An advisory is a small group of students, usually ranging in number from 14 to 18, who work together and with their advisor for the entire time they attend the school. Much more than a traditional homeroom, the advisory functions as "home-base" for students, and the advisor plays a major role in their lives. The small size of the group and the time the students spend together allow close relationships to develop and for advisors to know not only their students but their students' families as well. In some schools, the advisor is also the primary teacher who guides students in developing projects and internships and making connections with their academic subjects. For more information visit www.essentialschools.org.

In an internship, a student works with an experienced adult outside the school on a specific project in a field that interests the student. The internship mentor supervises and offers opportunities to learn about the field and work that expand the student's skills in much the same way as skilled craftspeople coach apprentices. The student's teacher or advisor monitors that the work is meaningful and that the student is learning skills that connect to and supplement his or her academic work. Because students help create an academic program based on their own interests, they are already invested in making it successful. What they learn in the internship becomes the basis for learning academic skills. For more information visit The Big Picture Company: Learning Through Internships at www.metcenter.org.

A mentor is an older and more experienced person who develops a relationship with a student and serves as a role model. Mentors are not usually teachers, but receive training and support from the school. The mentor gives the student help in making decisions, encouragement, assistance in setting and fulfilling goals, and support in daily situations. The mentor may also help the student with academic work, but the scope of a student's relationship with a mentor is usually broader than that with a tutor.

The educational program includes the curriculum, but also the way in which teachers teach and students learn. The educational program is designed to help the school achieve its mission and encompasses the way in which material in the curriculum is taught. For example, an internship-based program will differ from a project-based program.

In project-based education, students and teachers may work together on projects such as writing, producing, and presenting a play, or students may work individually on a project with the guidance of their teacher. By being involved in a project, students have a chance to apply not only skills of analysis and problem-solving, but also to gain academic knowledge in a way that is both rigorous and engaging. For more information visit www.bie.org/pbl/pblhandbook/intro.php.

In schools working under the EdVisions model, "teachers work not as employees, but as part of a professional partnership which contracts with school boards to operate schools...the teachers have authority over all aspects of running the school, from budget to personnel decisions and salaries, to curriculum and pedagogical methods." For more information visit www.edvisions.com.

A tutor gives private instruction that is often remedial. In the case of most schools in this report, all tutors volunteer their time to work with students, but MATCH funds its extensive tutorial program through the federal Work Study program.