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Renzulli Learning

Iowa Career Readiness Alignment

A Comprehensive Guide to Integrating Renzulli Learning with State Standards

Renzulli Learning helps Iowa schools prepare students for the future of work by developing critical thinking, creativity, and executive function (planning, organization, working memory, self-regulation)—the durable skills that drive success in college, career, and community life.

Iowa’s Career and College Readiness Definition states that students are ready when they have the knowledge, skills, and strategies to succeed in postsecondary opportunities, demonstrated through multiple sources of evidence, including student-generated work.

Our personalized, project-based approach aligns with Iowa’s Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) requirement for grades 8–12, Career and Technical Education (CTE) and state CTE standards, Programs of Study, career-connected learning & work-based learning, and state high school graduation requirements that establish a rigorous core of English, math, science, and social studies for all students.

Iowa Frameworks We Support

How Renzulli Learning Supports Iowa’s Career Readiness Goals

 

Grade Band

Iowa Focus

Renzulli Learning Alignment

K–5 Career Awareness & Readiness HabitsBuild early career awareness and foundational habits for college and career readiness, helping students see how their interests, strengths, and classroom learning connect to work, community, and future goals—laying the groundwork for ICAP and career-connected learning in later grades.The Renzulli Profiler surfaces each child’s interests, strengths, and learning preferences. Early project-based learning (PBL) on community helpers and local issues, plus daily plan–do–review routines, builds Executive Function (EF) (planning, focus, time management) and habits of self-direction, collaboration, and problem-solving that support later ICAP and pathway decisions.
6–8 Career Exploration & ICAP FoundationsBegin structured career exploration and launch the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) by grade 8, then review annually in grades 8–12. ICAPs identify postsecondary goals, coursework, and work-based learning needed to support each student’s path.The Personal Success Plan (PSP) in Renzulli mirrors and enriches ICAP with goal-setting, reflection, and evidence of growth. EF assessment pinpoints planning/working-memory needs; structured research and design challenges connect students to Iowa’s career clusters, CTE service areas, and Programs of Study; 21st-century skills activities (creativity, collaboration, communication) align with Iowa’s college & career readiness expectations and Future Ready Iowa goals.
9–12 Career Planning, CTE, WBL & GraduationEnsure students meet state graduation requirements (minimum core in English, math, science, and social studies) while using ICAP to plan rigorous coursework, CTE Programs of Study, dual/concurrent enrollment, and work-based learning connected to Iowa’s Intermediary Network and career-connected learning framework.Capstones, internships, and Type III projects in Renzulli connect directly to CTE pathways and work-based learning experiences (job shadows, internships, project-based WBL). EF reporting supports on-time task completion and workplace readiness; PSP/ICAP artifacts map cleanly to required ICAP elements (course planning, WBL, financial aid education, and postsecondary decision-making tasks). Creativity (including CTC-aligned tasks) produces industry-relevant products, presentations, and digital portfolios that document the knowledge, skills, and strategies in Iowa’s CCR definition.
At-Risk / TransitionSupport students in meeting ICAP milestones, graduation requirements, and postsecondary transition goals, especially through personalized combinations of CTE, work-based learning, and targeted academic support that align with Future Ready Iowa’s workforce and equity goals.Leadership and workplace modules build confidence, employability, and self-advocacy; regular PSP/ICAP check-ins provide accountability; progress monitoring aligns to Iowa’s Career and College Readiness Definition. Embedded Executive Function routines reinforce persistence, organization, and adaptability as students move into college, community college/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 broad competencies emphasized in Iowa’s Career & Technical Education, Programs of Study, and career-connected learning vision for Future Ready Iowans.

  • 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 succeed in Iowa Academic Standards-aligned coursework, CTE sequences, dual/concurrent enrollment, and work-based learning experiences coordinated through the Iowa Intermediary Network.

  • Personal Success Plan (PSP) / ICAP Alignment
    Goal-setting, reflection, and evidence of growth in PSP align directly with ICAP purposes: preparing students to complete core curriculum, identifying postsecondary options and goals, and mapping needed coursework and WBL in grades 9–12.

  • Project-Based Enrichment
    Student-driven investigations connect to Iowa’s priority sectors, regional labor-market needs, and community issues, pairing naturally with CTE coursework, Intermediary-supported WBL, and career-connected learning to generate artifacts that can be cited in ICAPs, local portraits of a graduate, and postsecondary advising.

  • Profiler-Powered Personalization
    Interests, strengths, and learning styles drive differentiated enrichment and pathway planning so students choose CTE Programs of Study, WBL experiences, concurrent/dual enrollment, and postsecondary options that genuinely reflect who they are—supporting Iowa’s goal that more students complete education or training beyond high school through Future Ready Iowa.

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 college and career readiness.

  • 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), reinforcing Iowa’s emphasis on innovation, higher-order thinking, and problem-solving in CTE and Future Ready initiatives.

  • Executive Function as the engine
    EF assessment plus project workflows build self-management, focus, and perseverance—skills central to success in core graduation requirements, ICAP-guided course plans, CTE pathways, and work-based learning, and critical to Iowa’s goal of a workforce where most adults have education or training beyond high school.

Why Iowa Districts Choose Renzulli Learning

Aligned & Documented

Direct support for ICAP (grades 8–12), CTE & Programs of Study, career-connected learning & work-based learning, and state graduation requirements, all within Iowa’s broader Future Ready Iowa vision for a highly skilled workforce.

Measurable Skill Development

Actionable Executive Function data, creativity assessment and growth, and 21st-century skill rubrics help schools show impact on the knowledge, skills, and strategies in Iowa’s Career and College Readiness Definition and Future Ready metrics.

Future-Ready & Human-Centered

Renzulli Learning builds uniquely human strengths—creativity, critical thinking, leadership, collaboration—that complement AI and automation, positioning Iowa students to thrive in a rapidly changing labor market while remaining grounded in Future Ready Iowa and local portrait-of-a-graduate goals.

Ready to Implement Iowa Career Readiness Standards?

See how Executive Function, creativity, and 21st-century skills translate into stronger ICAP implementation, CTE and WBL participation, and postsecondary success for Iowa students.

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