UCLA SMP EdNews, January 2006

by Jenée Gossard, UCLA SMP Faculty

A teacher friend related this story:

Curtis, a tough-guy junior, was in the principal’s office again—the second time this quarter—for a classroom outburst. He sat sullen and unapologetic as the principal, his teacher/advisor, and the referring teacher all tried to get him to talk about his behavior, but without success. Finally, the principal suggested that perhaps it might be best for Curtis to transfer back to the high school he had attended in ninth grade.

Without warning, the “tough guy” burst into tears. “I don’t want to go back there!” he wailed. “I like this school! Everybody knows me here.”

And that’s true, everybody does know him—partly because he’s often “difficult” (though he can also be charming and thoughtful), but mostly because “here” is a new Small Learning Community (SLC), with three academies, block scheduling, and an advisory program deeply committed to knowing every student well. Thanks to this commitment, Curtis, the student “everybody knows,” will stay here and work it out with the help of his teacher/advisor, his teachers, his counselor, and his peers.

Current reforms in secondary education identify personalization as a key ingredient for student success. Carefully designed advisory programs, especially in combination with SLCs, have emerged as a possible solution for some of the most persistent and troubling problems faced by secondary schools:

• High dropout rates
• Low passing rates on standardized tests
• Low graduation rates
• Alienated, disengaged students
• Drugs, vandalism, theft, and crime

“If even one person in a school knows him well enough to care, a student's chances of success go up dramatically. In small groups that can focus on a range of subjects, teachers and students are forming new bonds and setting new standards for a personal education.” (Kathleen Cushman, "Are Advisory Groups 'Essential'? What They Do, How They Work." Horace. Vol. 7, No. 1. Sept. 1990.)

What Is an Advisory Program?

Unlike the venerable Homeroom and Study Hall of earlier generations, Advisory Programs typically focus on students’ social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and ethical development. They provide a structured time during which students engage in special activities designed to help adolescents find ways to fulfill their identified needs.

The National Middle Schools Association describes advisories as “structures in which an adult and a small group of students meet regularly for academic guidance, to coordinate between home and school, and to find ways for students to be successful and to connect to a peer group.”

Research shows that up to sixty percent of all students, from all backgrounds, feel disengaged and disconnected. Studies have also shown that students who don’t feel an attachment to a member of the school staff are more likely to have poorer attendance and to drop out than students who feel that they are part of a supportive school environment. Advisory Programs promote improved relationships between students and teachers, an increased sense of trust and belonging, and better communication among all members of the school community.

“Advisories are the time, location, and social organization that ensure that each student… is, for at least a part of the day, personally recognized.” (Jill Davidson,"The Simple Complexity of Advisories." Horace. Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2004.)

Advisories are typically organized around themes such as student orientation, community building, academic advising and coaching, tools for learning, goal-setting and assessment, life skills, and career exploration. Each school designs curriculum for its Advisory Program based on the program’s particular mix of academic and personal purposes. Many resources exist for activities and strategies to use in a variety of advisory settings. [See "Resources You Can Use Today," below.]

Advisory schedules also reflect the program’s purpose and needs. In most programs, a teacher meets regularly with the same group of students during the school year, sometimes for several years—following one group of students from freshman year to graduation. Some advisory groups meet daily, others only two or three times a week. Some sessions are 20 or 30 minutes, others a full class period.

Though individual Advisory Programs differ in their purposes, curricula, and organization, they are united by the common belief that if every student is known personally by at least one adult at the school, student performance will improve.

"Discover the Power of Advisories!" Institute

UCLA SMP currently offers a three-day institute, “Discover the Power of Advisories!”, for secondary educators exploring the use of advisories in Small Learning Communities or looking for strategies that support student retention and outreach at their school sites. Participants attend two consecutive training days and one follow-up day approximately three months later. We recommend that schools send a team of teachers and an administrator to take advantage of this institute. For more information or to register for the institute, contact Lisa Manning at (310) 825-2488 or via .

