Middle School Advisory
“Advisory is defined as, Regularly scheduled times when young adolescents have the opportunity to interact with a small group of peers and a teacher-advisor to discuss school and personal concerns. The group may be grade level or multi-grade level. In many schools, advisors and their students remain together for three years.”
Exploring Advisory
Advisory programs in middle grades schools offer numerous benefits for students, teachers, and families.
👥 Students benefit from personalized guidance and gain executive functioning and social and emotional skills crucial for their holistic development and future success.
🧑🏫 For teachers, advisory facilitates deeper connections with students, allowing for better monitoring of progress and providing tailored support, which enhances academic outcomes. It also promotes a school culture of empathy and respect, enriching the educational environment.
👨👩👧 Families are kept well-informed and involved in their child’s education, strengthening school-family ties and fostering a collaborative community environment. Overall, advisory programs can contribute to a supportive, inclusive school culture that nurtures student well-being and community engagement.
Advisory programs come in many forms, with one format not necessarily being better than others so long as the program is designed to be responsive to the needs of the students and school community. Goals of the advisory program may vary, including incorporating career exploration opportunities, service learning, executive functioning skill development, and relationship building. Some programs may meet daily or weekly, and others may make use of looping, meaning that the advisor stays with the same students throughout the entirety of their time at the school. For more on the characteristics of high-functioning advisory programs, consult The Successful Middle School Advisory.
Learn More About Advisory
Search Schools of distinctions
Search and connect with schools implementing innovative advisory programs.
Explore
Explore the results of AMLE’s recent landscape survey on middle school advisory programs
Advisory Program Spotlight
Move, Play, Calm, Think: An Advisory Approach with Student Choice at the Center
At Olmsted Falls Middle School in Ohio, one team’s STAR advisory program allows students to get the support they need on any given day.
Get more from the Advisory Experts at AMLE
Additional Resources
Explore resources to support your school, no matter where you are in your advisory journey.
AMLE is the leading publisher of books and products focused on the education of young adolescents aged 10-15.
Professional learning designed to empower educators and schools on their advisory journey.
