Indianola schools outline DCAP goals, expand career credentials and middle-school programming
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Summary
The district presented its Career and Academic Plan (DCAP), emphasizing required individualized career plans (ICAPs), expanded work-based learning recognition, an increase in industry-recognized credentials from seven to 11 next year, and plans to extend career development programming to fifth grade.
Lacey Chernis, the district's counseling and career teacher lead, told the school board the district's Career and Academic Plan (DCAP) will be finalized in March and is intended to ensure every student develops an Individualized Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) beginning in grade 8, consistent with Iowa law. "The DCAP is really our roadmap for how our district is going to ensure that every student creates what is called an ICAP," Chernis said.
Chernis outlined five essential ICAP components — self-understanding, career exploration, postsecondary exploration, course planning and work-based learning — and said the district uses the Xello career information system to support student portfolios. She said the district maintained its overall DCAP score from last year, with improvements in some subsections, and that RPP (regional planning partnership) scoring changes affected year-to-year comparison.
Chernis reported specific program gains: CTE (career and technical education) certifications increased to seven this year, participation in work-based learning grew through a broader definition that includes sustained in-school partnerships, and an eighth-grade career investigation course was created this semester so every eighth grader receives a quarter of career-focused instruction. "Some of those are teacher instructed, counselor led, and some are independent as well," she said of Xello activities.
Board members asked for examples of industry-recognized credentials. Chernis said OSHA certification is a common example and noted a DCAP table lists available credentials; she told the board the list of offerings will increase to 11 next school year. "An industry recognized credential would show that you've gained certain skills or knowledge in a certain area," she said.
Chernis said the DCAP focus group set goals for the coming year, including increasing parent awareness through an annual communications plan (which produced the CareerQuest newsletter), expanding work-based learning and credential opportunities, strengthening ICAP components by clarifying evaluator-facing descriptions, aligning DCAP with MTSS and TAP coordinator work, and compiling baseline data for participation tracking to identify gaps across elementary buildings.
The presentation closed after brief questions about credential specifics and how work-based learning is counted. Chernis said more DCAP feedback and a final plan will follow the district's review process and regional scoring in coming months.