Implementing an Advisory Program in the Middle School Georgia Comprehensive Guidance Georgia Department of Education Atlanta, Georgia ( DetJeloped t1v Ca1eer Development Projects Dl'pMtment of Counseling dnd Personnel Services College of Education University of Missouri-Columbia ProJect Director Earl J. Moore Pupil Personnel Services Division of Educational Development Office of Planning and Development Georgia Department of Education Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Charles McDaniel State Superintendent of Schools 1981 Implementing an Advisory Program in the Middle School TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i Introduction .......................... 1 . Advisement: What It Is and How It Works . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Developing an Advisement Program for Your School 11 Stage 1 11 Stage 2 14 Stage 3 22 Appendix A: Descriptions of Middle School Advisement Programs 31 An Individual Conference Approach 33 An I.G.E. Program 35 A Group/Individual Approach 37 Appendix B 39 Parent Survey 41 Advisee Survey 43 Parent Conference Letter 45 - PREFACE This manual can be used by leadership personnel to aid in establishing an advisory program in the middle schools. Some additional ideas may be gathered from the Secondary School Advisement Manual. Staff development suggestions from that Manual may be especially helpful. The Guidance Unit at the Georgia State Department of Education has resources that may be applicable to middle school advisement program support. Since many middle school advisement programs focus on group activities, the Middle School Seminars that are available through the Guidance Unit could be particularly useful. i The early adolescent portrays many of the physical appearances of an adult. However, this is a very tender age. Today both parents frequently work and a large number of youngsters have single parents. In many instances, middle school children are more on their own than adolescents have been in past years. Some middle school youngsters supervise their siblings after school hours and have significant household responsibilities. Parents are tired after putting in a full day of work. Children in early adolescence need the undivided attention of an adult for at least a few minutes a day to reassure them that they are worthwhile, to listen to their problems and to point them in the direction of being responsible community members. ' There is nothing more conducive to an individual's self-growth and development than a warm, accepting, nurturing significant other. This someone knows you, is interested in you, respects you, and is generally on your side. Parents are one group that serves this function. However, students spend a great portion of their time at school, away from their familial support systems. Can the middle school also provide each student with a significant and consistent relationship; one that goes beyond academic and disciplinary concerns; one that remains stable over a period of years? This is not an easy task. Many teachers and counselors have been frustrated through the years in their attempts to meet the individual necJs of each child. TI1ere are always children in each class that need special help for special problems, and there are those children who 1 are not learning as well as thev could. Yet Z111 ,hildren I.Jant their individual attention. There is never enough time for teachers to attend tc all of these student needs on a consistent basis. Counselors are often frustrated in their attempts to reach children with developmental and personaliz~d counseling activities. This manual proposes one method for middle school teachers, counselors, and administrators to meet ,'rtese needs of their students. The Advisory System can be a mana;;ea~le and systematic way to deal with the frustrations of depersonalization in our schools. Rationale The Advisory System is based on this belief that satisfaction on the part of students, and parents and faculty will result more easily if every student .in the middJe school is able to relate personally, in a comfortahlc wav, ~ith at least one adult in the school. In order for thi~; one-to-oillJ reLationship to exist, it is desirable to involve every facultv member ir a program which includes all students. In most advisory prn"ra1:1s, to:1C'h U~<1cher, counselor, administrator, and specialist acts as :ttl :tdvis,Jr Lu d group Clf 15 to 20 students. 'f11e :llhis,,:-/:Jdvisee )~!-oups meet on a regular and frequent basis. During thL melL ings students learn more about themselves and each other thnugl1 o;truct.tired dctivit ivs. They are taught those things that enhance '-;eil ,oncept a1ld learning ability, things fur which time is rarely al1Lteci in the rcFul~1r ZJc:ademic curriculum. There is also time allotted !tlr ,.:Jh studPnt tc, ml'ng-rangl' educational goals. Advisees will learn to feel ()\,'nership and responsibility for their own education. -S-l-hu-, ,-l - :md ---- - Conumlllftv -------"--- -I s-s-u-e-s. Some advisement activities can be planned, ~-.d th a r"ctts nn 1eLlrning the rights and responsibilities the advisL'C':-i havv in their school c:md community. This area will Lrwltrdc !;r,1up mePting~.; t,) discuss current school-wide issues that migr1t :n~i::-:L', such :1s \':mdalism, an upcoming school election or nee C.: s 1 :' s c s s :nL' n t . - 