Seventh-grade Boys Research Articles

Views of Catholic Middle School Students on Handling Peer Aggression

Aggression toward peers who are perceived as weaker or different is a widespread problem for middle school students including those attending Catholic middle schools. Middle school students’ normative beliefs about the acceptability of various types of aggressive behavior influences their own potential involvement in bullying. Therefore, how middle schoolers decide to respond to situations of peer aggression may affect their standing as either victims, bystanders to bullies, or as bully-victims in school environments over time. This study looks at how middle schoolers (sixth, seventh, and eighth grade girls and boys) in Catholic schools think it best to respond to peer aggression by examining their decision-making preferences for how targeted peers (from a vulnerable group) should respond to physical, verbal, or cyber aggression situations. Although significant effects regarding gender, grade, and type of peer aggression were found for the decision-making of the middle schoolers, findings reveal that overall middle schoolers’ preferences were well developed for resisting peer aggression. The study provides important insights for how to supplement commonly existing curricula on social emotional learning in Catholic Schools with decision-making training inputs for the design of future school-based bullying prevention programs. Preparing middle schoolers in Catholic schools to respond to stop peer aggression in a proactive way supports the mission of Catholic schools to create safe and caring school environments.

Embodied refusals and choreographic criticalities

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the work of a group of seventh-grade boys in a middle school superhero storytelling project. In this project, the boys, one of whom identified as Latino and five of whom identified as Black, created a voiceless, faceless, raceless superhero named “Mute.” Using a Black feminist theoretical framework, the author considers how the boys authored embodied moments in the construction of their character and in a basketball scene. The author argues that within the narrated space of the story, embodiment functioned as a critical tool for authoring spaces that thwarted and bypassed dominant social narratives.Design/methodology/approachThe white, female, university-affiliated author was a participant-researcher in the “Mute” group’s ten storytelling sessions. The ethnographic data set collected included fieldnotes, recordings and copies of all the writing and images of the group. The author uses this data to conduct a narrative analysis of the Mute story.FindingsThe author suggests that the group’s authoring of embodiment and choreography in their story makes space outside of the binary stances often available in traditional critical analyses. Instead, the group’s attention to embodied aspects of their character(s) allowed them to refuse either/or positions of such stances and construct a textured reality that existed beyond these bounds.Originality/valueBlack feminist theorists have warned that critical readings are potentially essentializing, risking a reification of the same systems they hope to overturn. The Mute group’s invention of a superhero character and their use of authored embodiment deflected such essentializing readings to imagine a new, more just (story) world. Thus, the author recommends an increased attention to how students are writing and reading embodiment to fully see the everyday ways they are critically working both against and beyond the social narratives that organize their lives.

P4654Clinical and electrocardiographic features of restrictive cardiomyopathy in children

Abstract Introduction Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a rare myocardial disease with an impaired diastolic function and poor prognosis. The mean survival duration after a diagnosis of RCM is reported to be around 2 years in children and most need heart transplantations. Purpose This study aimed to determine the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnostic criteria of RCM based on the initial diagnostic electrocardiogram. Methods ECGs in pediatric cardiomyopathy patients were collected from 15 institutes in Japan between 1979 and 2013. We compared the ECG findings, especially of the P wave, in RCM patients between the cardiomyopathy group and healthy children group separately for each gender and the age. The ECGs in the healthy group were obtained from school heart screening in Japan of first-graders, and seventh-graders. Statistical significance was determined as p<0.001. Results Among 376 registered cardiomyopathy patients, 63 had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (36%), 91 (24%) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 106 (28%) a left ventricular myocardial noncompaction (LVNCs), 25 (7%) restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), 14 (4%) arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and 5 (1%) other cardiomyopathies. Of the 25 RCM patients (9.9±3.4 years old, F:M=11:14), 36% were discovered during school heart screening. The first onset was an abnormal ECG in 9, symptoms of heart failure in 6, respiratory tract infections in 3, syncope in 1, and 6 with other. Of those patients, 2 (8%) had a family history of RCM, 24 (92%) no family history. A genetic diagnosis was performed in 5 of the 25 cases, and 3 had genetic abnormalities related to RCM. The mean follow-up period was 65±95 months (mean±standard deviation). During follow up, 19 patients (76%) survived, 6 (24%) died, 7 (28%) had heart transplantations, and 3 (12%) were waiting for heart transplantations with a left ventricular assist device. The P wave was bimodal in lead I or biphasic in lead V1 in 15 patients (93%), and 13 (81%) patients had both variations. We evaluated the duration and amplitude of the first and second component of the P wave as P1 and P2. The number of control and RCM patients (control/RCM), duration of P1+P2, and sum total absolute value of the amplitude of P1+P2 in lead V1 were 8350/5, 90±9/116±10ms, and 72±28/528±278μV in first grade boys, 8423/3, 91±10/120±22ms, and 66±28/326±229μV in first grade girls, 8943/1, 97±1/100ms, and 71±31/328μV in seventh grade boys, and 9183/5, 98±11/112±10ms, and 55±27/315±56μV in seventh grade girls. Although the number of patients in the RCM group was small, sum total absolute value of the amplitude of P1+P2 in lead V1 showed a significant difference in any group. Conclusion The ECG in children with RCM exhibits P wave abnormalities in almost all patients. In particular, not the P wave interval but P wave shape in I and V1 and the sum total absolute value of the amplitude of P1+P2 in lead V1 were observed differences.

