Meeting the Challenge: Navigating CCR Innovation in a Diverse School District
The Challenge
With 18,000 K-12 students across 32 campuses, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) has its hands full when it comes to delivering high-quality college and career readiness to everyone.
Yet the district is serious about providing college and career readiness (CCR), launching a college and career advising program nine years ago, with team members supporting five middle schools, one freshman campus and four high schools with their Xello program. The group collaborates by running scholarship nights, college application drives, and CCR programming for students at all grade levels. The district also offers a robust career and technical education (CTE) with 13 certifications, including firefighting, EMT, dental assistant, and pre-law.
While HCISD supports students as they’re preparing to make decisions that will significantly affect their futures, it’s challenged by a college and career advisor-to-student ratio of 1,000 to 1 in most high schools.
“Sometimes we’re not able to invest that quality one-on-one time with all of our students because, during the academic year we’re working more with seniors who are deep in the college application process. The education piece with our other classes can get a little bit overlooked,” said Dr. Delicia Sanchez, a member of the advising team and counselor at Harlingen High School.
Each year, high schools in Texas are required to report on their graduates’ college, career, or military readiness (CCMR). Student readiness greatly affects a district’s accountability rating, the amount of funding it receives and, most importantly, a student’s future success. It’s critical that all educators and decision-makers can monitor student progress so that they can provide effective support.
What they needed was a college and career readiness program that matched their intentions to instill self-awareness in all students to prepare them for a future of their choosing, support their efforts to help seniors through the college application process, and help share information with families.
And since the district is composed of 90% Hispanic heritage students, accessibility was a priority. A tool with Spanish language capabilities was imperative to maintain their 90% graduation rate.
The Solution
HCISD ultimately chose Xello because it met the criteria of their ideal CCR solution, including supporting all middle and high school students with accessibility and providing a tool for four-year planning, course selections, and tracking towards graduation requirements. Robust reporting tools, including CCMR, were also a huge draw.
HCISD took a tactical approach to integrating Xello in the 2022/23 school year by completing Xello’s workshop series to help manage staff expectations, identify goals, and create a scope and sequence for Xello using lessons.
Their short-term and long-term goals included aiming for:
- A full 100% of students having a well-documented plan for after graduation
- A place for educators to track and monitor student goals and progress toward CCR initiatives
- A one-stop-shop for students and educators to track students’ goals, complete college applications, FAFSA applications, and provide opportunities for collaboration
- Students who have the tools to create a clear vision of their interests and a path to reach their college and career goals
After completing the workshop, CTE teachers were trained on Xello, followed by high school counselors, then high school and middle school teachers. To ensure that all students and staff would be well-supported, the district identified 16 Xello champions located in various schools. They are super users who regularly log in to Xello, are trained on reporting, and actively work with students in Xello through a class or advising.
“Our Xello partnership, particularly with our Xello Success Manager, ensures our students are on a path to success. The progress reporting and data-driven insights have significantly enhanced how we tailor guidance and support their futures.”
Sylvia Gamboa, Director of Guidance & Counseling, Harlingen Consolidated Independent District, Texas
As Xello is rolled out across the district, it’s focusing solely on student and staff engagement, with college planning features to come later. They’re using Xello’s Portfolios & Plans to help with credential tracking and using the CCMR indicator tool to teach students, families, and staff to build a community that understands individual students’ goals and provide resources to support them as they get there.
The Results
According to Sanchez, students and staff across the district, particularly in the high schools, have embraced Xello.
In its first year, 45% of the student body accessed Xello with an average of 10.8 logins. By April 1st, 2024, 20% of students had completed all lessons assigned to them. Students in Grades 7 to 10 are most prolific with lessons since many of them have dedicated time in careers, CTE, and other classes.
“In our district, we use the SSMES model for students (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills) and Xello is a great program because it’s aligned with the framework we’re using for a lot of our lessons,” said Sanchez.
“It ties back to the idea that the more self-aware you are, the better you’re going to be able to find the option that truly fits you whether it’s college, the military, or the workforce. The more you know about yourself the better able you are to make those kinds of decisions.”
HCISD relies on Xello to help support students’ social and emotional development. As they develop self-awareness about their strengths, interests, personality, and learning styles to help them do their own research about future pathways that would be a good fit for them.
“One of my favorite things about Xello is that any point of data or research is connected to two or three other pieces of information. For example, if a student is looking at a particular career, they will see a section that explains what majors they need to consider. Once they click on the majors, they will be able to see what schools have those majors. And then they can look at descriptions of each of the schools,” said Sanchez.
Xello’s lessons also make an impact on Harlingen’s students, particularly in Grades 6 to 12. “We use Xello Lessons and create our own for appropriate grade levels. Some of them are directed at helping students build soft skills related to decision making, biases and career choices. These help them understand why they are drawn to a certain career. Xello’s personality and learning style tests are also great to help students understand themselves better and advocate for what they truly want,” said Sanchez.
In turn, this self-knowledge has allowed college and career advisors at HCISD to have more meaningful one-on-one meetings with students. They’re also able to use Xello’s data to deliver tailored information to students with interests in certain areas. For example, when a specific college is coming to one of their campuses, they can reach out to all of the students who have saved that college on their personal page in Xello.
All Students, All Pathways
Now that Xello is part of HCISD’s CCR strategy, there’s a more consistent and accessible approach to ensuring all students are receiving the information and resources they need to prepare for their futures.
CCR goals for the near future are to increase logins and completed lessons by 15% each and successfully launch Xello’s course planning tool. HCISD aspires to have 50% of freshmen create a four-year plan in Xello within a year. They’re well on their way to success.
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