6 The advisor and advisee may participate in activities selected from the ' eight Areas of Responsibility depending on the time of year and the particular circumstances of the advisee. Sometimes the activities will be formal; other times they may be a brief personal interaction. Frequently a group setting would be most appropriate and other times advisees would need individual time. Although the eight Areas of Responsibilitydescribed earlier are common to all advisors, these same individuals (counselors, administrators, teachers and special staff) also perform functions unique to their roles on the school staff or in the school community. These special functions are described below. Principal's Role For some principals, student contact involves mainly "disciplinary" action with resulting negative feelings. The advisement program does not guarantee the - principal freedom from that disheartening task, but personalized contact and program planning may increase student motivation and involvement in the school. It is not realistic to claim that the principal will never have "discipline" problems. An advisory system will help prevent some of these problems and will aid in dealing with others. The advisory system needs the principal to function as an advisor. The principal will thus also have the opportunity for full participation in helping relationships. The principal's participation will accent the importance of advisement for the other advisors. As an advisor, the principal needs to sustain participation with enthusiasm. This is an important factor in long-term maintenance of the program. Also, as an advisor, the principal develops an increased sensitivitv to the problems of advisement. His or her participation allows the problems of advisement to be experienced in a firsthand manner. This involvement will enhance the feeling of togetherness on the faculty. 7 Can an advisory system exist without the principal participating as one of the advisors? Yes, it can. However, it may be difficult to create a po~itive and understanding attitude among the staff. Each staff member has other responsibilities and other time demands. All staff could possibly treat advisement as an ancillary task. Advisement should be treated as an important responsibili t\ by all staff members. A school environment should say to all within: "You are trusted." Principals can creat~ ttis feeling. It includes confidence in the advisement program, the staff, the students, and one's self. With this confidence, the principal will be able to foster the proper climate for an advisement program. Teacher's Role Being an advisor in the advisory system makes it possible to give a few individual students p~rsonalized care and attention. Usually an advisor has 15 - 20 advisees for all of their middle school years. The student chooses an advisor in one of several ways. The choice may be based on curriculum or out-ofschool interests of the advisor. The choice may be an advisor the student already knows. It may he that a group of students choose the same advisor so they can be together The advisc1r is given the permanent cumulative records of their advisees. This ;~lluw~~ fo1- easv access tl' the student files during the advisor-advisee meet in~~. In some ::;ch'Jl)ls, the folders are kept in an Advisement Center where the advisor-advisee meetings are held. Counselor's Role The counselor'~' role in the middle school which uses the advisory system includes: providing advisors \oJith backup support by dealing with crisis-oriented -- rc terraL-;. 8 administering and interpreting tests along with the other advisors. helping advisors develop skills in providing students with educational/ vocational information. scheduling and student registration of 15 - 20 advisees. student record upkeep of 15 - 20 advisees. developing human development and growth group activities. helping advisors develop skills in active listening, group dynamics, parent conferencing, and conflict resolution. Traditionally, the counselor has been responsible for as many as several hundred students in the school. Interaction between student and counselor has been limited to brief encounters during registration times or painful encounters during problematic times. Interaction between teacher and counselor has been limited to faculty meetings, workshops, and brief consultations regarding "problem'' students. With an advisement program in operation, personal caring becomes basic in the school where there is equal involvement on the part of every faculty member and every student. The counselor becomes a member of a team whose overall role includes meeting student needs, such as: receiving personal attention. learning how to assess oneself and set goals. entering into meaningful dialogue with parents and teachers. getting to know an adult in the school. experiencing daily emotional growth. developing decision-making skills. At first glance it may well appear to the counselor that implementation of the advisory system would serve only to minimize his or her function in the middle schoel. If suddenly every faculty member is called upon to advise a small group of students, how then does the counselor's special talent come into play? 9 The counselor functioning in a program of advisement serves as a prime resource for both advisors and students. Freed from an abundance of