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Student representatives urge clearer Academic & Career Planning and help navigating Common App
Summary
Student leaders from Brookfield East and Brookfield Central briefed the board on recent activities and recommended improvements to the district's academic and career planning (ACP) process, citing confusion with Xello and the Common App and asking for more targeted, year-specific support for juniors and incoming freshmen.
Student representatives from Brookfield East and Brookfield Central reported school activities and offered feedback from hundreds of students about the district’s Academic & Career Planning (ACP) process and college application supports.
Why it matters: Student responses represent collective feedback about school counseling, college-application navigation and equitable access to postsecondary planning. Several trustees recommended the district add targeted junior-focused outreach and parent sessions to walk through application portals.
What students reported - Participation and events: Students summarized arts fairs, performances, athletic achievements and extracurricular collaborations across both high schools. - ACP feedback (Brookfield East): Responses from roughly 180 students praised ACP for exposing non‑traditional postsecondary options (technical colleges, apprenticeships, military) and aligning coursework to goals; students urged improvements to Xello (platform navigation) and recommended more personalized grouping as students become seniors. - ACP feedback (Brookfield Central): Students said Xello’s learning‑style materials and counselor meetings were helpful but requested more support for Common App navigation, FAFSA guidance and greater engagement for incoming eighth graders during course selection.
Common App and process recommendations Student speakers and board discussion focused on Common App navigation: students said the portal lists deadlines and is useful, but many find it “convoluted” and requested a district-run, junior-year session showing step-by-step use. Trustees suggested a targeted junior-parent night and more counselor-led sessions to walk through Common App elements, financial aid forms and scholarship profiles.
Next steps Board members asked administration to follow up with teaching and learning staff to explore targeted junior sessions and to consider formalizing a process to deliver Common App and FAFSA guidance in a schoolwide forum ahead of application windows.
Ending Board members praised the student presentations and recommended continuing regular student representative updates; the students will return in December.
