¶ … Expectations of Advisory Program Validity threats

Foundation supporting this study design

Explain How Statement Meets the Criteria

Greenlee, B. J. (2010). School advisory council demography: Birds of a feather. Planning and changing, 41(1/2), 3-17

Adolescence is believed to be a stage in which people form their identity as well as develop the skills required for one to be academically successful. Benson &Poliner (2013) state that the failure of schools in involving most students due to their failure to meet 4 fundamental students needs: to love and belong, to enjoy themselves, have freedom and gain power. Thus, advisory programs are important for ensuring every student has a close relationship with a trustworthy adult that they can run to when they are having personal and academic issues (Knowles & Brown, 2000). This research is about advisory programs, how they enhance and analyze the association with academic improvement as well as the positive change that they may bring to the rates of graduations and reduction of risk traits. It also looks at how these programs allow for peer recognition and social exchange, a good way to improve academic career, self-esteem as well as social-emotional help.

The prevalent necessity for the programs have become significant, particularly to high poverty, low economic urban centers, where there are tight budgets which reduce finances and impact student discrepancies as well as poverty related necessities. Advisory programs are greatly needed to lower the level of seriously delinquent absenteeism among students who do not have enough support systems, educated optimism and skills for self-management.

Advisory program come up with and maintain the value of motivating peer, emotional and social issues in high and middle schools to enhance guidance development, which is significant to adolescent development and growth (between 10 and16) while in high and middle schools. Shulkind (2009) states that the required components for these programs are: (a) addressing educational performance to help assess intellectual needs, (b) development guidance through meeting their cognitive and emotional needs and (c) building teacher-student connections by meeting emotional needs. Counseling programs are essential and are broadly seen as important among high and middle schools (Brown, 2001). The assessed and reviewed are in line with the results. Schneider (2010) looks into minority students, formation, strengthening and shaping of a basis for high and middle school in school counseling programs which allow students to control their associations, which help in fostering and reinforcing the growth of the skills needed for them to be successful in future and have the needed academic achievements.

Statement of the Problem

Empirical evidence confirms that middle level advisory programs can be positively supportive to students, hence enhancing the attitudes of students towards education. At all school levels, there are different barriers faced by students, which can be alleviated or eased through effective counseling. According to Borgeson (2009), " The adviser-advisee system is important for the middle school system" (pg. 111). Mcclure, Yonezawa and Jones (2010) support the idea that where advisory programs are concerned, "higher personalization levels are linked with higher academic improvement, better school culture, as well as more student involvement." Urban district students are bound to have more benefits from emotional counseling than those in non-urban districts, since they face distinct barriers and problems.

As stated earlier, every schooling level has different problems which are centered on the needs of students during the period of their educational careers. Counseling can be done to meet the specific needs of students. According to Benson and Poliner (2013), the socioeconomic status of a student and/or the location of their school can greatly affect the kind of counseling they will require to help them improve in their academics (pg. 50). In addition, they assert that "as urban advisory programs are designed, it is important to consider having a flexible organizing theme in order to make sense" (pg. 50). Urban school students have special necessities which other students do not have; hence, these kinds of counseling programs...

For instance, a "school-wide advisory program for Freshmen" which included the support of juniors, seniors and sophomores into the duties of counselors or mentors for students that are newly joining a school in Chicago, Illinois known as Maine East has reported a reduction of the failure rates of freshmen to 27% from 37% in two years (Lampert 2005, pg. 61-3). This shows the positive impact of modern advisory programs on urban school student outcomes.
Even if the programs are often recommended in middle-school change, the studies conducted on the view of students regarding counseling programs are limited, since there is little practice in schools. Stevenson (2001) states that teacher counseling is of great significance in middle schools, even though in most cases, it is the least executed. Advisory programs are among the hardest middle level programmatic factors to execute (National Middle School Association, 2006). According to Blum (2005) non-educational factors in schools are important to student and school achievement. Building trust connections and making sure each student is closely connected to one or more adult in schools can help enhance school relations. However, there is a belief that schools are more centered on providing knowledge than enhancing the overall growth of students. The research conducted by Wilcox and Angelis's (2007) on many state schools in New York showed students' emotional and social development as a major finding on the factors that help middle schools succeed. Results showed that schools which perform greatly acknowledge that making students in middle schools feel safe can give them a help network and closeness with the school. The results within the state schools in New York show diversified communities and communities with high violence and poverty may be a problem, but providing a friendly environment that enables students to feel successful and secure is essential (Wilcox & Angelis, 2007).

The National Association of Middle Schools states that there have been many writings regarding counseling programs, though there are some researchers who have thoroughly studied students' subjective experiences within counseling programs (2006). Counseling programs are still being proposed, even though there have been barriers in sustaining and executing it. The National Principals of Secondary Schools Association (2006) reported that a complete counseling or any other program meant to help students have meaningful and frequent for associating with adults to help them plan and evaluate their personal, social and educational growth comes fourth on the recommendation list of NASSP. Sardo-Brown and Shetlar (1994) state that more research on the views of students on the advisor-advisee time should be conducted in various kinds of schools. Research conducted earlier on counseling programs is qualitative, and the aims of the research are hard to assess. This research tries to deal with the necessity for improved information regarding advisory program traits that improve students' connection with their schools.

Purpose of the Study

The concept of the counseling programs framework forms the foundation of academic achievement in middle level school clearly indicates the necessity for students in the adolescence stage to be guided by adults to help them control their high and middle school life. Greenlee (2010) reported that the most important influence on the success of high and middle school students is similar to the connection with a trustworthy adult that cares about the growth of students. This case report is meant to find out the impact of counseling programs on the attitudes of middle school students. The targeted sample will incorporate students from school district number 152 in Southwest Harvey Illinois, Midwest U.S.A who have faced different barriers that disrupt their delinquency and academic success. The sample fits this research since Mcclure, Yonezawa and Jones (2010) agree with the notion that where advisory programs are concerned, "higher personalization levels are linked with greater performance in academics, better school culture, lower delinquency as well as better student involvement." The positive impacts in terms of social development are the potential for using counseling programs through cognitive, emotional or a combination of both, which can help in nurturing resiliency as well as increasing the skills for coping among endangered adolescents. On the other hand, positive social abilities, supportive relationships with adults, and skills for making good decisions help in solving the issue of providing counseling programs for educational achievement among high school and middle school students.

This study is aimed at investigating the view of students regarding counseling programs on traits with regard to school closeness. Therefore, this research will investigate whether counseling programs are vital factors influencing student associations, school involvement, and a feeling of belonging for students, eventually affecting school performance and relations.

Significance of the Study

This research on students in middle school evaluated the significance of associations, school involvement, and a feeling of belonging, which are important in school closeness within the modern counseling programs in middle level schools. In addition to that, the research provides information to be used in indicating further expert growth needs and find extra help for counselors, with regard to the view of the main targets of counseling; the student community. The data should help other schools come up with effective counseling programs…