may 13th faculty advisory committee

14
May 13th Faculty Advisory Committee WHS ADVISORY: WHERE STUDENTS AND FACULTY CONNECT

Upload: vin

Post on 05-Jan-2016

27 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

WHS ADVISORY: WHERE STUDENTS AND FACULTY CONNECT. May 13th Faculty Advisory Committee. PURPOSE. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

TRANSCRIPT

May 13th Faculty Advisory Committee

WHS ADVISORY: WHERE STUDENTS AND

FACULTY CONNECT

PURPOSE

As the student population nears 1400 at WHS, it is more important than ever that no student remains anonymous. The advisory program’s purpose is to foster relationships between students and teachers so that ALL students are known well by at least one adult in the school community. Ultimately, the advisory program will emphasize the importance of personalization in an attempt to prevent ANY of our students from falling through the cracks.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

“We believe that everyone at the school should be accorded the respect of being known well, that the particular strengths and weaknesses, worries and hopes, of each young person should be understood and accommodated.  Personalization is not just a courtesy; it is the necessary condition for efficient and effective teaching of each student” (Sizer, 1992, p.143). 

   

Sizer, T.R. (1992). Horace’s school: Redesigning the American high school. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

“Secondary administrators and teachers have long understood the advantages of positive relationships between educators and students.  Trust, respect, mutual obligation, and concern for others’ welfare can have powerful effects on educators’ and learners’ interpersonal relationships as well as learners’ academic achievement and overall school progress” (Manning & Saddlemire, 1996, p.41).   

Manning, M.L., & Saddlemire, R. (1996). Developing a sense of community in secondary schools. NASSP Bulletin, 80(584), 41-48.

EVIDENCE THAT WHS IS IN NEED OF PERSONALIZING THE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

OF OUR STUDENTS

The Culture and Climate Committee (CCC) conducted their last annual survey in 2010.

• All WHS students in grades 9 - 12 were invited to participate. • Students were asked to complete the survey online as part of their

homework requirement. This was encouraged and monitored by the History Department with support from senior English classes.

 • This survey was designed with a total of 31 questions. 

 • 1140 students responded 

EVIDENCE THAT WHS IS IN NEED OF PERSONALIZING THE HIGH SCHOOLEXPERIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS  

CCC Survey Question # 13: There are adults in the building, who are NOT currently my classroom teachers, who I feel comfortable turning to when I am feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed.

1087 students answered this question, while 53 skipped this question.              12.70 %       Strongly Agree           30.54 %       Agree           32.20 %      Neither Agree nor Disagree

           17.94 %      Disagree

           6.62 %      Strongly Disagree

   

EVIDENCE THAT WHS IS IN NEED OF PERSONALIZING THE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS  

CCC Survey Question # 14: I feel comfortable talking to one of my current teachers about personal issues when I am feeling stressed and/or overwhelmed.  1086 students answered this question, while 54

skipped it.                9.48 %       Strongly Agree

           33.06 %       Agree           26.34 %      Neither Agree nor Disagree

        23.02 %      Disagree            8.10 %      Strongly Disagree

   

EVIDENCE THAT WHS IS IN NEED OF PERSONALIZING THE HIGH SCHOOL

EXPERIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS

CCC Survey Question # 18: Students have opportunities to express their ideas, concerns, opinions and interests.  1084 students answered this question, while 56

skipped it.    

           15.22 %     Strongly Agree

           49.54 %     Agree            22.97 %      Neither Agree nor Disagree

            10.79 %      Disagree

           1.48 %      Strongly Disagree

   

WHAT IS ADVISORY?

A Teacher Advisory program could be defined as:

An organizational structure in which one small group of students identified with and belongs to one educator, who nurtures, advocates for, and shepherds through school the individuals in that group.” (Nurturing a Teacher Advisory Program, Cole, 1992 p.5)*

*As presented by Jill Leach in Spring 2010.

WHY ADVISORY?

What could be the benefits of an advisory program to your school?*

Better attendance rates Greater sense of belonging Decrease disciplinary issues Personal relationships with every student

*As presented by Jill Leach in Spring 2010.

WHS’ ADVISORY PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT 

The mission of Wellesley High School’s advisory program is to offer opportunities for students and

staff to interact in a safe, and supportive environment.  The advisory program will further develop our sense of community, enhance the student experience, and foster positive social

connections. 

WHAT WILL ADVISORY AT WHS LOOK LIKE?

* Advisory groups will meet daily for 8 minutes and once a month for 30 minutes.

• Advisory groups will consist of approximately 13 students and one advisor.

• All faculty will be expected to serve as advisors.

•Students will be assigned randomly to an advisory group by grade level.

•An advisory coordinator will provide monthly newsletters to all advisors, which will include suggested prompts for the daily 8 minute advisory sessions and a 30-minute lesson plan for each half-day.

•There will be monthly themes associated with each newsletter. Advisors are required to address the monthly theme, however, they are allowed to tailor their advisories to meet the needs of their students.

SCHEDULES

DAILY SCHEDULE:

BLOCK 1: 7:30-8:29BLOCK 2: 8:34-9:33

ADVISORY: 9:38-9:46BLOCK 3: 9:51-10:50

BLOCK 4: 10:55-12:22 Lunch Shifts:10:55-11:24, 11:24-11:53, 11:53-12:22

BLOCK 5: 12:27-1:26BLOCK 6: 1:31-2:30

HALF-DAY SCHEDULE:

BLOCK 1: 7:30-8:00 BLOCK 2: 8:05-8:35BLOCK 3: 8:40-9:10BLOCK 4: 9:15-9:45

BLOCK 5: 9:50-10:20BLOCK 6: 10:25-10:55

ADVISORY: 11:00-11:30

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT & STAFF TRAINING DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS

* Several faculty members have worked to develop a curriculum for the advisory meetings.  

* The existence of curriculum allows for time spent in advisories to meet time on learning.

* The distribution of the curriculum to the teachers will eliminate the need for teachers to spend their prep time developing advisory lessons.

•Faculty advisory groups were developed in the fall of 2011 to model the advisory experience for our faculty. These groups continue to be utilized to discuss school-wide issues during faculty meetings.

•Two outside educators, Jill Leach and Ted Hall, both with experiences developing and implementing advisory programs, presented to our faculty to help prepare them for implementation.