Changing Systems to Personalize Learning - The Power of Advisories

174 Pages·2003·1.64 MB·English

Changing Systems to Personalize Learning
The Power of Advisories
THE EDUCATION ALLIANCE at Bro wn University

Changing Systems to Personalize Learning
The Power of Advisories
Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory (LAB)
The Education Alliance at Brown University is home to the Northeast and Islands
Regional Educational Laboratory (LAB), one of ten educational laboratories funded by
the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Our goals are to
improve teaching and learning, advance school improvement, build capacity for reform,
and develop strategic alliances with key members of the region’s education and
policymaking community.
The LAB develops educational products and services for school administrators,
policymakers, teachers, and parents in New England, New York, Puerto Rico, and the
Virgin Islands. Central to our efforts is a commitment to equity and excellence.
Information about all Alliance programs and services is available by contacting:
The Education Alliance Phone: [phone]
at Brown University Fax: [phone]
222 Richmond Street, Suite 300 E-mail: [e-mail]
Providence, RI 02903-4226 Web: www.alliance.brown.edu
Contributing Partners: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), based
in Portland, Oregon, was contracted by the U.S. Department of Education to lead a
national network of regional partners in providing information and technical assistance
to Smaller Learning Communities grantees. The LAB at Brown was one of four regional
educational laboratories working with NWREL on this project and much of the material
in The Power of Advisories workshop was developed through this contract.
Authors: Debbie Osofsky, Gregg Sinner, Denise Wolk
Editor: Sherri Miles
Designer: Patricia McGee
Photography: Photographs on divider pages were taken by David H. Wells Narrative
Photography, Providence, RI, with the exception of the Key Dimension #2
divider page, which contains a photo by PhotoDisc®.
Copyright ©2003 Brown University. All rights reserved.
This publication is based on work supported by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S.
Department of Education, under Contract Number ED-01-CO-0010. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of IES, the U.S. Department of Education, or any other agency of the
U.S. Government.
ii The Power of Advisories
About the Authors:
Denise Wolk is a program assistant at The Education Alliance/LAB at Brown and
managing editor of this workshop. She has worked as a researcher/writer on a school
reform mapping project for the National Alliance on the American High School, as
managing editor of Personalized Learning: Preparing High School Students to Create
Their Futures (Scarecrow Education, 2003), and as an editorial consultant for Dr.
David Kessler’s book, A Question of Intent (Public Affairs Press, 2002).
Debbie Osofsky is currently the Advisory Coordinator of the Francis W. Parker
Charter Essential School. She is a former middle and high school teacher and has
worked extensively with advisory programs at the schools in which she has taught.
Debbie has a MA of Education in Risk and Prevention focusing on Adolescence (11-
19) from Harvard University and a BA in History from Brown University.
Dr. Gregg Sinner is a Program Planning Specialist for the Student Centered Learning
program area of the Education Alliance/LAB at Brown. He has over 30 years of
experience as a professional educator and innovative leader in public secondary
schools. He has a PhD in Molecular Biology from Dartmouth, a MEd from Antioch
College, and a BS in pharmacy from the University of Minnesota.
Acknowledgments:
The Power of Advisories workshop, as one of six workshops in the Changing Systems
to Personalize Learning series (Personalized Learning, The Power of Advisories,
Teaching to Each Student, Integrating Curriculum to Meet Standards, Flexible
Systems and Leadership Roles, and Engaging the Whole Community), is designed to
help teachers and school leaders develop and assess advisory programs in their own
schools. The workshop is a product of applied research and development conducted
by the LAB under contract number ED-01-CO-0010 from the U.S. Department of
Education as part of the LAB’s initiative focusing on student-centered learning in
high schools. The authors thank the many individuals who offered their review and
guidance throughout the development of this workshop, including Dale Worsley,
Joan Landzberg, Michael Trofi, Francie Lindner, Adissa Nicolas, Ted Sizer, Nancy
Sizer, and the members of the Student-Centered Learning team: Joseph DiMartino,
Patti Smith, Edmund Hamann, Ron Millican, Denise Wolk, Sidney Okashige, and
Gregg Sinner.
The Power of Advisories iii
Contents
About This Workshop..................................................................................................1
Discover the Power of Advisories...........................................................................5
What is an Advisory?...............................................................................................6
The Theory Behind Advisory Programs: What the Literature Says.........7
Successful Advisory Programs: What the Research Says........................10
Five Key Dimensions of Successful Advisory Programs..........................13
Key Dimension #1: Purpose...........................................................................13
Key Dimension #2: Organization.................................................................14
Key Dimension #3: Advisory Program Content......................................14
Key Dimension #4: Assessment....................................................................14
Key Dimension #5: Leadership.....................................................................15
Key Dimension #1: Purpose...................................................................................17
What the Literature Says About Purpose.....................................................17
Key Dimension #2: Organization.........................................................................27
What the Literature Says About Organization............................................27
Key Dimension #3: Advisory Program Content ..............................................43
What the Literature Says About Content......................................................43
Key Dimension #4: Assessment...........................................................................55
What the Literature Says About Assessment..............................................55
Key Dimension #5: Leadership.............................................................................65
What the Literature Says About Leadership................................................65
Bibliography.................................................................................................................79
iv The Power of Advisories
Protocols
3 : 2 : 1...........................................................................................................................81
Chalk Talk.......................................................................................................................83
Determining Program Emphasis: A Card-Sorting Approach.....................85
The Focusing Four.....................................................................................................93
Carousel Brainstorming...........................................................................................97
Connections/Reflections.........................................................................................99
Continuum Exercise................................................................................................101
Text-Based Seminar Guideline............................................................................103
Jigsaw...........................................................................................................................107
Strategy Shuffle........................................................................................................111
The Charrette.............................................................................................................115
The Power of Advisories v
Sample Assessment Tools
Sample Assessment Tools: Advisee........................................................................1
ADVISORY CHECK-IN (SELF-ASSESSMENT)....................................................................2
ADVISORY CHECK-IN (ADVISOR ASSESSMENT)............................................................3
SOPHOMORE CORE PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS.......................................................4
SOPHOMORE CORE PORTFOLIO RUBRIC........................................................................5
ADVISORY RUBRIC...................................................................................................................6
PLP PRESENTATION AND CREDIT DETERMINATION....................................................7
TEACHER WORKSHEET FOR SENIOR PLP PRESENTATION.........................................8
NOBLE SEMINAR: EXPECTATIONS....................................................................................10
Sample Assessment Tools: Advisor......................................................................11
RUBRIC FOR ADVISORS.......................................................................................................12
ADVISOR ASSESSMENT.......................................................................................................15
ADVISOR OBSERVATION FORM........................................................................................17
PARENT/GUARDIAN FEEDBACK FORM.........................................................................18
PRHS PARENT CONTACT LOG............................................................................................19
Sample Assessment Tools: Advisory Group .....................................................20
ADVISORY COMMUNITY SERVICE PLAN.......................................................................21
ADVISORY OBSERVATION...................................................................................................22
ADVISORY GROUP EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT....................................................23
Sample Assessment Tools: Advisory Program and Leadership.................24
LEADERSHIP TEAM ASSESSMENT....................................................................................25
ADVISORY PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
GENERAL MEASURES OF SCHOOL CLIMATE.....................................................27
ADVISORY PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
GENERAL MEASURES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.......................................28
vi The Power of Advisories
About This Workshop