paper work and integrated into the mainstream of school life, the counselor is finally able to utilize his or her talents and training. The t'Otmselur 1-:U l continue to fulfill many of thfJ traditional roles, such as crisis cotinseling, but the advisory system frees the counselor tu deliver a higher level of professional service. will serve to enhan ,, tl;n ,.;,~rk of the counselor. An advisement program Special Staff's Role In middle school a,;visement programs it is necessary to utilize the entire professional sUtff to act as advisors. Th.is is important because it 1t'wers the advisor /ztdvisee ratio to an acceptable and manageable number. Aside from this important reason, it is only appropriate to involve spt~ci:Jl t>d11cation teachers, nurses, librarians, and other professionals in :tdvi sement if advisement is to be a "total school effort." The r(}Les of the school nurse, librarian, speech pathologist, and reading specialist would not differ from the role a teacher-advisor plays. :,pp( ial educatjon teachers may wish to have special education students as their advisccs. since they could probably provide better advisement to t ltis gruup titan othLTS ,'uuld. This is not always the case. In many scho,Jls, ~>pccL1l educZJ.ti"n teachers advise children like any other classroom tcach,'r. ltwolvcmcnt on t-!Je part of th( special staff is a critical ('(Jt:tpnncnt tn :1 !-'(lL'i'l'~'ful advi...;ory system in the middle school. 10 DEVELOPING AN ADVISEMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUR SCHOOL The establishment of an advisement program must be an ongoing developmental process carried out by those who are involved in the implementation of the program. Each program will be a unique creation of the persons involved. Although there are common areas on which most advisement programs focus, there are no particular content, structure, or tasks common to all advisory systems. The developing and implementing of an advisement program necessitates going through a systematic, stage by stage process. Experien~e and research indicate that four stages are common in the establic;hment of an advisement program: 1. Establishing a need for an advisement program. 2. Planning for the implementation of an advisement program. 3. Managing and implementing the advisement program. 4. Evaluating and adjusting the advisement program. Stage 1: Establishing a Need Schools will derive many benefits by implementing an advisement program. However, it is imperative that local school districts themselves assess and establish their own need. It is only through establishing a need and a sense of ownership that a commitment will evolve. An established advisory system has an impact on more than just the advisors and advisees. The school board, the administration, students, parents, and all school staff are an integral part. So it is logical to survey the needs of all these individuals and groups. Encouraging their input serves two very important functions. First, it encourages involvement and commitment. Secondly, it provides a broad spectrum of information that can assist in adapting the advisory svstcm to meet the needs of the local school district. 11 The activities for this stage should include the following: Identifying significant problems that might be resolved by an advisement program Creating a climate conducive to change Caining ownership and building support for advisement by those who must implement the program Significant Problems. Activities should be conducted at a school site that assists in identifyi;tg significant problems that the advisement program might address. These activities should be participative in nature. One way to proceed would be tc1 hold a meeting of interested staff to identify problems in the school that need resolution. Perhaps some of the problems identified would include such things as poor school attendance, low student morale, lack of student interest. It might be determined that an advisement program would be one strategy lJy which to address these problems. It should be emphasized here that the identified problems should be clarified to the point that anyone not attending the meeting would understand the meaning of the identified problems. C]e;n statements of the problems could then be written in such a way that the significant 0ncs are 0mphasized. An addi t iortal approath to the identifying of problems would be through a f,Jrmalized S\'Stem of needs assessment. In fact, the decision to conduct such an .tssessment is typicallv an outgrowth of the kind of planning session described abl1Je, flt( nct~ds assec;srnent would request input from administrators, teachers, :mJ student<; r<-'gardirq the outcomes they would desire as a result of an educatior~:tl jlrogram. Cre_<:1_l_i__n_g_~~-C_l_i2ni~t_l'. Once problems have been identified that might be Addressed hv <~Il acfvisement program, the planning group must create a climate 12 conducive to change. One of the greatest obstacles to this task is fear--fear on the part of those people affected by change. People will want answers to such questions as, How will I fit into this program? How will my role change? What are the new tasks I must do? These are some of the concerns that are threatening to staff. People need time to determine the relevance of advisement to the problems identified by the school. Activities need