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Renzulli Learning

Minnesota Career Readiness Alignment

A Comprehensive Guide to Integrating Renzulli Learning with State Standards

Renzulli Learning helps Minnesota 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.

Minnesota’s Career and College Readiness (CCR) vision describes a “sufficiently prepared student” as one who has the knowledge, skills, mindset, and experiences in the academic, workplace, and personal/social domains needed to keep learning and successfully navigate toward an economically viable career.

State law (Minn. Stat. 120B.125) requires all students, beginning no later than 9th grade, to have a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) that serves as a “life plan” including academic scheduling, career exploration, career- and employment-related skills, community partnerships, college access, all forms of postsecondary training, and experiential learning opportunities.

Our personalized, project-based approach aligns with Minnesota’s CCR Resource Guide and Domains & Competencies, Personal Learning Plans (PLPs), statewide Career and Technical Education (CTE), approved Work-Based Learning (WBL) programs, and high school graduation requirements (minimum 21.5 credits including specific language arts, math, science, and social studies expectations).

Minnesota Frameworks We Support

How Renzulli Learning Supports Minnesota’s Career Readiness Goals

 

Grade Band

Minnesota Focus

Renzulli Learning Alignment

K–5 Career Awareness & Readiness HabitsBuild early career awareness and foundational habits in the academic, workplace, and personal/social domains, so students begin to see connections between their interests, strengths, and future options—laying groundwork for Personal Learning Plans and CCR competencies in later grades.The Renzulli Profiler surfaces each child’s interests, strengths, and learning preferences. Early project-based learning (PBL) tied to community helpers and local issues, plus daily plan–do–review routines, builds Executive Function (EF) (planning, focus, self-regulation) and habits of self-direction, collaboration, and problem-solving that align with Minnesota’s CCR domains and PLP guidance.
6–8 Career Exploration & PLP FoundationsBegin structured career exploration and develop Personal Learning Plans that integrate academic scheduling, career exploration, career- and employment-related skills, community partnerships, college access, and experiential learning—anchoring local CCR programming.The Personal Success Plan (PSP) in Renzulli mirrors and enriches PLPs with goal-setting, reflection, and evidence of growth. Executive Function assessment pinpoints planning/working-memory needs; structured research and design challenges help students explore Minnesota career fields and clusters through CTE-aligned themes; 21st-century skills activities (creativity, collaboration, communication) support CCR domains such as Employability Skills and Mindsets & Social Awareness.
9–12 Career Planning, CTE, WBL & GraduationEnsure students complete at least 21.5 credits with required core subjects, while using PLPs and CCR resources to plan rigorous coursework, CTE Programs of Study, dual/concurrent enrollment, and approved Work-Based Learning options that earn credit and connect classroom learning to real jobs.Capstones, internships, and Type III projects in Renzulli align with Minnesota CTE pathways and WBL experiences (e.g., youth apprenticeship, on-the-job training, career seminars). EF reporting supports on-time task completion, organization, and workplace readiness; PSP/PLP artifacts map cleanly to PLP elements and CCR domains/competencies, providing student-generated evidence of readiness. Creativity (including CTC-aligned tasks) produces industry-relevant products, presentations, and digital portfolios that support both college and employment goals.
At-Risk / TransitionSupport students in meeting PLP milestones, graduation requirements, and postsecondary transition goals, using CCR resources and career-connected learning to close opportunity gaps and prepare every student for “an economically viable career.”Leadership and workplace modules build confidence, employability, and self-advocacy; regular PSP/PLP check-ins provide accountability; progress monitoring aligns to Minnesota’s CCR domains and competencies. Embedded Executive Function routines reinforce persistence, organization, and adaptability as students move into college, community/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 highlighted in Minnesota’s CCR Domains & Competencies and PLP guidelines, which call out teamwork, collaboration, creativity, communication, critical thinking, and strong work habits.

  • 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 Minnesota Academic Standards-aligned coursework, CTE programs, dual/concurrent enrollment, and credit-bearing Work-Based Learning programs approved by MDE.

  • Personal Success Plan (PSP) / PLP Alignment
    Goal-setting, reflection, and evidence of growth in PSP align directly with Personal Learning Plan requirements (Minn. Stat. 120B.125), giving counselors and teachers a streamlined way to document progress on academic, career, and personal/social goals, integrate PLP elements, and track CCR competencies over time.

  • Project-Based Enrichment
    Student-driven investigations connect to Minnesota’s priority sectors, regional labor-market needs, and community issues, pairing naturally with CTE coursework, Intermediary-supported WBL, and other career-connected learning to generate artifacts that can be cited in PLPs, CCR portfolios, and local Portrait of a Graduate frameworks.

  • Profiler-Powered Personalization
    Interests, strengths, and learning styles from the Renzulli Profiler drive differentiated enrichment and pathway planning so students choose CTE Programs of Study, WBL experiences, college credit options, and postsecondary plans that genuinely reflect who they are—supporting Minnesota’s CCR vision and World’s Best Workforce goals.

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 Minnesota’s emphasis on innovation, higher-order thinking, and problem-solving in CCR and CTE 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, PLP-guided course plans, CTE pathways, and Work-Based Learning, and critical to Minnesota’s goal of a workforce of lifelong learners.

Why Minnesota Districts Choose Renzulli Learning

Aligned & Documented

Direct support for Minnesota’s Career and College Readiness vision, Personal Learning Plans (PLPs), CCR Domains & Competencies, CTE and Work-Based Learning frameworks, and graduation requirements, all within a coherent, student-centered approach to postsecondary access and success.

Measurable Skill Development

Actionable Executive Function data, creativity assessment and growth, and 21st-century skill rubrics help schools show impact on the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and experiences identified in Minnesota’s CCR vision, PLP elements, and CTE/WBL guidance.

Future-Ready & Human-Centered

Renzulli Learning builds uniquely human strengths—creativity, critical thinking, leadership, collaboration—that complement AI and automation, positioning Minnesota students to thrive in a rapidly changing labor market while staying grounded in World’s Best Workforce goals and local portrait-of-a-graduate efforts.

Ready to Implement Minnesota Career Readiness Standards?

See how Executive Function, creativity, and 21st-century skills translate into stronger Personal Learning Plans, CTE and WBL participation, and postsecondary success for Minnesota students.

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