A Visit to a Freshman Advisory Program DVD and Viewer's Guide

Freshman year of high school has always been a tough year for students--with less structure, greater responsibility, and challenging academics. Students who do well in ninth grade are more likely to graduate high school than those who don't. In today's larger, test-driven high schools, freshman tend to feel isolated and overwhelmed, so teachers and administrators have to do more to ensure a welcoming and nurturing learning community for their youngest students. Show this program at your next improvement team or school climate committee meeting.

This DVD features a freshman transition program that builds community within the high school and helps freshmen achieve academically. Use the program and the workshop outlines and activities from the Viewer's Guide to

? Explain why a freshman advisory program is critical to overall school improvement
? Help your school develop strategies for teaching freshmen how to succeed academically and socially within the high school and later on in life
? Demonstrate how to use grade 10-12 students as mentors in your freshman-year transition program

Scenes throughout the video and interviews with teachers and students explain how to ensure your program is focused on

? Teaching freshmen how to manage their time, set priorities, use good study skills, and monitor their own progress
? Developing leadership and teamwork skills of the student mentors
? Helping teachers manage the program, train student mentors, identify freshman students who are falling behind, and assess the effectiveness of the program