Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP)

The ICAP is a plan of study to guide students through the coursework and activities for achieving personal career goals, post-secondary planning and providing individual pathway options.  An ICAP is a multi-year process, beginning no later than the eighth grade, that intentionally guides students and families in the exploration of career, academic and multiple post-secondary opportunities. An ICAP is a “roadmap” to help students develop the awareness, knowledge, attitudes and skills to create their own meaningful pathways to be success-ready graduates.

MO DESE has set a target for ICAP completion of at least 95% of students.

• NSD Students in Class of 2024 with an ICAP: 100%
• NSD Students in Grades 8-12 with an ICAP: 100%

A market value asset (MVA) represents the completion of a high school experience that helps a student transition to future learning and/or a career. MVAs are valued by employers and higher education institutions because they give students real-world previews of life after graduation. Examples of MVAs include internships or work experience with real clients, industry-recognized credentials and earning college credits that count toward a degree.

NSD Class of 2024 Students With at Least 1 MVA: 38.1%

NSD students participating in the NEWcaps program gain hands-on experience through job shadowing and completing client-connected projects. NEWcaps students work with local businesses on marketing plans, event media, addressing community challenges, and more. Each NEWcaps student completes a passion project to address a real-world problem, such as tackling local health issues, promoting environmental initiatives, or solving educational challenges. NSD student passion projects have included:

• Installing and maintaining a Little Library off the town square
• Designing and building duck houses to support wildlife at Big Spring Park
• Educating Neosho middle school students about personal hygiene
• Creating sensory rooms for local schools to promote emotional well-being

Neosho Ag Education students gain hands-on job placement experiences through the Supervised Agricultural Experience Program, where they can earn money and track their progress using the Agricultural Experience Tracker. They also explore entrepreneurship by developing businesses such as raising livestock, landscaping, welding and selling local produce.

NHS students earning at least nine college credit hours before graduation also qualify for an MVA. Sixteen percent of 2024 graduates earned at least nine hours of college credit during their high school experience, through a combination of Advanced Placement (AP) test scores, dual credit and dual-enrollment opportunities.

Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs) were earned by 12.5% of 2024 NSD graduates during high school. These credentials allow students to instantly transition to higher-paying jobs after graduation. IRCs earned by 2024 NSD graduates include:

• Missouri Law Enforcement Skills & Knowledge
• National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
• Certified Nurse Aide
• American Welding Society
• Automotive Technician Exam

Whether NSD students are engaged in client-connected projects, working with businesses to solve real-world problems, or developing skills to transition to post high-school employment, none of this would be possible without a rich network of partnerships. Local business partners help students to build their skills, experience and resumes while engaging in work that best fits the needs of the local community and market.

NSD business partnerships are too numerous to list here, and the numbers grow continuously, but our student collaboration network includes:

• Freeman Hospital
• La-Z-Boy
• Walmart
• Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce
• K & S Wire
• Liberty Utilities
• Nutra Blend
• Missouri Walnut