{"id":4961,"date":"2018-09-20T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T09:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.xello.world\/?p=4961"},"modified":"2025-05-15T02:35:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T07:35:42","slug":"specializations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.xello.world\/en\/resources\/blog-posts\/specializations\/","title":{"rendered":"Complete Course Planning with Specializations in Xello"},"content":{"rendered":"

Course planning. As students select courses to build their four-year plans, not only do they need to ensure all core graduation requirements are met, they need to organize pre-requisites, corequisites, and electives. Add to that a variety of specializations students can work towards in conjunction with their diploma, and you\u2019re looking at an expert juggling act.<\/p>\n

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At many school districts there are a variety of additional specializations students can work towards. For instance,\u00a0Specialist High Skills Majors<\/i>\u00a0in Ontario,\u00a0endorsements<\/i>\u00a0in Texas, and\u00a0A-G requirements<\/i>\u00a0in California to name just a few.
\nSo, while students are selecting courses to meet their diploma requirements, how can they also select courses towards a specialized area of study and easily track their progress?<\/div>\n
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Students select courses and track their progress toward specializations with ease<\/h2>\n
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To simplify course selection for students and educators, Xello now has\u00a0Specializations<\/i>\u00a0\u2014 an enhanced functionality of Xello’s\u00a0Course Planner<\/i>\u00a0tool that enables students\u00a0to build course plans that meet both diploma and specialization requirements all in one place.<\/b>
\nThe\u00a0Specializations<\/i>\u00a0feature allows students to\u00a0see their progress toward their specialization requirements in real-time.<\/b>\u00a0As students add and remove courses from their plan, the sophisticated algorithm behind Xello\u2019s\u00a0Course Planner<\/i>\u00a0simultaneously updates the student\u2019s progress toward their diploma and specializations. This allows students to explore their course configuration options, so they end up with the best possible plan that helps them meet both their graduation and specialization requirements.
\nAnd, since the\u00a0Course Planner<\/i>\u00a0algorithm\u00a0updates a student’s progress toward all specializations<\/b>\u00a0offered at the school in real-time, students get to see how course selections qualify them to graduate with a specialization they may not even have known about. While working independently, students can see how aligning their passions to their course plans allows them graduate with special recognition \u2014 a shift in students that can lead to increased engagement and achievement.
\nWith an easier way for students to plan courses and track their progress, you\u2019ll have\u00a0more students on-track to graduate.<\/b>\u00a0Plus, with the new\u00a0Specialization Completion Report<\/i>, you\u2019ll get real-time insight into students who need additional support, saving you from having to sort through student records to see who\u2019s on-track.<\/div>\n
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Get students on-track with straightforward course planning<\/h2>\n
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Selecting courses that meet both diploma and specialization requirements is now a seamless experience.
\nIn Xello\u2019s\u00a0Course Planner<\/i>, when students select a specialization it shows them their progress towards achieving it within their course plan. This is also where they\u2019ll see the requirements of the specialization and pick courses to fulfil them.
\nHere\u2019s an example of how this experience would come to life for a student:
\nLet\u2019s say Jill was assigned to the Arts & Culture specialization at her school. In her course planning section of her Xello account, Jill sees an overview of the remaining credits required for her high school diploma and the credits she still needs for the Arts & Culture specialization, as well as the other specializations offered at her school.<\/p>\n
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An example of course planning credits in the Xello Course Planner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

While creating her four-year course plan, Jill sees there are 4 remaining credits required for her to graduate with the Arts & Culture specialization. When Jill clicks into the specialization she can see the specific requirements and can click through to select courses that will satisfy each \u2014 1 credit in English and 4 credits in Arts.<\/p>\n

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An example of specific requirements and courses needed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

When Jill clicks the Arts credits tile, she\u2019s presented with the Arts courses at her school that count towards her specialization. She can then add them directly to her course plan.<\/p>\n

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An example of adding courses directly to a course plan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Get started using Specializations with your students<\/h2>\n
It takes a bit of set up to get\u00a0Specializations<\/i>\u00a0working seamlessly for your students. Check with your administrator to see if\u00a0Course Planning<\/i>\u00a0is configured for your school and if specialization tracking is included.
\nOnce\u00a0Specializations<\/i>\u00a0are enabled, the next step is to assign them to students. To add a specialization to a student\u2019s course plan:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n