VISION Home and Community Program
Growing the Depth and Integrity of The Learning Plan Cycle:
Improving the “academic rigor” of the program

Summary of current DRAFT proposal
9/8/06

Proposed Timeline: To approve the following processes and procedures by October 2006 and have the program working with these revisions by January 2007.

The Learning Plan Cycle and Creating Learning Plans
1. Define and clarify the Learning Plan Cycle and put it at the center of VISION HCP. The Learning Plan will become a living, and ever-growing description of the effort to define and realize what is important. The former concepts of ‘updates’ and ‘reflections’ will become part of the Learning Plan Cycle.
2. All participants and RCs must agree to participate fully in the processes of questioning, agreement-making and reflection that define the Learning Plan Cycle.
3. Learning plan action plans (anything to be counted as hours or funded) are described by quality agreements. Agreements can be changed but will be treated with integrity.
4. The breaking of an agreement ends the agreement, which can then either be re-created and improved or clearly ended. With communication and a commitment to learning, this process is a normal and healthy part of the learning cycle and of due process.

Core Qualities and other “Standards” for Learning Plans
Ø It is the responsibility of the RC to ensure that learners have a quality Learning Plan. The ability of learners to take over the Learning Plan process is a measure of their growth and of their understanding of the core quality aspect of graduation.
Ø Resource Consultants are trained to observe and translate individual student learning into the language of Colorado Model Content Standards.
Ø When CSAP results in any subject are less than proficient, a conversation will happen that leads to a consensus decision (by learner, parents and RC) for that subject in the Learning Plan.

Learning Plan Evaluation
1. Learning Plans are evaluated by a review committee on an annual basis. The plans either pass or don’t pass based on pre-agreed upon criteria that are process-based. In other words, what matters is evidence that key questions were asked and the conversations happened, not necessarily the outcomes of those conversations.
2. When Learning Plans don’t pass, the issue enters due process as a broken agreement (i.e. first step is a conversation, then…)
3. The committee notes the most inspiring of Learning Plans, and with the author’s permission, circulates them as examples to the rest of VISION HCP.

Structured Learner Options
Ø Options are available for those learners who need or want more structure and guidance around the Learning Plan Cycle (e.g. group RC options, increased time with the RC, etc.).

Attachments
The Learning Plan Cycle
Agreement-based Learning Plans: Defining quality and evaluation of Learning Plans
Program entry agreements
Structured learner options

What is the ideal organizational structure or government?
That which most effectively helps the organization achieve its mission.

“THE VISION HCP PROMOTES MEANINGFUL CHOICE AND DIVERSE OPPORTUNITY WITHIN PUBLIC EDUCATION BY SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR EACH LEARNER AND THE OPTIMAL TEACHING ENVIRONMENT FOR EACH TEACHER.”

How do we know if we are achieving our mission? How do we measure progress or success? Our best current answer seems to be: “The quality and integrity of the learning plan cycle.” Can you think of any other answer that respects and fosters an individualized approach to education?

What is the learning plan cycle? It is the process of identifying what is most important, creating agreements that are likely to realize what is most important, acting on the agreements, and then noticing and learning from what actually happens.

Documentation of the learning plan cycle means recording the full process. Vision traditions like ‘learning plans’, ‘updates’, and ‘reflections’ are all integrated into the learning plan cycle.

A commitment to the learning plan cycle is a commitment to helping young people learn the skills of choosing wisely and acting in integrity with what they choose. They will learn these skills largely from watching their RC and parents model them: Examine carefully what we model, for that is what we teach.

Agreement-based learning plans

The fundamental purpose of every learning plan is the achievement of Vision HCP’s Mission, creating the optimal learning environment for the individual. Learning plans are successful when they cause differences/changes/work that moves each individual closer to achieving, “what really matters” or re-defines, “what really matters,” in whatever role they may have as a member of the Vision-HCP venture.

The foundation of an ideal learning plan is, as nearly as possible at the time, the expression of, ‘what really matters’ to the individual for whom it is created and the team of people who support that individual.

The Design Of An Ideal Learning Plan:

v Considers the importance of a clear statement of what needs to be different: what needs to change.
v Considers what has/is working to cause movement toward the achievement of, “what really matters.’
v Acknowledges “what matters” for all who are members of agreements.
v Accepts that there will be important unanticipated learning.
v Strives to choose learning strategies, experiences, activities that are consistent with and support the values of the individual as expressed in the statement of, “what really matters.”
v Is thoughtful of how critical it is that learning occurs in ways that result in individuals developing a genuine value for learning as a constant, necessary, and positive part of life.
v Organizes instructional activities in small increments that systematically utilize the classic “teaching-learning” cycle that starts and ends at the beginning.
v Sets forth the review cycle and the protocol for making changes in the learning plan.


Another way to say the above is---Before having access to full funding, all students and their families are expected to have a learning plan made up of well-done agreements that meet hour requirements. A well-done agreement includes (either in the agreement or supporting it) the following components (from the students and/or parents perspective; the RC and educator perspective is encouraged as well):
Ø Why is this agreement important and necessary? The answer is based in what matters most for your wishes/hopes/dreams for the future and for the quality of the present moments.
Ø What is the desired change or outcome? Describe ‘success’.
Ø Why won’t ‘success’ just happen naturally without this agreement/action?
Ø Why is this action likely to bring success?
Ø What is each person committing to?
Ø How will you and others know if the commitments are being kept?
Ø How will you know if the agreement is bringing your closer to ‘success?’
Ø For how long is this agreement effective?
Ø What is the process for changing the agreement?
Ø What is the process for checking in about the agreement? For reflecting on it? For noticing unanticipated changes resulting from it?
Ø If the agreement is broken, all participants agree to talk and follow due process until either all agree to clearly abandon the agreement or the agreement is improved.
Ø Signatures of all parties to the agreement.

