Student's Right to Know Act

By Cornwell, Lisa

October 15, 2024

Student's and parents in Grades 7-12 should be aware of the following information.

USD 350 student's have an individual plan of study beginning in seventh grade. You may hear it called an IPS.

The IPS is a State Board of Education Outcome and required by the Kansas State Department of Education

The IPS is developed between the student, school staff members, and family members. KSDE guidance includes recommended meetings with students and family members. The CTE Coordinator, English teacher, or LS teacher at USD 350 meet with student's a minimum of once per year. A teacher and student will meet with parents at Student Led conferences in the spring of 2025 to go over the student's IPS. There are four minimum components in the IPS:

A series of strength finders and career-interest inventories to help students identify career cluster preferences.
An eighth- through 12th-grade course-builder function with course selections based on career interests.
A post-secondary plan (workforce, military, certification, two-year college, four-year college).
A portable electronic portfolio.

We begin using a platform called xello in 7th grade, students have their own login and parents may get their own login to follow their student's progress. Student's are assigned the strength finders and career inventories through this platform. They also upload papers or projects they are proud of, papers about their job shadows, community service days, volunteer hours, and college visits. They also upload photos from different activities they participated in at each grade level. When they are a senior xello is used like a scrapbook as they create their IPS, to reflect on their growth and learning while in junior high and high school. Each nine weeks xello is a part of the student's English grade and an important piece of their learning experience.

Student's at St. John High share their electronic portfolio the spring of their senior year at a public presentation. The IPS is part of the English curriculum at SJH.

Here is a link where you can learn more: IPS Digital Reference Guide (PDF): Released on July 23, 2021

There are many websites students and parents can look at as they begin to think about the student's future while they grow as student's here in rural Kansas and as they make their way into adulthood. Here is a list for you to explore. If you have any questions or would like to meet about any of the resources below please contact:

Wendy Hacker, School Counselor/Joanna McAlister, IPS Coordinator/Lisa Cornwell,RN, Career and Technical Education Coordinator

Links to explore:

Kansas Degree Stats (See pages 10, 22: Postsecondary Education that includes Kansas Board of Regents information with links)

Kansas Board of Regents (website): Links for Students, Counselors, Workforce – Link to KTIP

Kansas Labor Information Center (KLIC) High Demand Jobs (PP 75: KDOL Labor Market Information)

Kansas Labor Information Center (KLIC) Career Posters (PP 77: KDOL Labor Market Information)

KBOR Military and Veteran Resources

CareerOneStop (Includes Military Options)

Work-Based Learning Digital Reference Guide (Released July 2020)

Kansas Postsecondary Exploration Guide