to be designed that will help those affected by an advisement program to recognize the personal relevancy of the program. Once that relevancy is established, individuals will more eagerly participate. Here communication is the key. To help staff overcome their fear of change and recognize the relevancy of the program, there must be a steady flow of communication between program developers and affected personnel. It will be important, of course, to keep a close liaison with those in charge (e.g., the principal). In addition, it will be important to communicate clearly information about advisement to those members of the staff, student body, and community who are receptive to the program. Gaining Ownership and Building Support. Cooperation and commitment are key words in this stage of the process; both can be acquired through shared decision making. Rather than using majority rule, some form of consensus is usually the best decision-making strategy. In consensus, a group considers problems one at a time, with time allowed for definition of each problem and for the generation of alternatives and debate. In consensus, all ideas of participants are accepted and used toward the creation of a solution (advisement, for example); then the solution is submitted to the consensus test question: "Given the present circumstances, is there anyone here who cannot support this? For a designated time (one month, one year, etc.)?" Additional discussion, debate, 13 a!ld often revision of the solution in question are conducted until the group as a whole can accept or support the decision. The "We Agree" process in the Tndividual Cuided Education Programs (IGE) is an example of a consensus activity and ~.-;ou ld be uppropr iate for gaining ownership. Support is 3lso established by securing commitment of the school leadership team. The principal is a key person from whom the proponents of advisement must gain approval. School staffs which have a principal as a member of the in-service team can plan and i~1ple~en: significantly more elements presented in training than schools which have no principal involved. The school site council in a school-improvement school is another leadership group from whom support should be secured. Here again clear communication is essential. To secure commitment and own~rship from a staff, a team should be identified to facilitate an ongoing dialogue between tbe program developers and the staff and students. This group shPnld develop a svstem to distribute information and receive reactions from the school conununity before decisions are made. This group also forms the core of peoplt '.,ltn work on the planning, implementation, and management stages of the program. ~rage:' 2 :__ l~l_:~l_~llL[~_ the Implementation Systematic rlanning h.-lps individuals adapt more readily to change. Estab- lishing a11 advisement program is a change p-rocess. The planning stage is continuous tnrpughuut the duration of the program. Its importance lies not in the specifics ,,f 1 he program but in the process itself. In order to carry out the planning responsibility for :m existing sc.:ho(J] progr<1m, there needs to be an initial core group of individuals \mose respons ibili tie~; will include such things as devising the - 14 program components and defining the roles of faculty (advisors) and students .... (advisees). This core committee would also have the capacity to make decisions and institute plans for the implementation of these decisions. The steering committee would attend to each of the component areas: scheduling, advisors (faculty involvement and responsibility), advisor-advisee membership, parent conferences and staff development. Another factor for consideration by the committee would be communication. How will the system be communicated through the school? Will a handbook be devised? If so, how; by whom? Will there be letters to parents and students announcing the new program? In forming the steering committee, some of the following issues need to be decided upon: How large should this steering committee be? Who should serve on it? How are these members to be selected? What are some responsibilities this core committee should have? When should they first assemble? What powers need to be accorded to this group? Are there any problems we can anticipate in setting up this committee? What advantages are there to having a core group active in instituting the advisory program in your school? Part of the task of the steering committee might also be to form other committees and assign responsibilities within the local school system. The steering committee would also have a major role in anticipating opposition and problems. - 15 Planning the Program An advisement program must be adapted to the organizational structure of the local school district. There are some common concerns encountered in every school system regardless of the community. As the organizational alternatives are examined to meet the needs of the advisement program and other concerns of the local district, the implications for using each approach should be understood. TI1ere is a con:stanL d,,nger of sacrificing the basic purpose of the advisement program for the sake of operational efficiency and control. Six critical organizational aspects are considered during this part of the manual. Alternatives and differing perspectives