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Renzulli Learning
North Dakota Career Readiness Alignment
A Comprehensive Guide to Integrating Renzulli Learning with State Standards
Renzulli Learning helps North Dakota schools prepare students to be “Choice Ready” by developing critical thinking, creativity, and executive function (planning, organization, working memory, self-regulation)—the durable skills that drive success in postsecondary education, the workforce, or the military.
North Dakota’s Choice Ready framework is a key component of the state accountability system and supports the mission that “all students will graduate Choice Ready with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful.” It emphasizes Essential Skills first, and then Post-Secondary Ready, Workforce Ready, and/or Military Ready indicators.
State law requires students to earn a minimum of 22 units of high school coursework (many districts require more) to graduate, with specific units in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
North Dakota also promotes a rolling four-year career education plan, robust Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathways, Work-Based Learning (WBL) as the secondary Perkins program quality indicator, and Career Development standards that ask students to plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals.
North Dakota Frameworks We Support
North Dakota Choice Ready Framework (College, Career & Military Readiness Indicator) –
https://www.nd.gov/dpi/districtsschools/essa/accountability-support-improvement/choice-readyNorth Dakota Career & Technical Education (CTE) –
https://www.cte.nd.gov/Work-Based Learning – North Dakota CTE –
https://www.cte.nd.gov/WBLCareer Development – Career Development Content Standards –
https://www.cte.nd.gov/careerdevHigh School Graduation Requirements – 22 Units (ND Century Code 15.1-21-02.2) –
https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t15-1c21.pdf
How Renzulli Learning Supports South Dakota's Career Readiness Goals
Grade Band | North Dakota Focus | Renzulli Learning Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| K–5 Career Awareness & Readiness Habits | Build early career awareness and self-knowledge so students begin to understand “what’s out there” and how their interests, preferences, and strengths connect to future opportunities. Career development services are expected to be an integral part of a student’s educational experience, helping them learn, think, and make realistic decisions about their opportunities. | The Renzulli Profiler surfaces each child’s interests, strengths, and learning preferences. Early project-based learning (PBL) around community helpers and local issues, plus simple plan–do–review routines, builds Executive Function (EF) (planning, focus, self-regulation) and habits of self-direction, collaboration, and problem-solving—a foundation for the Essential Skills that anchor the Choice Ready journey. |
| 6–8 Career Exploration & Career Development Foundations | Middle grades emphasize career exploration and structured career development, including career awareness, self-development, and career decision-making. State career development content standards call on learners to plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals, supported by tools like RUReady.ND and portfolio-based activities. | The Personal Success Plan (PSP) in Renzulli acts as a living career and education plan: students set goals, track progress, and store evidence of growth. EF assessment pinpoints planning/working-memory needs; themed research and design challenges help students explore North Dakota career fields, clusters, and Coordinated Plans of Study; 21st-century skills activities (creativity, teamwork, communication) align with Career Ready Practices used to assess WBL experiences. |
| 9–12 Choice Ready, CTE, WBL & Graduation (22 Units) | High school students must earn at least 22 units to graduate and are expected to leave high school “Choice Ready”—possessing Essential Skills and being Post-Secondary Ready, Workforce Ready, and/or Military Ready. The Choice Ready indicator includes elements such as a rolling four-year career education plan, CTE coursework in a coordinated plan of study, Career Ready Practices, and Work-Based Learning (minimum-hour experiences or simulated environments). | Capstones, internships, and Type III projects in Renzulli align with ND CTE pathways and WBL definitions (sustained, supervised experiences or high-quality simulations). EF reporting supports on-time task completion, professional behavior, and persistence. PSP artifacts map cleanly to the four-year career education plan concept and can document Essential Skills, Career Ready Practices, and pathway progress for Choice Ready indicators, CTE scholarships, and local graduation reviews. Creativity (including CTC-aligned tasks) yields industry-relevant products, presentations, and digital portfolios that demonstrate readiness for postsecondary, workforce, or military routes. |
