Resources:
Middle School Advisory



The advisory period -- ideally, a time when teachers and students examine "real-life" issues -- is the linchpin in the middle-school movement, some experts say. Many middle-school programs suffer from poorly implemented advisories, however. These articles can help schools examine the advisory concept and the quality of their own programs.


Revitalizing Advisories -- Howard Johnston, a professor at the University of South Florida and a respected middle grades researcher, shares his ideas about revitalizing middle school advisory program-- "that segment of the middle level school agenda that has met with only limited acceptance and success." If we look at why they've failed, Johnson says, we can make them better.

10 Q&As about Quality Advisory - Education consultant Jim Burns is a leading advocate for middle school advisory as a component critical to high performance middle level schools. Burns is critical of what he describes as "low-expectation advisory programs." Also see his article "Advice for Advisors" at the NAESP website.

Five Attributes of Satisfying Advisories --Advisory programs in far too many middle schools are failing to satisfy either students or their adult advisors, says consultant Jim Burns. He describes several characteristics that he believes are essential to good advisory programs. And see this review of advisory research at the Coalition of Essential Schools website, which highlights the work of Burns and other experts. And see these recommended readings at the Small Schools Project website. Lots of good stuff! One example: This advisories toolkit for high schools includes articles that will also be of interest to middle grades leaders.

Developmental Responsiveness -- The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform believes that advisories should be part of a much larger response to the developmental needs of young adolescents in the middle grades. On this page at the Forum's "Schools to Watch" website, you'll find a list of developmental criteria that characterize high-performing middle schools. To find out more about four schools the Forum believes are working to meet these criteria, visit this page and take a "virtual tour" of each school.

Advice about Middle School Advisories -- Education World tackles the issue of advisory program quality in this article in its curriculum series. ""I have come to believe that the teacher advisory is the very best idea in the middle-level [movement]," says Chris Stevenson, professor of education at the University of Vermont and author of Teaching Ten to Fourteen Year Olds. But Stevenson adds that the advisory is the element of the concept most inadequately implemented.

A MiddleWeb Listserv discussion about advisory -- After a conversation with middle school expert John Lounsbury, teachers and principals who participate on the MiddleWeb listserv conducted a wide-ranging discussion about the pros and cons of middle grades advisory programs. "Middle grades advisory programs are often viewed as "in conflict" with a school's academic purpose, Lounsbury says, "when, in fact, if properly done, they are very much in concert."

What NMSA Says About Advisories -- This research summary from the National Middle School Association explores two questions: "What does research say about the effectiveness of advisory programs? What are the effects on achievement and student self-perception?" We also recommend that you search for "advisory/advisories" in the NMSA website search engine. You'll find other useful materials! Some of these materials are indexed at the NMSA OnTarget page about advisories.

"Whassup" in the Classroom? -- Teacher Brenda Dyck shares her experiences using online surveying tools to gather feedback from students and parents. Students share reactions to lessons and classroom practices as well as their feelings about school and themselves. Parents offer input from their perspectives too.

School Size and Advisory (PDF file) -- In this Middle School Journal article (May 2001) researchers who analyzed schools in the Michigan Middle Start initiative found that schools that have less than 750 students, have a middle school grade configuration, and are teaming with high levels of common planning time have the highest levels of parent contact and involvement and advisory activities, and a more positive school climate. (Kellogg Foundation website)

Mentoring and Tutoring Students -- This "Issues" site from the Education Commission of the States offers an overview of the one-on-one relationship between an adult and a student who needs personal and academic support. Includes selected research and readings, state policy trends, a look at several promising programs, and links to other resources.


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