Our Career Awareness and Exploration Team supports ongoing career development to prepare K-12 students for the goals and decisions they need to make regarding post-secondary pursuits. In schools, this process includes participation in career awareness and exploration, assessment and guidance, career pathways, and integrated learning (which combines academic and career-related content in coordinated learning activities). The State of Michigan calls this process an Educational Development Plan (EDP).   In Kalamazoo RESA districts, students have access to Xello to create their EDPs. Students and their families are welcomed and encouraged to explore Xello during classroom lessons and at home on their own time.

An EDP is an individualized approach to learning that documents a student’s ongoing process of identifying both career goals and a plan of action to achieve them.  It guides a student in accomplishing goals based on exploration, experiences and an informed plan of action. Setting goals and recording them in an EDP helps students become more intentional about being successful in their classes and in selecting extracurricular and employment activities. To be effective, EDPs do not stand alone. They are dependent upon participation in the larger, ongoing career development process, and they should be reviewed and updated annually.
 

What is an Educational Development Plan (EDP)?

An Educational Development Plan (EDP) is a very useful tool to assist students with their career preparation process. It provides a place to show a student’s current interests, abilities, and career pathways; to record results of assessments, career research, reflections on exploration activities, etc.; and to correlate this growing body of information with a plan of action to achieve educational and career goals. An EDP is more comprehensive than a schedule of classes because it includes information a student can use to make wise choices about post-secondary options. An EDP is a “living” document that is updated as student interests and abilities become more obvious and focused. 

Who Is Required to Have an Educational Development Plan (EDP)? 

The State of Michigan requires that all students must be given the opportunity to create an EDP beginning in the 7th grade and revise it appropriately throughout high school. All students are required to develop an EDP with guidance from school advisors. When applicable, parents and community contacts should also be included. The EDP does not take the place of either an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Personal Curriculum (PC). 
 

Why Do Students Need an EDP? 

Students need answers to important questions: Who am I? Where am I going? How do I get there? An EDP is an individualized approach to learning that documents a student’s ongoing process of identifying both career goals and a plan of action to achieve them. An EDP helps students understand and appreciate their strengths and interests. By being involved in career preparation and in creating their EDPs, students can become engaged in a process that assists them in exploring and examining their interests, skills, and abilities and in beginning to make decisions about selecting a career path for the future.
 

How can students start/update their EDP?

State law requires local schools to provide an opportunity for students to begin developing an EDP in Grade 7 and review their educational development plan during Grade 8; however, it is recommended that districts begin the EDP process even earlier by issuing interest surveys to young learners. Revisions to the student’s EDP should be completed before they begin high school. Counselors meet with all classes to instruct students on updating their EDP annually.  The essential elements for updating an EDP are exploring careers, projected job openings, educational/training goals, career interest surveys, activities, experiences, and plans of action.
 

What is Xello?

Xello is an amazing career-resource software platform and EDP tool that helps students in grades 6–12 create their very own, unique roadmap for future success—enabling them to discover their own personalized pathway through self-knowledge, exploration and planning. Built on a proven model for student success, Xello aligns to the Michigan Career Development Model, including Educational Development Plans (EDP) and Talent Portfolios.

Xello: Make Every Student Future Ready (Video- 1:37 minutes)

Xello Student Experience Overview (Video -  3:59 minutes)

How can families get involved?

Family members are encouraged to explore Xello with your child by logging in together. Your child can log in to their account via desktop or mobile device to share what they’ve learned about themselves, the world of work, and their future options. 

Xello for Families  (Video - 1:30 minutes)

Is Xello safe and secure?

We take data protection and privacy very seriously. So does Xello. The program complies with legal requirements for safety and security outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). That means advertising is not displayed within Xello, nor is data used for commercial purposes. Xello is also a signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, requiring them to uphold strict standards for safeguarding student privacy regarding the collection, maintenance, and use of student personal information. 

What are the benefits of using Xello?

• Students gain career awareness, exploration and preparation all in one comprehensive platform, which grows with them throughout their K-12 education experience.
• Students easily create and revise their Educational Development Plan and Talent Portfolios each school year.
• Educators can review students' interests, skills and abilities over the course of their K-12 education and guide them in a career readiness journey unique to students’ own experiences and talents.
  
  

Want to know more?

Educational Development Plans (or EDPs) are outlined in the Michigan Career Development Model (MCDM), which is designed to provide all students in Michigan with the necessary knowledge and skills for success in a career of their choice and lifelong learning.

A complete set of EDP guidelines from the state Department of Education can be found in EDP Fundamentals,  Essential EDP Elements include:

• Personal Data / typically includes name, address, birth date, and grade level
• Career Goal(s) / Young students choose interest areas by listing career pathways in order of preference. Older students who have had opportunities to refine their choices over time should be asked to become more specific about occupations, stating both desired career pathway(s) and related job titles. 
• Education/Training Goals / long-range goals regarding the formal education or preparation needed, (i.e. apprenticeship, certificate program, 2 or 4-year degree program, military, etc.) 
• Career Assessment Highlights / Learners need opportunities to use the results of formal assessments and informal observations to assist in choosing career goals. Watching for consistency of career assessment results over time, the learner will be aided in confirming career decisions. 
• Career Awareness, Exploration, & Work-Based Experiences /listing of activities that he/she has and intends to participate in order to gain a better understanding of career options and characteristics, (i.e. researching career information, volunteer/community service, job shadowing, internship, CTE program, internship, part-time employment, etc.)
• Course Selection / (required and elective) a sequential plan of courses that provide academic and career-related preparation relevant to goals and continuing education
• Parent Consultation/Endorsement / Parents of middle and high school students should have the opportunity to review and endorse their child's EDP.
• Student Portfolio / a place to document acquired skills and showcase selected meaningful material.
  
  

Districts can use Xello to fulfill the MCDM and meet the state’s requirements for EDPs for all students. KRESA offers an EDP Completion Standards Guide Using Xello.