| At-Risk / Transition | The Choice Ready framework is inclusive of all students, aiming to ensure every graduate leaves with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful, and helping students identify career clusters and related skills for postsecondary, workforce, or military success. | Leadership and workplace modules build confidence, employability, and self-advocacy for students who need additional support. Regular PSP check-ins keep plans current and actionable; progress monitoring can be tied to Essential Skills and Career Ready Practices. Embedded Executive Function routines reinforce organization, time management, and adaptability as students transition into two- or four-year colleges, technical programs, apprenticeships, the military, or employment. |
Core Capabilities (K–12)
21st-Century & Durable Skills
Structured activities strengthen creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, adaptability, and professionalism—the same types of competencies reflected in North Dakota’s Career Development standards, Career Ready Practices (responsible employee, communication, problem solving, teamwork, technical skills), and the Essential Skills portion of the Choice Ready framework.Executive Function (EF)
Built-in assessment and growth routines for planning, organization, working memory, and self-regulation help educators scaffold the habits students need to meet ND graduation requirements, complete coordinated plans of study, and succeed in CTE courses and WBL experiences that require sustained, real-world performance.Personal Success Plan (PSP) / Rolling Career Education Plan Alignment
Goal-setting, reflection, and evidence of growth in PSP align with the idea of a four-year rolling career education plan used in North Dakota’s Choice Ready and readiness guidance, giving counselors and teachers a flexible, student-friendly way to maintain and update plans as learners progress.Project-Based Enrichment
Student-driven investigations connect to North Dakota’s priority industries, regional workforce needs, and community issues, pairing naturally with CTE pathways, coordinated plans of study, and WBL opportunities to produce artifacts that can be referenced in Choice Ready documentation, scholarship frameworks, and local “portrait of a graduate” efforts.Profiler-Powered Personalization
Interests, strengths, and learning styles from the Renzulli Profiler guide differentiated enrichment and pathway planning so students choose CTE programs, coordinated plans of study, WBL experiences, and postsecondary options that genuinely reflect who they are—supporting the NDDPI mission that all students will graduate Choice Ready for postsecondary, workforce, and military options.
Research Evidence & Long-Term Outcomes
SEM foundation, career-relevant gains
Enrichment-oriented models like the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)—the foundation of Renzulli Learning—are associated with improved academic performance, more students choosing rigorous coursework (including STEM), and greater entry into high-value postsecondary fields, all strong indicators of readiness across Choice Ready pathways.Creativity growth over time
Multi-year implementations using Renzulli Learning report measurable increases in creativity through authentic projects and the Cebeci Test of Creativity (CTC), aligning with North Dakota’s emphasis on problem solving, innovation, and higher-order thinking in Career Ready Practices and Career Development standards.Executive Function as the engine
EF assessment plus project workflows build self-management, focus, and perseverance—skills central to success in 22-unit graduation requirements, coordinated plans of study, WBL expectations, and Choice Ready Essential Skills, and critical to the state’s goal that all students graduate Choice Ready with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful.
Why North Dakota Districts Choose Renzulli Learning
Aligned & Documented
Direct support for North Dakota Choice Ready, Career & Technical Education, Work-Based Learning, Career Development and Career Ready Practices, and 22-unit graduation requirements, all within a coherent, student-centered platform that helps districts show growth on college, career, and military readiness indicators.
Measurable Skill Development
Actionable Executive Function data, creativity assessment and growth, and 21st-century skill rubrics help schools demonstrate impact on the Essential Skills and Career Ready Practices that North Dakota uses to evaluate WBL and Choice Ready outcomes.
Future-Ready & Human-Centered
Renzulli Learning builds uniquely human strengths—creativity, critical thinking, leadership, collaboration—that complement AI and automation, positioning North Dakota students to thrive in a rapidly changing labor market while staying grounded in local workforce priorities, ND CTE program areas, and high-skill, high-demand occupations.
Ready to Implement North Dakota Career Readiness Standards?
See how Executive Function, creativity, and 21st-century skills translate into stronger Choice Ready results, CTE and Work-Based Learning participation, and postsecondary, workforce, and military success for North Dakota students.
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