‘She was really good at letting us make decisions:’ influence of purposefully negotiating the physical education curriculum on one teacher and a boys’ middle school minority class

ABSTRACTA limited amount of research indicates that when teachers purposefully invite students to negotiate the physical education curriculum, students have a more equitable experience. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of purposefully negotiating the curriculum on one boys’ physical education class. A second purpose was to assess the effectiveness of the program that was used to train the teacher of the class to engage in purposeful negotiation. Participants were the 32 seventh grade boys in the class and Sandra, their teacher. The theoretical framework was drawn from elements within the critical tradition and the perspective of hegemonic masculinity. Data were collected with seven qualitative techniques and analysed using analytic induction and constant comparison. The negotiated unit that Sandra taught and the program that trained her were a qualified success. Non-masculine less physically able boys engaged in and enjoyed the unit to a greater degree than was usual. Some usually dominant physically able boys showed more empathy for their less skilled peers. More negatively, the curriculum model employed, activity chosen, content, and evaluation methods selected, all of which reflected a traditional performance pedagogy, were constraining.

Strength Abilities: Overview of Development in Middle School Boys

The purpose of the study is to identify the peculiarities of strength preparedness of middle-school-aged boys. Materials and methods. The participants in the study were boys of sixth grade (n=36), seventh grade (n=36), eighth grade (n=33). The study used analysis and summary of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical testing and methods of mathematical statistics for processing study results. The IBM SPSS 23 statistical analysis software was used to process the study materials. The following parameters were calculated: arithmetic mean value (X); standard deviation (s). The probability of difference in statistical indicators was estimated using the Student’s t-test. Results. The analysis of the results suggests that the sixth- and seventh-grade boys have statistically significant differences in the set of tests (p <0.05). The seventh-grade boys show the increase in strength indicators of the shoulder girdle muscles, abdominal and back muscles, leg muscles. The sixth- and eighth-grade boys show statistically significant differences in the set of tests (p<0.05). The eighth-grade boys demonstrate the increased indicators of strength and strength endurance of the shoulder girdle muscles, abdominal and back muscles, and leg muscles. There are also statistically significant differences in the test on frequency of arm movements (p<0.001) and in the “Standing long jump” (p<0.001). The seventh- and eighth-grade boys show statistically significant increase in strength indicators of the shoulder girdle muscles, the indicators of strength endurance of the abdominal and back muscles, and the indicators of strength endurance of the leg muscles. There are statistically significant differences in the test on frequency of arm movements (p<0.05) and in the “Shuttle run 4×9” (p<0.001). Conclusions. The middle-school-aged boys show a positive dynamics in the development of motor preparedness. The largest increase is observed in the indicators of strength and strength endurance of the shoulder girdle muscles, abdominal, back, and leg muscles.

COMPARING SELECTED TYPES OF AGGRESSIVENESS AND INDIVIDUAL TYPES OF HOSTILITY AMONG STUDENTS OF SPORTS HOCKEY CLASSES

Aim of the research was to find out and compare individual subsystems of selected types of aggressiveness and individual types of hostility within age categories of learners of sports hockey classes. Research sample consisted of sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade boys from primary schools. Age of learners varied from 11 to 14 years. Total sample consisted of 120 learners. The research was it was implemented with the help of a standardized psychological questionnaire B – D – I. In the results we‘re comparing the differences in individual subspecies of aggressive behaviour and also in overall aggressiveness between younger and older learners grade. It turned out that in all of the observed comparisons older learners achieved higher average values of the weighted score than younger. The difference was confirmed also by the nonparametric Mann Whitney U test, which at the unilateral test of 5 % level of demonstrability tells that between younger and older learners there‘s statistically significant difference p = 0.031. Also, any increased value of the resentment didn‘t occur neither among younger learners who achieved the average value of the weighted score 4.19 nor among older learners with the average value of the weighted score 4.81 and therefore there is not statistically significant difference (p = 0.681). Our research revealed that controlling emotions such as aggression is very important. Therefore, it‘s important to pay enough attention to the young athletes and their coaches to prevent any manifestations of aggressiveness from their performers and to encourage them to play fair-play sports.

