Middle School Advisory Program

1. Middle School Advisory Program Lindsay Boris and Daniela Maffeo Arrupe DivisionBoston College High School

2. What is Advisory? • Advisory programs play a critical role in a middle school’s overall academic and student support services plan • Create a meaningful relationship with one adult in the school and a small peer group • Connection to school community • Cura Personalis – care for the whole person

3. Characteristics of Effective Advisory Groups: • Address issues of community • Promote open communication • Directly improves academic performance • Functions as a community of learners These suggestions have been adapted from “Creating a Culture of Connectedness Through Middle School Advisory Programs” (2009) by Sarah Brody Shulkind and Jack Foote.

4. Strong Advisors: • Know and care about their advisees • Closely supervise their advisees’ academic progress • Problem solvers and advice givers

5. Arrupe Advisory Goals • Students will grow and develop academically, emotionally, morally, and socially. • Develop a personal relationship with an adult figure and become a member of a small peer group. • Increase the sense of belonging and connectedness to the Arrupe Division. • Discuss their own self-development as they strive to meet the standards of the Graduate at Graduation. • Learn how to become active and responsible members of the BC High community. • Promote coordination and communication between home and school.

6. Advisors vs. Guidance Counselors • Advisors handle day-to-day issues for advisees • Monitor the students’ academic progress • “Front line” of communication with parents • Facilitate meetings with Advisory group • Guidance Counselors work with all students on caseload • Meet individually with students/develop individual accommodation plans for students • Handle more difficult situations (academic/social/emotional) • Run Guidance Groups • Oversee 7th and 8th grade Guidance Curriculum

7. What does Advisory look like in the Arrupe Division? • All full time faculty members are Advisors • 12:1 teacher to student ratio • Meet during Advisory period bi-weekly • Parent communication • Community service experiences

8. Advisory Topics

9. Tips for running an Advisory meeting: • Common classroom rules should apply to the Advisory sessions • A commitment to the program • Clarification of expected behaviors, and • Involving the students themselves in discussions critiquing the program • Each Advisory group will develop independently, and groups should not be compared with others • Developing trust and connectedness cannot be forced—it takes time

10. Parent Communication • Advisors are the primary contact for the parents of advisees. • September phone calls • October conferences • Additional meetings/contact throughout the year as needed

11. How has Advisory impacted the students and the Advisors? • Advisor surveys • Academic support • Parent communication • Individual experiences • Connectedness

12. Does Advisory work in high schools? • Goals, topics, and themes need to be adjusted appropriately for developmental level • Montserrat Mentorship Program for 9th and 10th grade students will be introduced at BC High next year

13. Where to go from here? • Assess your needs • What are your school’s needs? • What do your students need? • Understanding strengths and challenges • Get faculty on-board • Communicating with parents to get their support

14. Introductory Lesson

15. Report Card Reflection

16. Closing Lesson

17. Thank you for your interest in Advisory Please contact us if you have any questions: • Lindsay Boris • lboris@bchigh.edu • Daniela Maffeo • dmaffeo@bchigh.edu