When we talk about Tier 3 interventions, we’re talking about our highest-need students —the ones who are struggling not just academically, but often emotionally, socially, or behaviorally too. These students don’t need more paperwork or a savior. They need systems and interventions that actually move the needle. One of the most overlooked tools in that system? Individual Academic and Career Plans (IACPs), in Washington we call this the High School and Beyond Plan.
Let’s be clear: IACPs aren’t just for your “college-bound” kids or your kids who aren’t going to college. Done right, they’re a powerful strategy to re-engage students who’ve been checked out or written off. To make them work, schools need more than one school counselor doing all the heavy lifting. Here’s how to build a team-based system that makes support sustainable.
Start With the Why: Career Relevance = Motivation
A lot of Tier 3 students have internalized the message that school isn’t for them. So we flip it. We use career exploration as the hook. Instead of saying, “You need to pass Algebra,” we say, “Let’s figure out what kind of career and future you want—and then reverse-engineer how to get there.”
The IACP becomes the roadmap, not a random folder in a drawer.
Roles That Make It Happen: Everyone Has a Lane
1. School Counselors – The Architects
School Counselors lead the development of the IACP but shouldn’t be doing it alone. Their job is to coordinate the plan, make sure career goals are included, and align the right supports—academic, social-emotional, and postsecondary.
2. Admin – The Culture Setters
Leaders need to build protected time into the schedule for IACP lessons, small groups, advisory check-ins. They also set the tone that this is not “extra,” it’s essential. If you don’t make it a priority then no one else will either. Leaders understand their school data and not just how to help teachers improve instruction. They are the school CEO, Marketing and Systems runners.
3. Teachers – The Daily Connectors
Teachers support Tier 3 plans by helping reinforce career connections in class, offering make-up work pathways, or mentoring students through classroom-based projects. Some can serve as “academic mentors” tied to the IACP. They might even be internship supervisors!
4. Classified & Coaching Staff – The Eyes and Ears
Don’t sleep on your coaches, security, office, culinary or custodial staff. They often have the strongest relationships with students in need of Tier 3 interventions. Train them to recognize when a student needs a check-in and give them a voice in team meetings. Give them the tools and professional development to help students with their IACPS. Include them in career fairs and panel discussions.
5. Community Partners – The Real-World Bridge
Bring in internship coordinators, local employers, entrepreneurs or non-profits who can provide experiences outside the classroom. That job shadowing opportunity might be the first time a student sees their potential in action. Think about bringing in Tribal Elders, Disability service providers, ROTC programs, Rotary Clubs, Future Farmers of America, School Clubs, any organization or program that connects to students goals. This is not just supporting future planning, but it is also connecting students to a support system.
6. School Psychologists – The MTSS Magicians Allow your school psychs to shine, they have tools and depths of knowledge that can support your school wide systems and not just function as gatekeepers to Special Education services.
System Moves: Operationalize Tier 3 IACPs
- Use a Tier 3 IACP template. Make it more detailed than Tier 1/2 plans. Include sections for credit recovery, wraparound services (like check and connect, mentorship), and career-aligned experiences. Define the data gateways that determine when students need or can exit out of Tier 3 supports. If you don’t define success you can never meet it. Don’t assume that Tier 3 automatically means school counselors, instead ask who in the building has the relationship or the skills set to provide the intervention needed rather than assuming certain roles provide certain levels of intervention.
- Schedule monthly IACP check-ins. Assign each student a point-person who reviews progress, updates goals, and problem-solves. Could be a para, mentor teacher, or community liaison.
- Track engagement, not just compliance. Is the student showing up for their internship? Did they complete their career interest survey? Engagement in their plan is a better indicator of progress than just GPA. Think about ways to share progress with student families so that have visibility into student successes.
- Make it visible. Use a color-coded dashboard, digital tool or shared spreadsheet that the IACP team can update and access. Keep student goals front and center, so every adult working with them is aligned.
Tier 3 Isn’t a Program—It’s a Promise
Our most vulnerable students need us to stop treating intervention like a one-size-fits-all solution. They need personalized, persistent, purpose-driven support—and that’s what Individual Academic and Career Plans can offer when done right.
Let’s stop waiting for them to fail more before we act. Let’s build a system that meets them where they are—and walks with them where they want to go.