Growth Plans help administrators support employee development by documenting goals, action steps, and progress over time. In Lebra Ascend, Growth Plans (also called PDPs, IPLPs, PGPs, or similar) follow a structured workflow that includes requesting plans, reviewing submissions, requesting edits, tracking progress updates, and maintaining documentation.
What Is a Growth Plan?
A Growth Plan is a collaborative document completed by an employee and reviewed by an evaluator. It focuses on professional growth rather than evaluation scoring.
When completing a Growth Plan, employees:
Select 1-5 focus components or standards
Define growth goals
Identify 1-2 action steps
Describe support or resources needed
Reflect on impact on student learning
Sign the plan to confirm commitment
As an administrator or evaluator, you manage the workflow around these plans.
Your Role as an Administrator or Evaluator
You are responsible for:
Requesting Growth Plans
Reviewing submitted plans
Requesting edits when needed
Signing and finalizing approved plans
Requesting and reviewing progress updates
Downloading plans as PDFs for records
Understanding Growth Plan Statuses
Growth Plans move through several statuses:
Requested - The employee has been asked to complete the plan
Expired - The employee's link expired after 60 days
Signed - The employee submitted and signed the plan
Completed - You reviewed and finalized the plan
Requested Progress - You requested a progress update
Progress Submitted - The employee submitted a progress update
Each status determines what actions are available next.
Requesting a Growth Plan
Requesting a Growth Plan sends the employee an email with a secure link to complete their plan.
Steps
Navigate to the employee's profile.
Select the Growth Plan tab (or equivalent naming).
Click Create Growth Plan (or equivalent naming).
Confirm the request.
What happens next
The employee receives an email with a secure, personalized link
The link is valid for 60 days
No login is required for the employee
The plan appears in the profile with Requested status
Reviewing a Submitted Growth Plan
Once an employee completes and signs their Growth Plan, you review the submission and decide whether to approve or request edits.
Steps
Open the employee's profile.
Select the Growth Plan tab (or equivalent naming).
Locate the plan with Signed status.
Click the plan to open the review window.
What you'll see
Selected focus components
Growth goals
Action steps
Support needed
Student growth alignment
Employee signature
Requesting Edits to a Growth Plan
If revisions are needed, you can return the plan with specific feedback.
Steps
Open the Growth Plan review window.
Select Request Edits.
Enter clear, actionable feedback.
Send the request.
What happens next
The employee receives an email with your feedback
They revise and resubmit the plan
The status returns to Signed for your review
Signing and Finalizing a Growth Plan
Finalizing a Growth Plan approves it and locks it for the remainder of the cycle.
Steps
Review the plan one final time.
Add your signature.
Select Sign and Finalize.
After finalizing
Status updates to Completed
The employee receives a confirmation email
The plan becomes locked
You can begin requesting progress updates
Requesting Progress Updates
Progress updates let you track development and gather evidence throughout the year.
Steps
Navigate to the employee's profile.
Select the Growth Plan tab (or equivalent naming).
Locate the completed Growth Plan.
Select Request Progress Update from the action menu.
What happens next
The employee receives an email to submit an update
They provide written reflections
They upload supporting artifacts (documents, files, evidence)
Reviewing Progress Updates
Once submitted, progress updates appear directly within the Growth Plan.
Steps
Open the employee's Growth Plan.
Scroll to the Progress Updates section.
What you'll see
Written progress reflections
Uploaded artifacts
AI-generated summaries of uploaded documents
Submission dates
You may request additional updates or proceed with documentation.
Downloading a Growth Plan as a PDF
Completed Growth Plans can be downloaded as PDFs for record-keeping or sharing.
Steps
Open the employee's Professional Development tab.
Locate the Growth Plan.
Open the action menu.
Select Download PDF.
This PDF includes
All Growth Plan sections
Employee and evaluator signatures
Finalization dates
Progress updates
References to uploaded artifacts
Deleting a Growth Plan
Growth Plans created in error can be deleted before or after completion
Steps
Navigate to the employee's profile.
Open the Professional Development tab.
Select the action menu next to the plan.
Choose Delete and confirm.
Important: Deleting a Growth Plan is permanent and removes all associated data.
Customizing Growth Plan Settings
Administrators can customize Growth Plan behavior and naming.
Naming Conventions
Set short names (e.g., PDP, PGP)
Set long names (e.g., Professional Development Plan)
These names appear throughout Ascend.
Anchor Date
Defines timeline calculations
Helps align Growth Plans with evaluation cycles
Access these settings via Settings → Ascend → General
Frequently Asked Questions
What if an employee's link expires?
Send a new request from their profile.
Can employees save and return later?
Yes. Their form auto-saves and can be reopened using the same email link.
Can finalized plans be edited?
No. Finalized plans are locked. A new plan must be created if changes are needed.
Can employees have multiple Growth Plans?
Yes—typically one per evaluation period.
Do employees need an account?
No. Access is via a secure email link only.
Need More Help?
Contact your organization administrator or Lebra support for additional assistance.