Deering High School Launches Advising Program
Deering High School will begin an advising program this year to help create a stronger sense of community in the district’s largest school. Groups of up to 14 students will meet with a teacher-advisor for about a half-hour per week throughout their four years of high school.
The groups will work on a curriculum appropriate to each grade level. Freshmen will focus on orientation to high school, learning about one’s self and setting goals. This year’s sophomores will use a similar curriculum. Juniors will work on preparing for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Seniors will plan for life after high school, including post-secondary education.
The Deering Coaching Plan, as it is called, aims to help students feel more connected to school, to increase involvement in extracurricular activities and to improve the graduation rate, said Eli Small, the teacher who is coordinating the program. The program will be evaluated and refined over time, he added.
Portland High School and Casco Bay High School also have advising programs.
