Jeff Zoul's List: Advisory Programs

Two things I particularly liked in this short article by Bill Gates. First, he referenced one of my favorite website resources, saying he and his wife use it when home schooling their own children when they are travelling extensively www.khanacademy.org. I suggested this site in a “Links” last spring and continue to mention it to some of you periodically. Second, I was interested in this from this mini-interview with Gates:
“The Gates Foundation has learned that two questions can predict how much kids learn: ‘Does your teacher use class time well?’ and, ‘When you're confused, does your teacher help you get straightened out?’

Lots of resources from outstanding large school system in Georgia

Excellent article on authentic instruction

Roads to Success is a college and careers program for grades 7 though 12. The program is research-based, and materials are free to download

Comprehensive packet of advisory resources from Louisiana

Extensive reources for advisory lesson plans from West Virginia

Extensive packet of resources from the State of Maryland

Putting Kids on the Pathway to College is a set of tools including a framework of effective strategies for improving college access, a rubric for evaluating current practices, and survey and focus group tools for gathering data from key stakeholders.

Chapter from a book on advisory asks what actually happens in advisory classes and what should/could happen. "Advisory is not a curriculum to be covered but a relationship to be nurtured."

CareerStart is a middle-school strategy that focuses on promoting the relevance of core curriculum courses by relating the content of the course to career and job skills in the community. By promoting the relevance of the required core courses, the program seeks to increase student interest and engagement. The overarching goal of CareerStart is to positively influence the educational and career trajectories of all students, but especially those at risk of school failure.

Quick definition of authentic assessment along with 9 characteristics

Short article from one principal describing their school's program and offering a few suggestions about Advisory programs.

"Advisory" is often a catch-all phrase for a space and time set aside for faculty and staff to help students face academic, social, psychological, and perhaps physical challenges. Unfortunately, schools seldom give such programs the space, time, and resources needed to accomplish all this. Moreover, advisories are often ill-defined or poorly designed and end up as well-intentioned tangents to the school mission. Nonetheless, the need for effective advisories is especially important in the 21st century because, as never before, students with different abilities and intelligences all need to know how to learn without us and build their shared future. A 21st century advisory is the perfect place to help them do this.