The Effects of the 'Advisory' Period to Determine if Positive Relationships Between Teachers and Students Influence Student Academic Performance and Attendance

Advisory is a Miltontown High School (MHS) effort designed to ensure consistent, uninterrupted instructional time for students and teachers so that academic performance and attendance may be coached. Advisory provides an opportunity for teachers and students to build relationships, which can directly influence student performance. This research project intends to analyze the initiation of the Advisory period and to determine whether students' State mandated assessment scores in reading and math, and attendance are positively influenced by the relationships students build with the designated staff member responsible for advising them on a daily basis. It is the goal of this study to determine the effectiveness of the Advisory program and how it relates to the overall success of State mandated assessment results in reading and math, and attendance at Miltontown High School.;This study will employ mixed method data, following a sequential explanatory design. Quantitative data will be gathered first from the 2011-2012 OAA local report cards and 2013-2014 OGT local report cards in reading and math, and attendance. Quantitative analysis will compare the State mandated assessment scores in reading and math, and attendance between those two points in time, before Advisory was in place to 2014, when students were enrolled in Advisory. Qualitative research practices for data gathering will include surveys from students and interviews from Advisory teachers. The qualitative phase will consist of a three-step analytical process first by means of a qualitative analysis from interview and survey results, next, quantitizing all qual results, and finally linking the quantitized data to the quantitative findings from the test scores.