Xello Increases Student Engagement in Schools in New Mexico
The Challenge
In 1993, the Legislature in New Mexico created the Center for Education and Study of Diverse Populations (CESDP) to “co-construct knowledge, foster diversity of voice, and build capacity to positively influence policy and practices that sustain healthy and fulfilling lives.”
CESDP oversees three programs, one of which is Engaging Latino Communities for Education (ENLACE), which was created in 1999. Its goal is to help students “access career and college pathways aligned with their aspirations, interests, and skills.”
With 23 years of experience in education, Tamara Kumbalek became the associate director of CESDP last year. In this role, she coordinates the ENLACE program in 14 schools in the Northeast region of New Mexico, which is composed of mostly Latino students. This year, funding was split between three universities, which enabled Tamara to narrow her focus on the schools in and just north of Las Vegas, New Mexico.
“ENLACE has evolved over the last 20 years. Right now, the focus is on how do we support students in really creating that mindset that there is a future for them, and that they have control in how they develop to reach the future they want,” Kumbalek explains. “We’ve also expanded to include career & college exploration and student leadership development”
Students Needed More
The challenges with this work are two-fold. Many students struggle to see their potential and the options that exist for their future, and schools are understaffed and are struggling to fill spots. Many educators don’t have the bandwidth to take on additional programs because they’re covering multiple roles. Kumbalek worked with one school that only had a principal and a counselor for the entire first semester of school.
When Kumbalek inherited Xello in her new role, she looked for ways to “use it to the best of its capacities.” She found that the schools in her region were using the program differently, so she worked with them individually, alternating her approach depending on the school’s needs. When she first sat down with a school in Pecos, a small village located outside of Santa Fe, she learned that their goal was to give the students hope again. The staff explained to Kumbalek that the students felt lost, like they were just going through the motions.
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The Solution
“I love how everything’s all in one platform with Xello,” says Kumbalek.
“Xello is so nice because the information that students are inputting is constantly realigning, so the algorithms show students what they’re matching with. It’s so beautiful because it’s a one-stop-shop,” she says.
Kumbalek also likes that students can see how their assessments are suggesting certain careers, that they’re allowed to change it, and are provided opportunities for reflection. “And it’s [assessments and career exploration] all in one space, so it’s incredibly user-friendly,” she says. “It’s helpful for teachers who are overwhelmed, it’s helpful for counselors who are overwhelmed, and it’s helpful for students who are like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’”
“The Xello Lady”
Some schools wanted a more hands-on approach and invited Kumbalek into their classrooms every month or two to help extend the reflection piece. “It provided that outside voice. Having that outside voice saying let’s talk about this or let’s do this activity really hit home with them,” says Kumbalek.
Since she is able to work closely with her schools, Kumbalek can get more involved with students working in Xello. The students have even nicknamed her ‘the Xello Lady.’
The Results
Xello helps schools fulfill their ENLACE goals in a way that is easy for teachers to implement in their classrooms and creates true engagement with students.
“You could see a shift over time with these particular schools, just the mindset of there’s a future,” shares Kumbalek.
Xello Offers a Roadmap to the Future
Mid-year in Pecos, the principal, counselors, and teachers expressed seeing this shift in the students. They told Kumbalek, “We see that they’re actually trying in school because they see that there’s a future for them amidst all the chaos,” she shares.
As a former teacher, Kumbalek was especially impressed that the teachers could see the quality of engagement and the quality of work improve. “The kids in Pecos are amazing, but really, all kids are amazing. They became this exceptional vision of what learning could be like because we were reigniting this flame inside of them. It was really cool to see.”
Kumbalek can see that students are exploring outside of Pecos for their professional options; however, they are also proud of their hometown and want to see it thrive. They’re trying to explore their futures while remaining aware that they want to help grow their hometown. Knowing how their interests and skills can merge these futures for themselves and their community is helpful.
She is already looking ahead to next year where she hopes to get more teachers involved using the lessons to engage with the students. “The relationships I made with the students in six sessions was incredible. Can you imagine what the teachers can build when they’re there every day?”
She hopes to be able to meet with teachers on a quarterly basis to go through the next set of lessons and offer extension activities. “I’m hoping it becomes more of a school community initiative, not just the ‘Xello Lady,’” she says.
That was ENLACE’s success story—now it’s time to write yours. Learn how Xello can help students at your district get college and career ready. Book My Demo
About Tamara