are explored for each organizational aspect. Sc_l~ulin_g_. It is important to keep the basic purpose of an individual dPVL'lopment S\';,tem in focus when org;mizing the program. It is possible for an "advisLH\' t vpe" system to lw oriented toward school system efficiency rather than personalizLng student learning. While the system should be reasonably efficient, an overconcern for efficiency can distort the purpose. It is possible to have an individual advisory system and not significantly increase individuali-;.:ecl ~'ludent contact and involvement. A ''warmed over" homeroom approach \vherein the student i~~ seen in a group and the goals are limited to mainly administrative concerns, such as class scheduling, record keeping, and announce- menU;, will pn,hablv offer little personalL:ed developl'1ent. While scheduling mav he one responsibility of the 2dvisor and group meetings may be an appropriate metl1od f()r discussion .mel efficient processing, the primary focus should always he tlw fa,iLit,1tit>I1 e>f indiYidu;J] student deve1opment. r\dvisemeill tiwe ,:;-,n he :-;,heJuled in one of two ways. The first is to set aside,, h1oc: of t.ime (l- 2 hours) on the same dav eac:h \-leek. The meeting - 16 time would remain the same each week if students were in self-contained classrooms. If the school is departmentalized, the time could be changed weekly so that students would not miss the same class each week. This block of time would be used for both individual conferences and group activities. Extending homeroom three days each week is another way to schedule advisement activities. Two days might be used primarily for group activities and the third for individual contact. Students could either be assigned to their advisors for homeroom or else leave their regular homeroom on the advisement days to meet with their group in the scheduled place. A different way of planning for advisor/advisee meetings might work better for your school. The important thing is that students can count on regular and consistent contact, both on an individual and group basis. Time also needs to be made for Advisory Team meetings. Teams should meet, at the very least, twice a month. Some suggestions are: extending regular staff meetings or occasionally substituting team meetings for a regular staffing; after school; during lunch periods; releasing students early. Again, the critical element for success is to have consistent and regular meetings. Advisors will need support and training and a chance to consult with one another. Advisor-Advisee Membership. An advisory group consists of one advisor (faculty/staff member) and about fifteen advisees (students). Students are assigned to an advisory group according to a random-choice method of selection. Those students who have preferences list them, and this is honored to the extent possible. Students who have not indicated a preference are assigned on a random basis. An advisor stays with his or her same group of advisees throughout their years at the middle school. Although each advisory group works together as a unit throughout this time, 17 there are occasional changes. During a student's first year in advisement, he or she may not establish adequate rapport with the advisor and thus may request a change. Because advisors and advisees are human, it is unrealistic to believe thev alwavs can and will be compatible in their assigned groups. There must be some flexibility to allow for change during the first year of getting to know one another. In the middle school, advisory groups should not be composed of students all of whom are in the ~am~ year. It would be easy to slip into a routine of having the sixth grade teacher advise sixth grade students, changing each year to take on the new sixth graders as advisees. Having students of varying ages in each advisement group has several advantages: diversity is more conducive to breaking out of traditional student-teacher roles; students are able to benefit from relationships with other adults in the school; and advisees would be learning to conr:,unicate and interact with children of different ages. ~1ere to Have Advisement. A regular classroom would be adequate for advisement meetings to take place. ~en possible, the following criteria should be :net: nw t't'<'m should he large enough to allow the group to split into :'J;J, 1lfr groups and also have ample room for some gross motor activity. There .c;hould lw one or two round tables. There shL1Uld be some sort of semi-private area. (A screen or bookshelf cou1d he used to create this.) Tlte room s1wuld have a sm<:lll file cabinet that could be used to hold files ;cltld materials pertinent to advisement. Ti1e same room t-dll)uld be available to the same advisement group so that their meeting.; are regularly occurring in the same place. Parent Conferences, Unfortunately, parents are most frequently called in to take .1n active p:ut in che life of their youngster at school during report 18 card time or when a crisis or problem occurs. Parents are not usually called to take part in sharing positive things. Frequently, students in the middle school have many teachers, making it difficult for a curious or interested parent to know whom to call about what. This somewhat typical plight of the parents of middle school students is one of the basic concerns of advisors. Parent