ECAP
ECAP
Education and Career Action Plans are due April 30, 2025.
Learn more about Education and Career Action Plans.
On February 25, 2008 the Arizona State Board of Education approved Education and Career Action Plans (ECAP) for all Arizona students grades 9-12. An ECAP reflects a student’s current plan of coursework, career aspirations, and extended learning opportunities in order to develop the student’s individual academic, career goals, and postsecondary plans.
ECAP documentation must be uploaded into the EMAC system within ADE Connect. The required documents include the Implementation Plan for the current school year and a Sample Student Plan from a student in the current graduating class, with all Personal Identifying Information (PII) removed to be FERPA compliant. If there is any PII in the submitted documents, your ECAP task will be rejected.
The Implementation Plan and Student Sample Plan must be for the specific school and cannot be used for all schools in a district. If there is more than one high school in your school district, each high school must have its own specific Implementation Plan and Student Sample. Districts that submit one Implementation Plan or Student Sample Plan for several schools will have their ECAPs rejected.
The four components of ECAPs include: Academic, Career, Postsecondary, and Extracurricular. These components should be documented, reviewed, and updated a minimum of once per academic year. The Implementation Plan and Student Sample Plan should contain documentation of activities being provided in all four required areas. ECAP must be reviewed with the student and parent(s)/guardian(s) annually. Signatures or acknowledgment of involvement from parent(s)/guardian(s) are an important documentation aspect of a successful ECAP.
There is no fixed cost to implementing ECAPs. Arizona Department of Education (ADE) provides a variety of resources free to all schools, including templates for Implementation Plans and Student Plans, as well as ECAP guidance. Some additional ECAP opportunities, such as a career exploration platform, career fair, or offering a placement exam, may be an additional cost to the school.
- ADE College and Career Ready
- ASVAB Career Exploration Program
- AZ Apprenticeship Program
- AZ Curriculum Connection: Access CFA and ABEC Curriculums
- AZ Job Connection
- Big Future
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- CareerOneStop
- College Ready AZ
- Edge Factor: Free Premium Membership for ABEC member schools
- Education Forward Arizona
- Handshake
- Junior Achievement Inspire Program
- My Future AZ
- Think College: Higher education resources for students with intellectual disability.
Educators seeking specialized training on education and career action plans are invited to email us to arrange personalized sessions. Additionally, subscribe to the School Counselor Connection to receive monthly updates on upcoming training opportunities.