Evaluation of learning plans means making sure that there is evidence of these questions being asked and of the resulting conversations that lead to clear, consensus agreement for every item on the schedule. Furthermore, it is expected that the learning plans reflect follow through on the agreements (i.e. the check-ins, reflections, changes, unanticipated learning and so forth as set up my the agreement).

Exactly how and by whom the learning plans will be evaluated is a “work in progress.” The following characteristics are being considered.

v Evaluators that are skilled Resource Consultants and thus qualified to interpret learning plans.
v Establishment of a common language expressing the evaluation criteria.
v Fairness and objectivity.
v Confidentiality.
v A way to circulate the best learning plans as examples for others to learn from.
v A way to use the results as part of program evaluation
v A way to use the results as part of RC professional development and mentoring.
v A way to identify those areas where more support or help is needed.
v Consistency in evaluation procedure from time to time and place-to-place so as to allow for meaningful statistics.
v Incentive for continuing testing of the process and agreements against the intent (the mission). In other words, the learning plan process agreements would be applied to this whole process of describing and evaluating learning plans.
v Results serve individual students in demonstrating their ability to make wise choices and their readiness for a core quality graduation.

And here is another way of saying it all:

Learning Plan development process:

v The vehicle will be that of an, ‘engaged” conversation between learning plan team members.
v Traveling will be in increments. Each increment will be the process of developing the learning plan team’s answer(s) to specific questions.
v The first leg of the journey is the team’s agreement to use a strategy designed to help the team acquire the skill of choosing wisely. This strategy will be used over and over again as each component of the learning is created. The sequence is critical.

o Consider issues of Values…what really matters?
o Consider issues of Power and Control…who gets to say?
o Consider issues of Quality…what is good enough?
o Consider issues of Judgment…what evidence assures quality?
o Consider Practical issues…how can we make it real?
o Consider Relationship issues…how do we successfully deal with external
o forces?
o Consider Technical issues…what are the best tools available?

v The second leg of the journey is the development of a common language. Do the words we use have a common meaning that is understood by all members of the learning plan team?
v The third leg of the journey is the use of the common language to achieve a level of focus that will allow priorities to be set.
v The fourth leg is making choices and those choices are expressed as Agreements. Agreements define what is new. Agreements are organized and sequenced to form the learning plan, which is, in effect, the map for traveling toward the destination of achieving the highest potential for each individual.
v When the first edition the learning plan is completed the team will then set forth the cycle of review, the purpose of which is to determine if the learning plan is achieving its fundamental purposes and thus the mission of Vision HCP. This review cycle is critical in determining if the agreements that were made in the learning plan are being honored. Agreements honored are the most essential component of building the trust necessary for a program like Vision HCP to prosper. Based on the review it can be determined if, “what really matters, what needs to change,” has changed and there is a need for a “new map.” Review also determines if the initial agreements have not been honored, the reason that is so, and what needs to be done to, “get back on the trail.”


Ways to structure more support for learners around the learning plan cycle
Draft 9/9/06

It might take some time for a student and family to develop the clarity, options and skills to create sufficient agreements to meet the hour requirements for a full-time student. Rather than put items on the schedule that don’t have agreements in place, it is important for the program to have other options available for such learners. Below are two possibilities.
1. To extend the meeting time with the RC beyond one hour per week and pay for it out of learner funds. The RC, student and family take it a week at a time, documenting learning after the fact and then planning the next week. To facilitate this, the student (and/or the parents) agrees to keep a daily journal of activities and learning that is shared with the RC weekly. At each meeting, the RC and student create a learning transcript for the week, which documents learning and hours for the past week. The goal is to average enough hours per week to meet the yearly hour requirements. If the average slips below this mark, a plan is made for the next week that will increase the hours. The student is limited to less than $500 in available funds until they have a schedule and agreements in place that meet learning requirements.
2. A group of students that meet multiple hours per week and concentrate on learning the skills of the learning plan cycle (such a group has been called a learning circle). For example, if a group of six students were to meet six hours per day for three days a week, it would, over a 30 week year, lead to 540 outside hours. If, as part of the learning circle, agreements for the other four days of the week were also made and then reflected upon, it would be easy to meet the 720 requirement. The RC leading the group will be paid as a weekly RC and also from the student funds. Over the course of one year, and for an RC getting paid $20 and hour, it would cost each student $1200, leaving $950 for other learning expenses or for paying the RC if there are less than six students in the group.


Program Entry Agreements

1. Parent(s)/student are committed to work with integrity though the learning plan development, implementation and review process (learning plan cycle) set forth in the Resource Consultant guidelines.
2. The Vision Home & Community Program is committed to make available for every family a Resource Consultant who has the skill, knowledge, experience and understanding necessary to effectively utilize the process guides and honor the operation principles set for the for the creation of a learning plan.