Starting this week, all advisories are changing. Seniors and juniors will be put into elective teachers classes focusing on literacy, numerous objectives and some will be in tutoring. Sophomores and freshman will have tutoring for their lowest STAAR tested category. We as a staff believe this is unfair because it takes away advisors from students, it is being implemented too late in the year, and finally, focuses on the wrong areas.
The first problem with the new advisory program is that it takes away a safe haven and mentor from students. Many students have had the same advisor for many years, giving them a person to confide in and a place to feel safe in while at school. Many students rely on advisory teachers to show them their grades and without a diligent advisory teacher they may not have access to their grades.
Another problem with this system is that it is being implemented too late in the year. With the program starting so late in the year, it cannot really help students. A few weeks cannot prepare students for a test that teachers are barely prepared for.
A huge flaw with this new program is that it focuses on a students lowest test score. This may help raise over-all testing scores for the school, but may not help a student pass an individual test. A related issue is that juniors are not helped with TAKS testing. If some students are going to be helped with standardized testing, all students should be.
Some proponents of this system may say that students can still talk to their advisory teacher. This is true, but there will no longer be a close bond between student and teacher that is reinforced by seeing them twice a week. The new system strips students of that relationship with an advisor. Proponents may also state that students should check grades through Gradespeed on their own, and don’t need an advisory teacher to do so. Although Gradespeed is available, many students don’t have access to Internet, or only do in the library. Advisory allows students over 40 minutes to get access to this information and discuss it with their advisor.
Those in favor of the system believe that this new plan is implemented just in time for STAAR testing. In reality, it brings a halt to many things. Seniors are being stripped of advice from people they know very well, extremely close to graduation and very close to college. This is just not fair to the seniors.
Another reason the timing is not well received is that is has not given teachers much time to prepare for it. Teachers should be focusing on helping students in class, not on advisory lessons.
Other advocates believe that it’s a good system because it could possibly raise test scores. Although this system may raise scores over-all, it may not raise the passing rate. When students focus on their lowest subject, it is likely that they will not pass it anyways. If the grade is lower than three other tests, it will probably not raise them. Students should be tutored on their highest, failing subject. Others in favor will say that STAAR is the main focus and not TAKS right now. Although STAAR is a higher level of testing, students still struggle with TAKS.
Some solutions would be to make this STAAR implementation a requirement in classes. This could be done through warm-ups, exit tickets or daily planned lessons. Another similar solution would be to have mandatory after school tutoring, similar to former TAKS tutoring sessions. Other solutions would be wait until a new school year to implement this or give current advisory teachers lessons to be taught.
As a staff we believe this new program takes away advisor to student connections, is implemented too late in the year and focuses on the wrong areas of need.
