Advancement Via Individual Determination [L. avidus]: eager for knowledge The Road to College: Our Journey Together

Question to Ponder as You Learn about AVID What needs (district, school, staff, student) might be met if AVID were to be implemented in my disctrict?

Another Question to Ponder as You Hear about AVID If the focus were on college preparedness for all students rather than high school graduation, how would my district be different?

The Mission of AVID AVID's mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society.

What is AVID? A structured, college preparatory system working directly with schools and districts A direct support structure for first-generation college goers, grades 4-16 A schoolwide approach to curriculum and rigor adopted by more than 4,500 schools in 48 states and 16 countries A professional development program providing training throughout the world

Where in the World Is AVID?

The AVID College Readiness System ElementarySecondary AVID’s Mission AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. Postsecondary

The 11 Essentials What is necessary for successful implementation: 1.AVID student selection 2.Voluntary participation 3.AVID elective class offered during the school day 4.Rigorous course of study 5.Strong, relevant writing and reading curriculum

The 11 Essentials 6. Inquiry to promote critical thinking 7. Collaboration as a basis of instruction 8. Trained tutors 9. Data collection and analysis 10. District and school commitment 11. Active interdisciplinary site team

Ponder this… How do you define rigor? If we were to poll all educators at this conference, how many different definitions for rigor would we get?

What Is Academic Rigor? AVID defines rigor as using inquiry-based, collaborative strategies to challenge & engage students in content resulting in increasingly complex levels of understanding.

Why Rigor? Rigorous curriculum is a greater factor in determining college graduation rates than class standing, standardized test scores, or grade point average. From: Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor's Degree Attainment (1999) by Clifford Adelman, Senior Research Analyst, U.S. Dept. of Ed.

The AVID Elective

The AVID Elective Student Profile Students With Academic Potential Average to high test scores GPA College potential with support Desire and determination Meets One or More of the Following Criteria First to attend college Historically underserved in four-year colleges Low income Special circumstances

The AVID Student AVID students are students in the middle, capable of completing a college preparatory path with support. These students often are not realizing their full potential academically.

The AVID Student While all of the criteria are considered for acceptance, no single criteria will necessarily eliminate a student from consideration. The AVID class should reflect the demographics of the school it is serving.

The AVID Student Students participating in special education, gifted and talented systems, and ESL will be considered for AVID based on the criteria listed above.

A Sample Week in the AVID Elective MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday AVID CurriculumTutorialsAVID CurriculumTutorialsBinder Evaluation Field Trips Media Center Speakers Motivational Activities (within block) Combination for Block Schedule Combination for block schedule AVID Curriculum Includes: Writing Curriculum College and Careers Strategies for Success Critical Reading AVID Tutorials Include: Collaborative Study Groups Writing Groups Socratic Seminars

The AVID Curriculum

Curriculum Components Key Focus Areas Student Success Skills How “to do” school or the hidden curriculum Organizational Tools Agenda/Planner, Organizational Tool, Note-taking strategies, time management, goal setting WICOR Lessons Sequential, progressive lessons that incorporate writing to learn, inquiry, collaboration, organization, reading to learn Partnerships Classroom, grade level, site, district, community

AVID Strategies W I C R O

The AVID Site Team The Right Team Ensures Success

The AVID Team AVID Elective Teacher* and AVID AVIDSite Team District Site Administrator Director Coordinator Counselor Core Subject Teachers Other Staff Members * May also be site coordinator

AVID: Collaborative Support for the Success of Underserved Students Colleges and Universities Community Parents Administration Counselors Subject Area Teachers Tutors AVID Coordinator (AVID Elective Teacher) AVID Site Team

The AVID Coordinator* Student Advocate Campus Leader Academician College Advisor Surrogate Parent Public Relations Guru *May also be the AVID Elective Teacher

The AVID Elective Teacher The Cornerstone of the AVID Program

The AVID Elective Teacher The prospective AVID teacher must share the same desire and individual determination that we expect of prospective AVID students.

The AVID Elective Teacher The prospective AVID elective teacher should be recruited to the position rather than assigned. As with AVID students, the teacher should commit to the program voluntarily, with a full understanding of the expectations and goals of AVID.

The AVID Site Team Spreading the AVID Good News

The AVID Site Team Acts as a school-wide leaders modeling AVID strategies, sharing strategies within dept, grade level, and district peers. Shares the work of implementing and collecting documentation on the Eleven Essentials. Acts as visible supports for the AVID students Anchors subcommittees on things such as Parent Involvement, Fundraising, Student Selection, and Fieldtrips. Selected for contribution to AVID program Attends summer institute

Importance of the Site Team Members act as “grass root” activists in a classroom, a department, or a grade level whose success develops into a “revolution” of school-wide rigor and success. The “revolution” turns a school from a typical center of students focused on just getting a HS degree to a campus of student planning on educations beyond high school.

The AVID District Director District Leadership – Leading the Way

The AVID District Director Staff Development Site Support Data Collection/Certification Partnerships Special Events Communication and Collaboration with AVID Center Time Devoted to AVID

Recap: Features of a Successful AVID School Strong Site Team Support of Campus and District Administrators Adherence to the Eleven Essentials Selection of appropriate students to be in the Program – those in “the middle” that have the DESIRE AVID students as “leaders”- they want to be in school before, after and on Saturdays. They are also members of Beta Club, Pentathlon, and Student Council.

Demographics: 2011 AVID Seniors Parent’s Highest Level of Education 69% qualify for free and reduced-price lunch

AVID Graduates 91.3 percent plan to enroll in a college or university  58.3 percent plan to enroll in a four-year university  33.0 percent to enroll in a two-year college AVID Center Senior Data Collection System,

AVID students complete four-year college entrance requirements at a rate at least two times higher than the national rate. AVID students complete four-year college entrance requirements at a rate at least two times higher than the national rate. AVID Senior Data Collection , AVID CA n = 15522; AVID TX n = 3923; AVID NC n = 709; AVID IL n = 1307; AVID FL n = 1117 COMPARATOR: U.S. Overall: The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Center for Civic Innovation, Education Working Paper No. 8 February 2005, Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters

Why AVID Works Places AVID students in rigorous curriculum and gives them the support to achieve Provides the explicit “hidden curriculum” of schools Provides a team of students for positive peer identification Redefines teacher’s role as that of student advocate

After hearing about AVID….. What needs (district, school, staff, student) might be met if AVID were to be implemented in my district?

Contact information Lee Felts - (817)

Central Division - (512) Rosemary Ellis – Director Rudy Martinez – Assistant Director Amy Dodd – Administrative Assistant Frances O’Brien – Office Manager (contracts)