Association of individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic status with physical activity and screen time in seventh-grade boys and girls in Berlin, Germany: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesFew studies have explored the impact of neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) on health behaviours in youths in Germany. Our aim was to investigate the association of individual and neighbourhood SES...

Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan

Although evidence suggests that homocysteine levels are elevated in severe mental illness in children, findings regarding homocysteine levels in youth with anxiety and depression are scarce. Therefore, this study examined the association of homocysteine levels with anxiety and depression in a community sample of students aged 6–13 years. In total, 649 students were selected from the first, fourth, and seventh grades of schools in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2010. These students completed a hospital-based health examination, which included physical examination, blood sample collection, and questionnaire administration. The data were analysed through multiple linear regression. Among the seventh-grade boys, both depression (adjusted β = 0.044, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.004–0.084) and anxiety (adjusted β = 0.052, 95% CI = 0.013–0.091) were independently associated with increased homocysteine levels. In further dichotomisation, compared with students with low anxiety levels, those with moderate to high anxiety levels were significantly positively associated with elevated serum homocysteine levels (adjusted β = 0.091, 95% CI = 0.003–0.180). Our results suggest that increased depression and anxiety may be positively associated with higher serum homocysteine levels in older boys. Our results provide essential data on the biological aspects underlying anxiety and depression in the studied population.

A Physical Education Intervention Effects on Correlates of Physical Activity and Motivation.

The purpose of this study was to measure effects of a modified physical education (PE) unit on leisure time physical activity (LTPA), relative autonomy, and known correlates of LTPA in seventh-grade boys and girls. A seventh-grade mountain biking unit was modified to include instructional activities targeting known correlates of PA behavior following principles of Physical Education Dedicated to Physical Activity for Life (PEDAL). A three-group design (intervention, standard PE, no PE) was employed. Participants completed a survey at baseline, postintervention, and follow-up at 4 weeks. A total of 300 seventh graders (girls = 151) from two schools completed the surveys. Data suggest PE may influence certain correlates of and autonomous motivation for PA although results revealed no intervention main effects for continuous and noncontinuous dependent variables. Results also provide evidence of sport-specific skill being improved through physical education. While results of this study showed no main effects from the intervention, data suggest PE may influence certain correlates of and autonomous motivation for PA. This warrants attention toward autonomy supporting PE environments and instruction sensitive to autonomous motivation. Future studies should examine PEDAL-designed PE programs over an entire year or more.

Peculiarities of Flexibility Development in Middle Schoolers

The paper objective is to define the peculiarities of flexibility development in middle schoolers. To solve the tasks set, the study used the following research methods: theoretical analysis and collation of scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical testing, methods of mathematical statistics.Research results. The testing analysis showed statistically unreliable deviations in the results displayed by the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade girls in the following tests: “Rotation in the shoulder joint with a staff”, “Backbend from the lying position”, “Forward bend from the sitting position” (p > 0.05). The fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade girls show improvement in their statistically significant results (p < 0.05) in the following tests: “Raise up from the lying position to the sitting position in 30 seconds”, “Bending and unbending of arms in the lying position”.The testing analysis showed a statistically significant deterioration in the results displayed by the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade boys in the following tests: “Rotation in the shoulder joint with a staff”, “Backbend from the lying position” (p < 0.05).The fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade boys show improvement in their statistically significant results (p < 0.05) in the test " Raise up from the lying position to the sitting position in 30 seconds”, and an improving tendency in the results in the test “Bending and unbending of arms in the lying position”.Conclusions. The informative indicators of flexibility and strength readiness of the 5th-7th-grade boys are “Rotation in the shoulder joint with a staff”, “Backbend from the lying position” and “Raise up from the lying position to the sitting position in 30 seconds”. The informative indicators of strength readiness of the 5th-7th-grade girls are “Raise up from the lying position to the sitting position in 30 seconds”, “Bending and unbending of arms in the lying position”.The flexibility testing results for the fifth-grade pupils vary in the level from average high, and the strength testing results — from below average to average. The flexibility testing results for the sixth-grade pupils vary in the level from below average to average, the strength testing results being the same. The flexibility results of the seventh-grade boys vary in the level from low to average, and the strength skills results — from above average to high.

