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Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot Program (ILOP)

The PWR of ILOP

The Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot  program enables participating Local Education Providers (LEPs) to offer their 9th through 12th grade high school students a variety of learning experiences that usually occur outside of the classroom. These learning experiences should be designed to enrich students’ education and support them in successfully transitioning from high school to postsecondary education and/or the workforce.

Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness (PWR)

ILOP provides an accelerated opportunity for students to earn a postsecondary credential, helping students develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to be postsecondary and workforce ready.


Overview

Governor Polis signed SB19-216 into law on May 10, 2019 which created the High School Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot Program, hereafter known as the Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot Program.  This program enables participating Local Education Providers (LEPs) to offer their 9th through 12th grade high school students a variety of learning experiences that usually occur outside of the classroom. These learning experiences should be designed to enrich students’ education and support them in successfully transitioning from high school to postsecondary education and/or the workforce.

Innovative learning opportunities may include work-based learning such as apprenticeships or residency programs, competency-based learning or capstone projects, and other learning experiences that are designed to help students develop and demonstrate personal, entrepreneurial, civic and interpersonal, and professional skills as described in CDE’s Essential Skills Required in the Colorado Academic Standards.

Selected LEPs will be allowed to count their part-time high school students, that participate in the LEP’s Innovative Learning Plan, as full-time students regardless of the actual number of teacher-pupil instruction hours and teacher-pupil contact hours for each student.

It is the intent of the General Assembly to increase the number of LEPs that participate in this program to 100% by 2025-26.

What's New?

ILOP Application Webinar, 11/15/23

Watch the recording

Access the slides

ILOP Recruitment Webinar, 10/31/23

Watch the recording

Access the slides

PWR Programs and Coding Webinar, 9/18/23

Watch the recording

Access the slides


Benefits for LEPs

In addition to counting their participating students as full-time pupils regardless of the actual number of teacher-pupil instruction hours and teacher-pupil contact hours for each pupil, selected LEPs will be able to:

  • Participate in a network of all selected LEPs
  • Receive technical assistance* in evaluating the effectiveness and measuring the success of the LEP's innovative learning plan (ILP).
  • Rural LEPs & small suburban school districts will receive technical assistance* in developing an ILP.
  • Rural LEPs & small suburban school districts will receive technical assistance* in implementing the LEP's ILP.

*Technical assistance will be provided by a statewide non-profit entity contracted by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) that has expertise in system innovation and career and postsecondary readiness. Through a competitive process conducted during the 2019-20 fiscal year, the Colorado Education Initiative was chosen to be the technical assistance provider for the ILOP program.


Contact:

Erica Ryan, Postsecondary Programs Specialist
Email: ryan_e@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-576-4288