Kentucky Department of Education

Advising and transitions contacts, related links, professional development, data, tools and resources.

Our goal in Kentucky is to see that every child is proficient and prepared for success. National research shows that education reform is moving towards smaller learning communities more student centered schools and more personalized programs and support services as well as increased intellectual rigor. The establishment of advisor/advisee programs in secondary schools are essential to each Kentucky school’s mission of increasing student success.  The research shows that if we create safe, supportive, respectful learning environments and personalize young people’s learning experiences that we can help them achieve more academic success. By having a caring adult as a mentor, students feel more connected to their school and as a result experience a much improved educational experience.  This advising relationship can result in reducing retention rates, decreasing truancy and behavioral issues, increasing test scores, and graduation rates, as well as improving interpersonal relationships and workforce readiness.

 

According to Maslow in his Hierarchy of Human Needs a person needs to have a sense of safety and belonging in order to be successful and reach his full potential. If basic needs aren’t being met, school work, planning for the future and self-actualization is at the bottom of the priority list, especially if a student doesn’t have a caring adult to connect with. When students enter the school building they must be met with a positive learning environment that has been designed by the administrators, teachers, staff, and school community. The student advisor program can be the model program that helps to create this atmosphere. A good advisement program can unite students, staff, parents, the community, businesses, and higher education together to make the absolute most of a student’s educational experience.  It can also greatly facilitate the four goals set forth by the Kentucky Department of Education:

·         High Student Performance

·         High Quality Teaching and Administration

·         Strong and Supportive Environment for Each School and Every Child

·         High Performing Schools and Districts