This is the article I wrote for the school website about our new advisory program. I am trying to get the word out to the community about the benefits of advisory, so they won’t just hear complaints. We have some students, substitutes, and yes, even a few teachers, who wish advisories would just disappear, so the “talk around town”, if any, may not be as positive as I’d like. Friday, when I spoke to a class about the reasons for the program, I was told that “everyone I’ve talked to says the same thing. All anyone does in advisory is sit around and do nothing, except maybe complain about advisory. Even the teachers make fun of it.” Sometimes it is hard to keep working toward a goal, or even keep believing in it when so few share the same vision.
High School Adds Building Wide Advisory Program
Building Relationships for Building Success
The mission of the Riverside Community School District is to prepare students to meet the challenges of the future as responsible citizens in a global society. That is a lofty goal when the careers of the future haven’t even been dreamed of today. With more and more jobs being outsourced to other countries, and the needs of businesses everywhere changing practically daily, it becomes even more important for our schools to help students succeed in as many ways as possible.Several recent research studies have pointed out that students are more likely to succeed when they feel connected to school. One of the ways more and more high schools are attempting to make this connection is by implementing building-wide advisory programs. In an advisory program, students spend time each week with the same advisor and group of students throughout high school. Learning and career plans are made and students are able to take an active role in choices related to their learning experiences.
Riverside High School has joined this reform effort so our students can also have greater chances of success. Fifteen minute advisory periods meet daily, in groups ranging from eight to fourteen students, and cover topics in the areas of relationships, citizenship, academic success and career/future success. The idea is to personalize the learning atmosphere to help ALL students have the greatest chance to fulfill their learning needs.
Along with greater chances of academic success, research also shows that students are less likely to engage in drug use, violence, and early sexual activity when they attend schools with caring teachers. Likewise, similar research has shown that students not engaged in school are more at risk of disruptive behavior, absenteeism and dropping out of school.
The goal of the Riverside High School advisory program is to provide each student an adult advocate to help him/her personalize the educational experience while working toward the school’s mission. The advisor will be a parent and student’s first stop in problem-solving as our high school moves toward helping all students reach for success.
