Adv Academics & Gifted Programming

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Please see the following important updates regarding your child’s Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). Please connect with the Gifted Education Facilitator at your child’s school with any questions specific to your child’s ALP.

Link to DCSD Gifted Education Facilitators

An Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) is an important state mandated document for all identified gifted learners in Colorado. The ALP helps guide the education of gifted students in Colorado by outlining a student's academic and affective strengths, needs, and goals based on their area(s) of giftedness and helps shape their educational programming. The ALP supports the student's learning and is tailored to their abilities, interests, and specific needs. For high school students, the ALP is blended with their Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) and housed in Naviance.

Family Involvement

Families play a key role in the ALP process, including:

• Sharing information about your student's strengths, interests, and needs.

• Communicating with teachers about your student's progress.

• Participating in annual goal setting for the ALP or ICAP.

• Accessing and reviewing the ALP.

• Supporting your student's goals outside of school.

Sincerely,

Natasha Langjahr Straayer

Director, Advanced Academics and Gifted Programming

We appreciate your continued collaboration and support as we transition to the Project Education platform. Thank you for the information and input you have shared through conversations with your child’s school support team and/or the ALP planning document. Your school’s Gifted Education Facilitator will share a final copy of the Advanced Learning Plan in the coming weeks. Please review the sample ALP linked below for your reference:

SAMPLE ELEMENTARY ADVANCED LEARNING PLAN_PROJECT EDUCATION FALL 2025

In middle school, students assume more responsibility in the ALP process. Students analyze their own data and interests to draft initial goals. The educational team acts as a guide, helping the student refine their goals and begin connecting them to potential career and academic interests, forming an initial bridge to the ICAP process.

Advanced Learning Plans in middle school are managed through a Google Document Template. Students, Parents/Guardians, and Educators contribute to the child’s ALP through this platform. Please refer to communications from your child’s gifted education facilitator regarding the specific process at your child’s school.

In high school, the ALP process is student-led and directly integrated with the student's Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). This alignment is a key component of post-secondary and workforce readiness. The ICAP is an individualized plan, developed by the student in collaboration with their school gifted education facilitator, counselor, and other school support staff and service providers.

The ICAP is used to identify and establish personalized academic and career goals, explore postsecondary career and educational opportunities, align course work and curriculum, apply to postsecondary institutions, secure financial aid and ultimately enter the workforce. The High School Advanced Learning Plan is blended with the ICAP and housed in Naviance.

Your high school student has worked with their gifted education facilitator, counselor, and teachers to share updated information about their strengths and interests and write their Advanced Learning Plan goals. Please review your child’s Advanced Learning Plan goals and ICAP through the Naviance portal.

If your child is both gifted and has a disability (twice-exceptional), their IEP and/or 504 Plan and their ALP will remain separate but work together.