Implementing Advisory Programs in the Middle School

1
Implementing Advisory Programs in the Middle
School

• Information in Favor of Advisor Programs Compiled
  by Middle Web and the National Middle School
  Association
• Claire Landreville

2
Definition of Advisory Programs

• According to the researchers for the NMSA, a
  Middle School Advisory Program is defined by
• An advisory program is an arrangement whereby one
  adult and a small group of students have an
  opportunity to interact on a scheduled basis in
  order to provide a caring environment for
  academic guidance and support, everyday
  administrative details, recognition, and
  activities to promote citizenship.

3
Research Also Says

• Author and researcher Stevenson says of the
  programs
• Stevenson (1992) stated that the purposes of
  advisory are "to ensure that each student is
  known well at school by at least one adult who is
  that youngster's advocate (the advisor), to
  guarantee that every student belongs to a peer
  group, to help every student find ways to be
  successful, and to promote coordination between
  home and school" (p.293).

4
Goals of Implementing the Program

• The National Middle School Association has
  outlined five general goals which they feel a
  good advisor program can achieve. They are
• Promote student-teacher relationships
• Address general self-esteem and competence
  beliefs
• Provide social exchange and peer recognition in a
  safe environment
• Link parents and school
• Mediate between academic and social concerns

5
Wigfield and Eccles

• A study conducted by the aforementioned in
  1994 on 1, 875 students concluded that the
  self-esteem of children who had just transitioned
  to middle school or junior high is significantly
  lowered. They believe the decrease in self-esteem
  is caused by the disruption of established social
  networks at a time when social activities is
  gaining importance.

6
Advisory Programs and Self-Esteem

• The study of Wigfield and Eccles also
  concluded that a properly and well implemented
  advisor program can increase the sense of
  self-esteem in middle school students. The time
  spend daily with an adult who knows them and
  cares about them and a familiar 5 to 7 students
  has been shown to be very beneficial.

7
Advisory and Improved Academic Performance

• Robert Felner, Joan Lipsitz, Anthony Jackson,
  Deborah Kasak, et al., Illinois (Carnegie)
  report that
• Fully implemented" middle grades schools
  show gains in achievement standard scores of 23
  points in math, reading, and language (with 25
  points representing a half standard deviation)
  over "non-implemented" schools and schools that
  are initially implementing the recommendations of
  Turning Points (advisory programs).

8
The Three Most Common Goals

• The three most commonly sought after and
  achieved goals in relation to advisory programs
  are, according to Jim Burns of the NELMS journal
• 1) supportive and caring relationships with
  adults
• 2) a constructive group of friends
• 3) relationships with the community through
  service projects

9
Conclusion

• Thus, in light of the presented information
  and research, advisory programs are beneficial to
  students when implemented correctly and staffed
  with teachers who are willing to work towards the
  goals of middle schoolers. Such programs are need
  by students at this age who are in a difficult
  transition period. These 15 minutes a day will
  make the transition smoother, test scores and
  academic achievement higher and more significant,
  and truancy and low self-esteem decrease
  significantly.

10
Works Cited

• Information for this presentation on advisory
  programs was taken from
• Articles by Jim Burns published in the NELMS
  scholarly journal in 1996 and used by
  www.middleweb.org
• Articles and research by Wigfield and Eccles
  and other members of the NMSA published to their
  website and in their publicaton, Turning Points
  2000 which can be located at www.nmsa.org