Below are links to articles mentioned in this month’s issue. These resources provide further information on Advisory Programs and how they can be a powerful resource for connecting with students in your school community:

• Davidson, Jill (Fall 2004). “The Simple Complexity of Advisories.” Horace, Vol. 20, No. 4.

• Cushman, Kathleen (September 1990). “Are Advisory Groups 'Essential'? What They Do, How They Work.” Horace, Vol. 7, No. 1.

• Makkonen, Reino (Fall 2004). “Advisory Program Research and Evaluation.” Horace, Vol. 20, No. 4.

• Benitez, Mara (Fall 2004). “Connections that Matter and Endure.” Horace, Vol 20, No. 4.

• Lieber, Carol M. and Rachel A. Poliner (Fall 2004). “Creating Advisories: A Few Notes from the Field.” Horace, Vol. 20, No. 4.

• Poliner, Rachel A. and Carol Miller Lieber. The Advisory Guide: Designing and Implementing Effective Advisory Programs in Secondary Schools. Educators for Social Responsibility. ISBN: 0942349199.

For this month’s topic:

“Personalization is not just courtesy; it is the necessary condition
for efficient and effective teaching of each student.” —Theodore Sizer

What would have to change at your school to achieve the kind of personalization
that can make a difference in student achievement?

We invite you to share your stories.  Please click here to add your responses to this month's Combined Brainpower.  We look forward to sharing your thoughts in future issues of EdNews.

Behind the scenes at UCLA SMP is a team of staff and faculty dedicated to the success of preK-12 public schools. Since 1993, they have devoted countless hours to supporting UCLA SMP's work in public school communities. Although someone's personal and professional journey may not keep them at UCLA SMP forever, they have remained committed to their work in education and the local community. From time to time, UCLA SMP EdNews will share with you their continuing accomplishments and contributions.

Judy Feldman was a Program Coordinator with UCLA SMP from March 1997 until September 2005. Many of you may recognize her from UCLA SMP’s behind-the-scenes work in our CFG New Coaches Institutes, Reading by 9 Principal Leadership Initiative or LAUSD LEARN/AMP Training.

Judy recently left UCLA SMP to take on a new adventure with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), where she is Associate Director of the Pacific Southwest Region. In her exciting new role, Judy responds to and resolves complaints of discrimination, anti-Semitism and other civil rights issues in LA County. Judy meets regularly with politicians, foreign diplomats, community leaders and law enforcement, to build relationships to combat anti-Semitism and hate of all kinds.

Judy is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to starting at UCLA SMP, Judy worked on President Clinton’s Advance Team for the 1996 presidential election.

Marcus Connaghan was a Program Coordinator with UCLA SMP from January 1998 until July 2005. Also integral to SMP’s behind-the-scenes work, you may know him from our Classroom Walk-Through, Bridges and Data Institutes or long-term work with Baldwin Park HS, Montebello USD and El Monte UHSD. He also maintained our website and was the principal designer of SMP EdNews!

Marcus left UCLA SMP to pursue his passion for the classroom. He was welcomed into LAUSD’s highly-competitive District Intern Program and survived six weeks of intense “boot camp” over the Summer of 2005. He is currently teaching 8th grade Physical Science at Berendo Middle School (LAUSD) and working toward his full teaching credential.

Marcus is a graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television. Prior to joining UCLA SMP in January 1998, Marcus worked as a case manager and consultant for Long Beach City College and LBUSD, where he coordinated Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs at local high schools.

• Breakthrough Learning with English Learners

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A nonprofit school reform initiative of the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and The Anderson School, the UCLA School Management Program (UCLA SMP) is devoted to the sustainable transformation of public schools into learner-centered organizations where all students can achieve at high levels.

UCLA SMP works with educators, administrators, and community members to create well-managed schools, to enhance teacher effectiveness, and to improve student achievement through professional development leading to personal transformation and community building.

Since the program was launched in 1992, UCLA SMP has worked with over 700 schools in districts throughout California.