• Background
    AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, began in 1980 in San Diego, California as an academic program to help students succeed in advanced academic programs. In the three decades since it's inception, AVID has been implemented in more than 4,800 sites, including 4,891 K-12 schools and 28 Higher Ed sites around the world! Today, AVID is more than a program - it's a philosophy: Hold students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge.
     
    Mission
    AVID is designed to increase school-wide learning and performance. The mission of AVID is to ensure that all students, especially those traditionally under served by colleges and universities, will:
    • succeed when exposed to rigorous curriculum
    • engage meaningfully in academic and extracurricular activities throughout the school
    • increase their enrollment in colleges and universities
    • become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society. 
     
    What is the AVID curriculum?
    The AVID curriculum transforms students into active classroom contributors and critical thinkers by developing the following skills:
    • Writing to learn: Clarifying and communicating though through written expression
    •  Inquiry: Actively questioning, clarifying, and analyzing material.
    • Collaboration: Students, not teachers, are responsible for their learning. Teachers are facilitators, while students challenge, help and question each other.
    • Organization: Students learn to plan effectively for academic assignments, organizing information and ideas for papers and projects. Consistent with its focus on promoting “individual determination,” AVID provides support for the organization of materials, assignments, assessments, handouts, and notes.
    • Reading: Through active reading strategies, students comprehend, question, critique, clarify, and analyze written material.
    What is the role of the AVID parent?
    AVID parents: 
    • Encourage their students to achieve academically.
    • Maintain regular communication with the AVID coordinator and AVID teachers.
    • Stay informed in AVID events through newsletters and by attending parent meetings.
    • Actively participate in programs and celebrations of student success.
    What does the research indicate about the effectiveness of AVID?
    Research indicates:
    • Students were better prepared for college due to participation in AVID and being exposed to rigorous curriculum.
    • Students formed relationships and bonds with others which positively influenced their educational experiences in high school and in college.
    • Seventy-nine percent of the AVID students in the sample were on track to graduate from college in six years, compared to 54% nationally and only 28% at STBU.
    • Strategies/components of the AVID program that influenced AVID high school graduates’ college experiences include rigorous curriculum, Cornell notes, time management, binder organization, tutoring and small group collaboration, oral presentation skills, individual determination, and positive classroom environment.
Last Modified on September 26, 2018