What is support and guidance?

Support and guidance systems in schools combine the specialized work of counselors, specialists and social workers with advisory systems that engage teachers in sustained relationships with small groups of students. Strong support and guidance systems are augmented by community partners that extend youth and family services. Each of these functions increasingly relies on computer applications to deliver personalized support and advice.  

When done well, these systems expand the view of possible futures and empower informed postsecondary plans. Comprehensive advisory systems produce student agency, belonging, purpose, and well-being. They enact school culture, illustrate what is valued, and create enabling conditions for academic success. That being said, the systems are often incredibly challenging to implement well and consistently. Within the structure of advisory are a multiplicity of goals and most of them are not credit-bearing. 

Regardless of the challenge, we believe support and guidance systems are the cornerstones of a positive secondary school experience—one that lays the foundation for a lifetime of expression and contribution.  These systems have the potential to result in the following benefits: 

Increased readiness. Consistent implementation of advisory programs has been shown to positively impact metrics such as course taking patterns, transcript readiness, and college enrollment. For example, schools that were part of a six-year college readiness initiative that emphasized advisory showed significant growth in college readiness. 

Connection to peers. A strong advisory program helps students get connected to one another in meaningful ways. Through class discussions, democratic classroom decision-making, Socratic seminars and other activities, students form bonds with one another and also learn more about themselves in relation to others. 

Connection to adults. A strong advisory system provides sustained adult mentorship relationships. Research suggests that strong adult mentorship while in high school increases the likelihood of graduation and postsecondary success.

Advocacy. A strong advisor-advisee relationship means that the student has an advocate in the building. As a result, students feel supported, and if (or when) they face personal or academic difficulty, rather than mentally or physically “disengaging,” the student has someone to approach for help, feedback and assistance.

Personal Growth. Because of the student’s personal connections to an adult, the student can learn more about their academic and personal strengths and areas for improvement. A student’s own self-awareness is critical for success in college and beyond, and a good advisory program can help students become more self-aware through 1:1 discussions with their advisor and discussions as a peer group during advisory time.

Why now?

As mentioned above, Generation AI has faced an array of challenges. These include, but are not limited to, the effects of an enduring global pandemic, climate crises, urgent social movements, increased incidents of discrimination and violence, major domestic political shifts, widening economic inequality and the rise of artificial intelligence. They’re growing up in an era of 24/7 online access to information, including increasingly influential social media platforms and trends that have been shown to fuel social comparison and lower self-esteem. The collective trauma has taken a toll leading to what the Surgeon General called a mental health crisis. Tools are emerging and getting rapidly adopted by districts to help families better respond to these growing challenges.

Many struggle to build diverse networks and social capital, citing that they are least confident in these areas. This is especially true for first-generation students, who are less likely to participate in social capital-building activities. Those who enter undecided or choose to change a major (more than 8 in 10 students according to some reports) typically add time and tuition to their pursuit of a credential. Yet the majority of Americans are no longer convinced of the value of a four-year degree, citing high debt and a lack of core competencies necessary for the job market.

Relevant social skills and robust mental health supports are part of a broader equation that includes a holistic approach to students’ needs and interests. School leaders and educators are struggling to excite young people about learning. Students in grades 5-12 gave their schools a B- in this category according to a recent nationwide survey. Despite the clear importance, students are least positive about how well their school fosters excitement about learning, serves different learning styles, teaches about potential careers and provides mental health support.

The opportunities of this new age of human-computer interaction come with new learning priorities. Support and guidance professionals can play an important role in helping school communities embrace the importance of learner agency, self-direction, and entrepreneurial mindset. The nonroutine cognitive work is what Lumina Foundation CEO Jamie Merisotis called Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines: thinking critically, reasoning ethically, interacting interpersonally, and serving others with empathy–these problem-finding, problem-solving, integrative skills are things only humans can do.

Support and guidance are core elements of learning in this new age, creating the conditions for wellness and growth and empowering learners to co-create pathways to success.