contact involves communication between a student's advisor and his or her parent(s). This communication is maintained in three ways: 1. Parent-student-advisor conferences 2. Telephone contacts 3. Informal gatherings Parent-Student-Advisor Conferences. Conferenc(s are conducted at least once each term when new schedules are being planned. However, advisors should arrange for more frequent conferences in order that some are held purely for positive feedback to the parent(s). Because the conferences held with the student and his or her advisor and parent(s) are held for the purpose of planning and evaluating the student's progress, it is important to plan the conferences carefully. The whole conference process can be dealt with most efficiently by dividing it into four phases: 1. Pre-planning. Prepare several worksheets for the advisee to fill out before the conference takes place. These items will help the student take more control of the conference, e.g., what is the best thing that has happened to you at school during the last month? List your classes and/or activities. Name some new ideas or skills that you have learned and that you have enjoyed for each class. On another worksheet, provide the advisee with an opportunity to help determine a conference agenda, e.g., list at least five things that you think 19 your parents would be interested in discussing in a three-way conference with you and your advisor. Forms should also be sent to the advisee's teacher or teachers tn make comments on the student's learning program, progress, needs, and interests. Before the actual meeting, organize a conference format and go over it with the advisee. Also, list some suggestions for conducting 3 meaningfu~ cunfvrence. (Don't attack teachers. Listen to parents, etc.) A final pre-planning step is to utilize the process of role playing and lvt several or all of your advisees work in groups of three. Each stude11t should assume the role of advisee, that of parent, and finally that nf advisor during brief role-play sessions. This will help students experience all facets of the parent-student-advisor conference. 2. l'lCiki_r:!l~_!_~c -~pointment. Contact the parent(s) by phone and arrange for the conference to be held at a time which will be convenient for all involved. Holding the conference during the school day will give the parcnt(s) an opportunity to see the school in operation. Ol. C_nr:~~.!_~Jlc conference. It is important that the conference be :1 irr.e during which the student and his or her parent(s) reach some honfc'st understanding of each other's expectations and plans. The advisnr should enter into the conference as a resource person who is able to explain what is involved in school programs, what the student might expect from Vi1rious programs, and how different programs will l'TJ.I],]( th stuj,nt tn reach certain goals. The conference is primarily .1 L im, of d::!logt:l' between student and parent(s), not a session during ,,ili,J, tltc' ddvisnr r the parent(s) about the student's grades - 20 4. Writing the conference report. Following the conference, the advisor should write a report which will then be included in the advisee's permanent records. This report should be objective and to the point. It will be helpful to both the advisor and the advisee in preparing for future conferences. Telephone Contacts. This is a method of keeping in frequent touch with an advisee's parent(s). Calls should be made by the advisor on a regular basis. Sometimes the call will be made merely to say "hello." It is important to keep in mind the fact that parents do have questions and concerns, but in the past they have not had any contact in the school (unless they happen to have a friend on the staff). Therefore, parents are not accustomed to talking over concerns as they come up. By making yourself available on the phone from time to time, you will give parents a chance to talk with someone at the school in a nonthreatening way. When an advisee enjoys some success (even if the success may, to most observers, appear insignificant), his or her advisor should make a mental note and remember to call the advisee's parent(s). Such "sunshine calls" are so significant that we wonder why they have not always been required. Parents deserve the opportunity of sharing in their children's golden moments, big and small. Informal Gatherings. These events afford advisors and parents the chance to get to know each other as human beings. This being the case, it is important to remember that there are a significant number of human beings who do not seek out, nor do they enjoy, a great number of friendships outside of their family circle. Care must be taken to avoid pushing parents who may not want to take part in arranged informal gatherings. On the other hand, care must also be taken 21 in determining the type of gatherings that would be successful in drawing parents who don't otherwise participate in school functions but aren't necessarily ~verse to doing so. In other words, Advisement Teams should take the time to discuss and examine the temperament of the community in which the school is situated. On the basis of the social characteristics of the community, informal gatherings (Sunday teas, small discussion groups, Saturday afternoon fairs, etc.) can be planned that would appeal to the parents. Stage 3: Managing and Implementing The planning activities set direction and clarify issues pertinent to advisement. The next task is to manage and implement the plan. Tools for this stage include the following: 1. An organizational structure for responsibility 2. A ph: st:d! devel<'[)TII(~nt in the advisory system? There are two major reasons. 