers, counselors, and parents, as a way to help them achieve short and long-term learning goals at the middle and high school levels. In a personalized learning environment where students are partners in developing their learning plan, they are generally more motivated to learn, will achieve more in school, and will feel a stronger sense of ownership over their education. 

Otter Valley began PLP development with 7th and 8th graders last January. We had a kick-off assembly followed by a day devoted to the themes of goal setting, future planning, and career exploration. Following this kick-off, students worked with Ms. Blow during Business Applications classes in a program called Naviance, where students took surveys that helped them learn more about their strengths, interests, and values. Naviance is also a program that allows students to learn about careers, conduct college searches, and put together a portfolio of their work to demonstrate their learning. As we move forward with Naviance this school year, parents will have access to this program so they can review their child’s activity and become active members in the development of their child’s PLPs. In the meantime, you can learn more about Naviance by visiting naviance.com. You can also review in more depth the essential elements of a PLP, and review a student sample PLP using the following links: http://education.vermont.gov/documents/EDU-PLP_Sample_Male_HS_Student.pdf http://education.vermont.gov/documents/EDU-PLP_Conceptual_Framework_for_Students.pdf

We are excited about the positive outcomes that PLP’s will provide our students but also know that this is a learning experience for all of us. We will be implementing PLPs one step at a time. We encourage dialogue regarding PLP implementation at Otter Valley and are available to answer any questions you might have. For more detailed information about Act 77 visit http://education.vermont.gov/flexible-pathways. You may also contact Otter Valley’s Middle School Counselor Claudia Larrow at clarrow@rnesu.org or 247-6833 x 209 or Otter Valley’s DIrector of Guidance Lori Robear at x203.