Methods of Pedagogical Control of Motor Abilities Development in Seventh-Ninth Grade Boys

The research objective is to define methodological approaches to pedagogical control of the level of motor abilities development in middle schoolers.Materials and methods. To achieve the objectives set, the research relied on following methods used: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical testing and methods of mathematical statistics. The participants in the study were 24 seventh grade boys, 17 eighth grade boys, and 17 ninth grade boys.Research results. The discriminant function can serve as a classifier for the age peculiarities of motor and functional readiness in seventh-ninth grade boys. The discriminant function equations allow to correctly classify 95.8% of the grouped data.The priority in the factor structure of readiness of the seventh grade boys belongs to the functional, coordination and strength readiness. For the eighth grade boys, it is functional, coordination and strength readiness, and for the ninth grade boys — strength, functional and coordination readiness.Conclusions. The final pedagogical control of motor and functional readiness of the seventh grade boys can use the first discriminant function with emphasis on the most informative variables. Such physical education can be considered effective if the results shown by the seventh grade boys are classified as results similar to those displayed by the eighth grade boys.In the final pedagogical control of motor and functional readiness in eighth grade boys, the reference point is the results of the ninth grade boys with emphasis on the most informative indicators of the discriminant function.

Self-perceived popularity in early adolescence

This study examined the accuracy of sixth- and seventh-grade boys’ and girls’ self-perceived popularity within a group of same- and opposite-gender peers. The links between popularity, self-perceived popularity, and the interaction of these variables in relation to girls’ and boys’ loneliness was also explored. The results showed that boys and girls overestimated their popularity but overestimations were greater when self-perceptions were compared with perceptions of opposite- rather than same-gender peers. Perceiving oneself as popular, as well as actually being perceived as popular by others, was related to less loneliness in both boys and girls. The interaction between self-perceived popularity and actual popularity did not explain significant variance in loneliness above and beyond the contributions of actual and self-perceived popularity.

Adolescent Scoliosis Screening in Nara City Schools: A 23-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Study DesignRetrospective cross-sectional study.PurposeTo determine the prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis, define the distribution of the curve magnitude, evaluate the accuracy of Moiré topography as a screening tool, and investigate the cost-effectiveness of our screening system.Overview of LiteratureEarly detection of idiopathic scoliosis provides the opportunity for conservative treatment before the deformity is noticeable. We believe that scoliosis screening in schools is useful for detection; however, screening programs are controversial owing to over referral of students who do not require further testing or follow-up. In Japan, school scoliosis screening programs are mandated by law with individual policies determined by local educational committees. We selected Moiré topography as the scoliosis screening tool for schools in Nara City.MethodsWe selected Moiré topography as the scoliosis screening tool for schools in Nara City. We screened boys and girls aged 11-14 years and reviewed the school scoliosis screening results from 1990 to 2012.ResultsA total of 195,149 children aged 11-14 years were screened. The prevalence of scoliosis (defined as ≥10° curvature) was 0.057%, 0.010%, and 0.059% in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade boys and 0.337%, 0.369%, and 0.727% in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade girls, respectively. The false-positive rate of our Moiré topography was 66.7%. The minimum cost incurred for scoliosis detection in one student was 2,000 USD.ConclusionsThe overall prevalence of scoliosis was low in the students of Nara City schools. Over 23 years, the prevalence of scoliosis in girls increased compared to that in the first decade of the study.

Mixed-Grade Rejection and Its Association With Overt Aggression, Relational Aggression, Anxious-Withdrawal, and Psychological Maladjustment

ABSTRACT The authors examined the associations between mixed-grade rejection (rejection by peers in a different school grade), anxious-withdrawal, aggression, and psychological adjustment in a middle school setting. Participants were 181 seventh-grade and 180 eighth-grade students (M age = 13.20 years, SD = 0.68 years) who completed peer nomination and self-report measures in their classes. Analyses indicated that in general, same- and mixed-grade rejection were related to overt and relational aggression, but neither type was related to anxious-withdrawal. Mixed-grade rejection was associated uniquely and negatively with self-esteem for seventh-grade boys, while increasing the loneliness associated with anxious-withdrawal. The results suggest that school-wide models of peer relations may be promising for understanding the ways in which different peer contexts contribute to adjustment in middle school settings.

