Academic & Career Planning

Students at the Mount Horeb Area School District Middle School use Xello to learn more about themselves and to develop their Academic and Career Plan (ACP).  Xello offers various interest inventories and assessments, information on careers and education programs, and employment trends and data.  

Each student has a personal Xello account with an e-portfolio.  The e-portfolio holds assessment results, student selected information on post-secondary schools and careers, and the student's academic and career plan. 

For login information, please contact your child's school counselor.  Once login information is received, visit the MHASD Xello page to log in.

10th-grade students will begin to have the opportunity to take more classes in their own areas of interest. Our more advanced related pathway-focused and academic classes are available as well as those classes they may have missed Freshman year. 

Sophomores will revisit assessments completed on Xello, and participate in assessments to determine academic abilities and to reassess their career pathway.

Junior year is when students can really begin to realize the possibilities. Students will then start exploring possibilities through job shadows, career research, college visits, and trade externships. They will set goals, choose courses, join activities, fill out applications, and write resumes.

Senior year is the time for students to solidify their plans. Through rigorous academic and related career cluster classes, students will discover more about themselves. Students are all in different spots on their career pathways, and senior year is when they can go back and re-experience different opportunities and maybe even pursue new ones. 

A career cluster is a group of jobs and industries that share similar skills or products. Career clusters can help students explore potential careers and find ones that match their interests and goals. Check out our career cluster blueprints to learn more about the following career clusters: 

• Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology & Communication
• Business Management & Administration
• Education & Training
• Finance
• Government & Public Administration
• Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology (IT)
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
• Manufacturing
• Marketing
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)
• Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Post-Secondary Education Pathways Recommendations serve as an opportunity for students to match their career interests with recommended post-high school education pathways, including: 

• Direct to Job Market or Apprenticeship programs

• 2-year Technical or Junior College

• 4-year college or university

• Selective* 4-year college or university

*The term "selective" is used to describe college and universities that have a low acceptance rate based on number of applicants

Students can change Blueprints or Pathways at ANYTIME, based on their changing career and academic interests.  Both Blueprints and Pathways serve as guiding information to help students, caregivers, and faculty best prepare students for courses in and life after high school.

Wisconsin’s Early College Credit Program or Madison College  Start College Now; courses that provide Transcripted Credit/Advanced Standing, and Advanced Placement coursework, as well as Career Experience and Service Learning credit, to begin some of their post-secondary education while still in high school.

Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship is a unique opportunity for juniors and seniors to start preparing for a career while still in high school. This program provides the opportunity for work-based learning, occupational instruction, and academic education.  As a youth apprentice, students will earn an hourly wage while learning from skilled professionals. Upon successful completion of the program, students will be awarded a Certificate of Occupational Proficiency from the Department of Workforce Development. Students are required to provide their own transportation to class and the worksite during the day/evening.

The International Baccalaureate Career-Related Program was specifically designed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning, paired with 2 or more college preparatory classes.

The IB Career-related Program provides students with both an academic and practical foundation to support post-secondary education and specialized career training. Students choose a career program of study in one of the Mount Horeb High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, and a minimum of 2 IB courses. The IBCP features rigorous academics, applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural engagement. Additionally, IBCP students complete the IBCP Core, which consists of the Personal and Professional Skills (PPS) course; a Reflective Project, service learning requirements, and a language development portfolio.