AVID Initiatives
Why AVID Works
Between the remedial programs for students who lag far behind,
and the gifted-and-talented programs for a school's brightest children, lies
the silent majority: average students, who do "okay" in ordinary classes but,
because they don't attract attention to themselves, are left alone. Many of
these students hunger for more challenging coursework but fear failure. Their
potential lies dormant, waiting to be recognized, encouraged, and
supported.
First, AVID identifies these students.
The selection criteria include,
Ability: Are the students getting Cs and Bs but are
capable of more? Can they succeed in college preparatory courses with support?
Desire and Determination: Do they want to attend
college? Are they willing to work hard to get there?
Membership in an underserved group: Are they in a
low-income household? Will they be the first in their family to attend college?
Are they historically unlikely to attend college?
AVID is tailored to the needs of this diverse group of
students, and it works for them because
AVIDaccelerates underachieving students into more
rigorous courses, instead of consigning them to dead-end remedial programs.
AVID offers the intensive support students need to
succeed in rigorous courses.
AVID uses Socratic methods and study groups that
specifically target the needs of under-achieving students.
AVID is a schoolwide initiative, not a school within
a school.
AVID changes the belief system of an entire school by
showing that low-income and minority students can achieve at the highest levels
and attend colleges.
The role of teacher is redefined from lecturer to
advocate and guide. The role of counselor changes from gate-keeper to
facilitator.
AVID creates site teams of administrators and educators from
different content areas, encouraging communication and sharing among
teachers, counselors, and principals.
All AVID strategies are based on research on tracking
— the process by which some children are channeled into challenging
courses and others are relegated to remedial ones — and peer influences in
student achievement.
AVID Initiatives
AVID has several current initiatives designed to further its
ongoing pursuit to ensure all students are college-ready.
Our Equity initiative is focused on closing the achievement gap
and includes two key parts - The African American Male Initiative and English
Learners. The African American Male Initiative has led to our Up Where We
Belong conferences, which focused on how we can ensure that African-American
male students have access to rigorous curriculum and are well prepared for post
secondary education. Thanks in part to a grant from the Citi Foundation, the
AVID Center is now developing sites and districts throughout the nation which
will incorporate AVID’s structure and proven, research-based practices to
accelerate our African American male students. The AVID Center is also working
to improve college-readiness among English Learners and will present its first
Latino summit, Juntos, in November of 2009, which will focus on Latino
students.
AVID’s Schoolwide/Districtwide initiative focuses on
increasing the depth and breadth of AVID’s college readiness influence,
through program implementation at both the school and district level.
Related to schoolwide and districtwide, AVID and acceleration
provides a connection between AVID’s support structure and rigorous
opportunities for all students, including Advanced Placement (AP),
International Baccalaureate (IB), and concurrent or dual enrollment college
courses.
Our Postsecondary initiative is piloting several AVID-like
classes at the college and university level to help students succeed through
their first year and beyond.
Read on for more detailed descriptions of these initiatives in
action and to see how AVID is helping put all students on the path to
success.