28 The first reason is that the advisors' responsibilities involve mastering and teaching new skills. Examples of these would be goal setting and decision making skills. Advisor responsibilities also include internalizing new and changing information, as in the case of awareness of the total range of school offerings. This information will be used by the advisor to help his or her advisees with their immediate and long-range program planning. Systematic staff development will help advisors to share their knowledge with one another, thus making efficient use of teacher time and skills. For teachers to share information, they must get together. Communication, then, is the other major reason to plan for continuing staff development in the individual advisory system. Content. The area of content deals with the question, What are the topics of the staff development or inservice meetings? This will vary according to the needs of the group. The basic topics of the staff development very likely will be the eight areas of advisor responsibility: goal setting and evaluation, study habits, parent relations, career exploration, personal development, decision making skills, educational planning, and school and community issues. The staff development program also must provide for communication within advisement teams and between advisement teams. Structure. The area of structure deals with the question, How and when does staff development occur? There are no hard-and-fast rules, but many possibilities exist, Remember, the goal of a vital staff development program is to help the advisors meet the needs of their advisees. It is obvious that staff development occurs informally as advisors share with one another during the advisement team meetings. 29 The team, however, might very well take on J more formal and central role in providing staff development and inservice. At times there will also be a need for every faculty member to receive the same information. Thus, it is probable that there will be all-faculty inservice meetings attended by everyone. These may occur during workshop weeks, after school, or on Saturdays. The key to valuable inservice is continuing development of advisors which enables them to meet the needs of each individual advisee. 30 APPENDIX A Descriptions of Middle School Advisement Programs 31 AN INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE APPROACH The intention of this advisor-advisee program is to help students with their school-related activities and to make teacher efforts more effective. Conferences with each student are expected to last approximately 15 minutes. This will establish the homeroom teacher as an individual who can be of help to the student on a regular basis. The focus of this program is to identify areas of conflict that tend to slow down overall student progress. For this program to succeed, the cooperation and understanding of the special area teachers and the total cooperation of the faculty is needed. The specific goals of the advisement program are as follows: 1. Become aware of each student as an individual. Help students be aware of self-interests so they may become actively involved in school activities. Be a sounding board for the student and provide feedback. ' Determine if student needs to be referred to the nurse, counselor, or principal. Provide the student with an opportunity to discuss the rights and wrongs of our school and specify as long as it does not become a total gripe session. Provide the student with an opportunity to discuss his responsibilities in society. Assure students of confidentiality: Unless student statement will affect his actions in class. Unless student's health is affected. Unless discussion with other teachers will help the student. 2. Help the student identify his educational goals. Discuss the purposes of the advisor-advisee program. Discuss academic progress and performance: Self-evaluation--Is the student's potential being reached? Future goal setting. 33 To gain an understanding of each student's backgrounds to see how it may affect his actions at school. Inquire if the student needs help in developing study habits. Inquire if the student is able to make friends. The advisor should not feel pressure to make the conference last the entire 15 minutes. The goal is to improve communication between student and teacher and also to help teachers in each unit to have a better understanding of the student. It is the student's choice of whether or not to discuss personal needs. The student may be referred to the counselor. The counselor works closely with the advisors. The counselor meets periodically with each unit to see how the program is progressing and to discuss student referrals' needs. The counselor works with students who the advisor feels need more help than the advisor can provide during one conference, (e.g., school problems, motivation, future high school courses, or personal problems). The counselor informs advisors about follow-up activities with these students. The cooper