Roles and Responsibilities

Roles and Responsibilities as an Academic Advisor

Each Advisor

v Oversees the personal learning portfolio for each advisee.

v Assists advisees with appropriate course selection and multiple pathway choices and long range academic planning.

v Knows and understands each advisee’s program and rationale for academic choices.

v Knows each advisee’s schedule and current academic standing.

v Consults with parents on schedule changes.

v Encourages academic decisions based on long-term planning and goals.

v Advises students about the process and responsibilities of their service learning commitment, senior project or other graduation requirements.

Roles and Responsibilities as a Bridge for Communication

Each advisor

v maintains appropriate ongoing contact with teachers and parents about academic and social progress of their advisees.

v uses advisory time to be in contact with advisees about academic and personal goals, school information, scheduling, and barriers to learning.

v attends meetings pertaining to their advisees ( IEP, 504, discipline conferences) when appropriate.

v facilitates student-led parent conferences.

v connects advisees with appropriate resources to achieve goals in PLP’s.

Roles and Responsibilities as an Advocate

Each advisor

v Takes time to connect with each student by actively engaging with students during daily advisory period.

v Provides constructive support for advisees before or during significant disciplinary hearings.

v Works with advisees to help them to communicate appropriately with others.

v Encourages responsible decision making

Roles and Responsibilities as a Personal Advisor

Each advisor

v Creates opportunities for periodic individual meetings.

v Comes to know advisees - personal talents, interests and goals.

v Helps advisees to develop a sense of self direction through personal goal setting.

v Is familiar with referral resources and makes referrals as necessary.

v Creates a safe environment for students to engage in student driven discussion.

v Gets to know parents and the best way to communicate with them (e-mail, work phone etc.).

Effective Practices for Academic Advising

v Students, parents and other faculty members view the advisor as the point person for advisees.

v Advisors and advisees review grades regularly.

v There is a school-wide protocol for improvement plans, which are implemented between advisor and advisee and signed off by the parent.

v Quarter grades and assignment grades are easily accessible to the advisor.

v It is easy for other faculty to identify their students’ advisors.

v The administration strongly encourages a culture of inter-faculty communication about advisees.

v Resources for multiple pathways, dual enrollment, course listings, independent learning opportunities, and other services for students are easily accessible by advisors, students, and parents.

v Student-led parent conferences with the advisor become the format for conferences.

v Structures allow advisors to attend IEP, EST, 504 and disciplinary meetings as the advisee’s advocate.

v Although some administrative tasks and guided study may be a part of some school’s advisory structure, there is a clear expectation that advisory is neither homeroom nor study hall.

Effective Practices for Fostering Student-to-Student Connectedness

v Advisories will meet regularly in groups of fewer than 14 students.

v Advisory groups will circle up or create an environment where students will not be isolated.

v Advisors will practice positive group dynamics.

v There will be a structure for inter-grade mentoring either through mixed-grade advisories, mixed-grade peer mentoring programs that occur regularly during the advisory period.

v Advisories will participate in some form of interactive activities from time to time.

Effective Practices for Fostering Student-to-Advisor Connectedness

v Define and develop the role of the advisor thoughtfully with attention to the previous recommendations.

v Create a school-wide expectation that advisors always engage with their advisees during advisory period.

v Create structures where advisors can meet alone with advisees on a consistent basis, perhaps through an advisory buddy system or other structure.

v Revise job descriptions for new hires to reflect the responsibility of being an advisor.

v Develop systems that allow advisors to share best practices so advisors can learn through their peers.

v Define minimum aspects of connectedness advisors and advisees should develop as a guide for advisors to gauge their practice. For example, an advisor should know an advisee’s extra-curricular activities, or advisors should recognize student birthdays or special events.