LDL-cholesterol and body mass index among Japanese schoolchildren: a population-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundSerum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is one of the most important risk factors for coronary heart disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between LDL-C and body mass index (BMI) in population-based Japanese schoolchildren.MethodsThe subjects comprised all fourth graders and seventh graders in Ina Town, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, during 2002-2009. Information about each subject’s age, sex, and family history of hypercholesterolemia was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The body height, weight, and LDL-C were measured for each child. LDL-C was measured using the direct method. According to the LDL-C criteria of the Japan Atherosclerosis Society, LDL-C level was categorized into three subgroups: acceptable, < 110 mg/dL; borderline, 110-139 mg/dL; and high, ≥ 140 mg/dL. Children with either borderline or high LDL-C level were considered to have high-normal LDL-C (HLDL-C).ResultsData from a total of 5869 subjects were analyzed. A higher BMI category was associated with a higher prevalence of HLDL-C regardless of sex or grade level (P < 0.05). When compared with the <50th percentile BMI category, the odds ratio (OR) for HLDL-C was statistically significant in the 75th to 84th percentile category of fourth-grade boys (OR: 1.95, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.28-2.97), the 85th to 94th percentile of fourth-grade girls (2.52, 1.74-3.64), and the 85th to 94th percentile of seventh-grade boys (2.04, 1.31-3.20) and girls (1.90, 1.24-2.91).ConclusionA statistically significant association between LDL-C levels and BMI was observed in Japanese school children.

Secular Trends in Blood Pressure Among Japanese Schoolchildren: A Population-Based Annual Survey From 1994 to 2010

BackgroundMonitoring secular trends in blood pressure (BP) among children is important in predicting subsequent hypertension and cardiovascular disease. We investigated secular trends in BP using data from population-based annual screenings of Japanese schoolchildren.MethodsThe participants were 10 894 children (all fourth graders between 1994 and 2010 and all seventh graders between 1997 and 2010) living in the town of Ina in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Body height, weight, and BP were measured, after which children were classified as non-overweight, overweight, or obese. Trends in variables relative to calendar year were analyzed using regression models.ResultsSystolic BP was significantly associated with calendar year among fourth- and seventh-grade boys (−0.350 and −0.434 mm Hg/year, respectively) and fourth- and seventh-grade girls (−0.513 and −0.473 mm Hg/year, respectively) (all P < 0.001), respectively, over time. Systolic BP and calendar year were significantly negatively correlated regardless of physique or sex among all fourth graders, but not among obese seventh-grade girls. In addition, diastolic BP and calendar year did not significantly correlate among seventh-grade overweight or obese boys or obese seventh-grade girls.ConclusionsBP decreased among fourth-grade schoolchildren in Ina during the past 17 years, regardless of sex or physique. However, BP and calendar year did not significantly correlate among obese seventh graders.

Functions, Targets, and Outcomes of Specific Forms of Social Aggression: A Daily Diary Study

ABSTRACT The authors investigated 8 specific forms of social aggression (SA) in terms of the functions they serve, the characteristics of the peers targeted by them, and the outcomes associated with using the behaviors. Two hundred and seventeen fifth- and seventh-grade boys and girls completed a structured daily diary for 5 consecutive days in their English classes. Participants reported on their own acts of SA. Girls reported using SA overall more frequently than boys, but most specific forms of SA were used equally often by both genders. Consistent with study hypotheses, different forms of SA were associated with different functions, targets, and outcomes. Gender and grade moderated many of these associations. The need for greater understanding of the underlying processes associated with SA, including the role of gender, are highlighted.

Trouble Paying Attention

Attention can be compromised by various factors, including ADHD, emotional trouble, learning disability, language disorder, and executive function problems. When these factors are present they interact, each influencing the other. Therapists also have trouble maintaining a consistent, even focus because of selective inattention, countertransference, and pressure from parents and school. To illustrate, this article presents the background of a case of a seventh grade boy with attention problems. Neuropsychological and psychoanalytic concepts relevant to attention are then reviewed, before returning to a description of the treatment of that case. A summary uses the case to demonstrate a contextual, psychodynamic approach to the children with attention problems.

