WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF ADVISORY ?
For some schools, establishing meaningful relationships between students and advisors is the goal of the advisory. However, advisory programs have many different concentrations and purposes:

• Focus on advocacy. The advisory gives students a chance to discuss academic or behavior problems they may be having, and the advisor advocates on the student’s behalf when appropriate.

• Provide students with a forum in which to discuss issues they face in their day-to-day lives, such as current events, or particular issues in the school. Students are often encouraged to suggest their own topics and to lead discussions.

• Advisories focus on building community. This approach guarantees that regardless of how their friendships shift, each student has a peer group and a place to discuss social issues.

• Reinforcing academic skills or curriculum areas in a more relaxed environment. The advisory may use material related to other classes students are taking to work on skills like time management, organization, listening, and journal writing.

• Others offer hidden curriculum, such as service learning or conflict resolution, not covered by the core academic courses.

• Advisory classes are also used to supplement college advisement by teaching interview skills and working on applications and personal statements.

Center for School Success Promising Practices Series
http://www.newvisions.org/dls/StudentAdv.pdf