In a rural area tucked away in the northeast corner of Kansas, just south of the Nebraska border, lies Prairie Hills USD 113. <\/span> USD 113\u2019s partnership with Xello means they have a solution that aligns perfectly with the Kansans<\/span> CAN Competency Framework, which calls for embedding interpersonal skills into course content. <\/span> \u00a0The Xello lessons support these explorations in students of all ages. We\u2019ve got lessons on time management at the 6th grade level, but we see threads of that in a lot of different lessons. An 8th grade lesson focuses on creating a self-advocacy plan which aligns with our assertiveness focus very well.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cThe lessons have done a really good job of tapping into those needs in a pleasant setting. The students are comfortable exploring,” she adds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n USD 113 had been using Career Cruising for more than two years before switching to Xello for the 2019\/2020 school year.<\/span> This usually means they\u2019re using Xello to complete a lesson, use a tool, or complete a required task.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/span>Another high school has a designated class period every month and some of that time is allocated to future readiness activities. <\/span> In Xello, students will have to make a life experience entry for their job shadow and then reflect on that experience. They\u2019re also going to add a photo from the day with their mentor. Ambassadors will be there to support them as they go through it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Evans says that Xello has sparked invaluable conversations among students and teachers throughout the high schools and middle schools that use it. The real breakthroughs come after students have completed some lessons.<\/span> Kids are put on the spot with a situation and asked to think about how they would respond. The conversations afterward are just so valuable because they tie right back into our college and career competency conversations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another element that she says has been a game changer is the course planner feature. Although there were some blips as they rolled it out across the district, the value of each student having a four-year plan for high school is \u201cimmeasurable\u201d.<\/span>
\nThe small school district, whose motto is \u201cPreparing Kids, Shaping the Future,\u201d is intent on doing just that for students in the three K-12 schools it serves.<\/span>
\nOne of the ways USD 113 prepares students for a bright future is by embracing future-readiness technology to help them fulfil their state mandates, create and execute meaningful individual plans of study (IPS), and find efficient administrative gains so all students are consistently supported.<\/span>
\nWe spoke to Briana Evans, a USD 113 school counselor who has been instrumental in integrating Xello into the fabric of the district\u2019s future readiness efforts. <\/span>
\nShe told us how the program aligns with their mandates and how they\u2019re making the most of every feature.<\/span><\/p>\nBuilt-in Mandate Compliance<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cEducators support students to become career-equipped, socially and emotionally engaged, lifelong learners,\u201d reads the framework.<\/span>
\nXello Success Manager Matthew Krawczyk says he and his team were able to look at the IPS requirements for USD 113 and overlay the many ways Xello fulfilled their mandates.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe created a document that demonstrates how our model aligns with USD 113\u2019s requirements. For example, the IPS process\u2014Know Yourself, Explore Options, Make Choices, Take Action\u2014we created a pre-made curriculum that fulfils this mandate.\u201d<\/span>
\nXello\u2019s assessments, lessons, and tools allow students to identify careers of interest, explore clusters, and create post-secondary plans for success. <\/span>
\nStudents continue to develop their unique electronic portfolio from K-12 while using Xello\u2019s course planner tool to select courses based on their interests and post-secondary goals.<\/span>
\nA fundamental component of the Kansans<\/span> CAN competencies is social-emotional learning. <\/span>
\nEvans says that, each year, the district chooses an aspect from a wheel of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive skills. Last year, USD 113 chose self-regulation. In 2019\/2020, they chose to focus on assertiveness.<\/span><\/p>\nA Creative and Comprehensive Approach to Using Future Readiness Tools<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cWe transitioned to Xello just after school dismissed last year, which was perfect for me to be able to play around in the system and make plans for the upcoming school year,\u201d says Evans.<\/span>
\nIn fact, before the school year even began, she plotted out the Xello tasks and corresponding future readiness lessons and activities for the year so she could plan visits and other details ahead. Bonus: teachers and students know exactly what to expect each month.<\/span>
\nUsing Advisory Periods and Ambassadors<\/i><\/b>
\nOne of the ways USD 113 ensures that future-readiness is prioritized is to make use of advisory periods. <\/span>
\nOne of the high schools has a 30-minute advisory period every day and designates a few of those a month to focus on IPS duties. <\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cI also have all students hop into Xello outside of those times as they work through their IPS experiences,\u201d she says.<\/span>
\nIn order to make the most of time and the tool, Evans appointed IPS student ambassadors within both high schools at each grade level. <\/span>
\nShe meets with them monthly and previews the Xello tasks with them before they\u2019ve been released to the rest of the classes. This means there are experts in each grade who can support their peers with the lessons and assessments they\u2019ll be working on. <\/span>
\n\u201cUsually the IPS ambassador will talk the students through the tasks and help anyone who isn\u2019t sure of something or is having trouble,\u201d says Evans.<\/span>
\nShe points to a job shadowing program that\u2019s slated for juniors, as an example. Students will follow a mentor and learn about their career and then use Xello to further process the experience. <\/span><\/p>\nThe Student Experience<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cThey tend to be very thought-provoking. I was with some 6<\/span>th<\/span> graders when they did a time management lesson and the part that prompted the most conversation was the task of laying out their day. It was a challenge for them. They realized that they have all these things they want to do but had to make some choices and give up some things in order to have time for others,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cAnother one that stood out was a lesson on ‘Defining Success for Seniors.’ Some of the seniors were struggling to define what success meant to them. It was a good conversation. In both situations, I liked that the kids had to think their way through that and solve the issue at hand.\u201d<\/span>
\nEvans believes the digital nature of the solution also plays into its impact. <\/span>
\n\u201cThe [online] lessons have been conversation starters. When a teacher is standing up there talking about assertiveness or self-regulation, the kids are rolling their eyes like, \u2018Yes, we know this.\u2019 But an interactive lesson that they\u2019re drawn into is different,” she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cCourse planner is supporting our efforts to help students make a plan with the understanding that it can change. It prompts some good conversations and deep thinking about things like, \u2018Do I want to take trig and calculus? How will that prepare me for what I want to do as a career?\u2019\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cWe want students to understand that we do not have a pre-defined plan for them post-secondary. They need to be prepared for whatever it is they want to do. It\u2019s also opened up other options beyond college. Students can see what else is available,\u201d says Evans.<\/span><\/p>\nAdvice for Other Districts Considering Future-Readiness Technology<\/b><\/h3>\n