High Blood Pressure in Obese and Nonobese Japanese Children: Blood Pressure Measurement is Necessary Even in Nonobese Japanese Children

BackgroundAlthough the prevalences of obesity and hypertension (HT) are increasing in children, there have been few epidemiological studies of HT in Japanese children. We evaluated the prevalences of HT and high-normal blood pressure (HNBP), and examined the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI), in Japanese children.MethodsThe subjects of this study were 2420 children living in the town of Ina, Saitama Prefecture, Japan during the period from 2006 through 2008. Body height, weight, and BP were measured. HT and HNBP were defined according to the HT criteria for Japanese children. Children with HNBP or HT were defined as having high blood pressure (HBP).ResultsThe prevalences of HBP were 15.9% and 15.8% in fourth-grade boys and girls, respectively, and 11.1% and 10.8% in seventh-grade boys and girls, respectively. Irrespective of sex or grade level, a higher BMI was associated with a higher prevalence of HBP (P < 0.001). When compared with the <50th percentile BMI category, the crude odds ratios (ORs) were statistically significant for the 75th to 84th percentile category in fourth-grade boys (OR: 4.54, 95% CI: 2.36–8.76), the ≥95th percentile in fourth-grade girls (13.29, 5.93–29.77), the 85th to 94th percentile (3.16, 1.46–6.84) in seventh-grade boys, and the ≥95th percentile (7.96, 3.18–19.93) in seventh-grade girls.ConclusionsBMI was associated with HBP in Japanese school children. In addition, some children in the lower BMI categories also had HBP.

Creating a Culture of Connectedness through Middle School Advisory Programs

In the middle of an ordinary day in an ordinary Los Angeles school, four middle school students shared fascinating insights in response to the question, Does advisory help you feel connected to school? Without advisory school would be more distant. It would not be as cheerful. We would not be as connected to everybody. -seventh grade girl Everyone in the school shares that bond that everyone has an advisor. So, from 6th sixth grade to 12th grade, everyone shares that connection with one teacher, and I think that everyone throughout the day has opened up to someone. It gets you into the state of mind that school is not only about work, but that it is a place where teachers really know you and understand you. So, I think, as a school, having advisory connects everyone. -eighth grade boy I totally agree with that. It is, like, at least you go to school and know that at least there is one person who you are comfortable to talk to. Normally, for me there is more than one teacher, but, um, at least there is always one so you are not nervous about going to school. -eighth grade girl I think in 6th grade, around that period we can all, um, agree that is when you have violence problems or drug problems or even academic problems or personal problems. You get more independent. It is, like, you go to school, and you do not care that much about academic work, but, um, with your advisors and the things that the advisories provide do make you feel more close. ... It is, um, a place where you can get stuff off your chest. And once you do, you rethink what you are doing and think, like, um, is this right? So that helps with your school work. -seventh grade boy These four middle school students recognize the connection between having meaningful relationships with an adult and a group of peers and thriving academically. An advisory program facilitates these kinds of relationships and provides the structure that creates in a middle school. Connectedness is a characteristic of school cultures in which students have meaningful relationships with adults within the school, are engaged in the school, and feel a sense of belonging to the school. School connectedness is linked to higher grades, higher test scores, and lower dropout rates, regardless of students' socioeconomic status (Blum & Libbey, 2004; Jackson & Davis, 2000; Klem & Connell, 2004; Mac Iver & Epstein, 1991; McNeely & Falci, 2004; National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2006). Moreover, schools intentionally organized to promote personalization and the development of communities of learners better prepare adolescents for later success as adults (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989). It is particularly urgent for middle school educators to improve school connectedness, because the roots of alienation take hold during early adolescence. Advisory Middle school reformers have widely promoted advisory programs as a way to strengthen connectedness at the middle level. Broadly defined, advisory programs are configurations in which an adult advisor meets regularly during the school day with a group of students to provide academic and social-emotional mentorship and support, to create personalization within the school, and to facilitate a small peer community of learners (Cushman, 1990; Galassi et al., 2004; Galassi et al., 1997; Juvonen et al., 2004; National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2006; Stevenson, 1998). While advisory programs have been promoted in the literature, and middle grades practitioners have intuitively recognize their value, up to this point there has been limited empirical evidence to support advisory programs. Additionally, there has been no accepted basis for identifying best practices in advisory programs (Galassi et al., 2004; Galassi et al., 1997). Thus, when schools have developed advisory programs and trained faculty and staff to serve as advisors, they have relied upon intuition and anecdotal evidence rather than empirical data. …