AVID Program Advancement Via Individual Determination [L. avidus]: eager for knowledge

Quick Write Describe the single greatest inhibitor for low-income and/or minority students to access the most rigorous curriculum, which would ultimately prepare them to be ready for college.

The Challenge Providing Access

The Challenge Low Expectations: 71% of students plan to attend college. 32% of teachers expect their students to attend college. 51% of parents believe their children will attend college. From report done by Pathways to College Network: Citing research by Metropolitan Life (2000) MetLife Survey of the American Teacher 2000.

Of 100 White Kindergarteners... The Challenge Of 100 White Kindergarteners...

33 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree 93 graduate from high school The Challenge Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. March Current Population Surveys, 1971-2001, In The Condition of Education, 2002. 33 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree 93 graduate from high school EdTrust, 2005

Of 100 African American Kindergarteners... The Challenge Of 100 African American Kindergarteners...

18 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree 87 graduate from high school The Challenge Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. March Current Population Surveys, 1971-2001, In The Condition of Education, 2002. 18 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree 87 graduate from high school EdTrust, 2005

Of 100 Hispanic Kindergarteners... The Challenge Of 100 Hispanic Kindergarteners...

11 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree 63 graduate from high school The Challenge Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. March Current Population Surveys, 1971-2001, In The Condition of Education, 2002. 11 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree 63 graduate from high school EdTrust, 2005

The Challenge Percent in College Prep African American, Latino, & Native American youth are less likely to be enrolled in a full college-prep track. Source: Jay P. Greene, Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States, Manhattan Institute, September 2003. Table 8.

Average Scores on AP Exams, 2003 The Challenge Average Scores on AP Exams, 2003 Source: The College Board, Advanced Placement Program, National Summary Report 2003. 1 Averages combined from Calculus AB and Calculus BC examinations. NCES, 2005

Meeting the Challenge with AVID

What is AVID? A structured, college preparatory program working directly with schools and districts A direct support structure for first-generation college goers, grades 4-12 A schoolwide approach to curriculum and rigor working in over 2,700 middle schools and high schools in 39 states and 15 countries A professional development program providing training throughout the U.S.

The Mission of AVID The mission of AVID is to ensure that ALL students, and most especially the least served students who are in the middle: will succeed in rigorous curriculum; will complete a rigorous college preparatory path; will enter mainstream activities of the school; will increase their enrollment in four-year colleges; and will become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society. AVID’s systemic approach is designed to support students and educators as they increase schoolwide/districtwide learning and performance.

The AVID Student Profile Students With Academic Potential Average to high test scores 2.0-3.5 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

AVID Program Components

AVID Components A regularly scheduled academic elective class for AVID Students Rigorous curriculum required for all students Trained college tutors for the AVID academic elective An interdisciplinary AVID site team Parent workshops focusing on academic support and college awareness Professional development focusing on AVID methodologies of writing, inquiry, collaboration, and critical reading -- WICR District, regional, and state support

AVID Program Essentials AVID student selection Voluntary participation AVID elective class offered during the school day Rigorous course and study Writing and reading curriculum Inquiry to promote critical reading

AVID Program Essentials (Continued) Collaboration Trained tutors Data collection and analysis District and school commitment Active and interdisciplinary site team

Writing Curriculum Writing to Learn Writing Process Focus Lessons Timed Writing

Inquiry Method Engage in skillful questioning Higher level thinking Respectful dialogue

Socratic Seminars: “A form of structured discourse about ideas and moral dilemmas.” Contribute to the development of vocabulary, listening skills, interpretive and comparative reading, textual analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Develop student-centered dialogue which is at the heart of rigor. Foster understanding of complex ideas and information.

Collaboration Students ask, explore and answer questions. Students are listeners, thinkers, speakers, and writers. Students discover ideas and remember because they are actively involved. Teacher becomes a coach, guiding students in their learning.

Tutorials: Purpose Create deeper understanding of concepts covered in core content classes. Develop skills necessary to become self-directed learners. It's not just homework help! Process To push each other's thinking. AVID tutorials utilize an inquiry process. Tutors do not give answers; they facilitate the group's discovery with critical questions. Students reflect on their learning.

Reading to Learn Connect to prior knowledge Understand text structure Use text-processing strategies (during and after reading)

Reciprocal Teaching Reciprocal teaching is an instructional approach characterized by an interactive dialogue between the teacher and students in response to segments of a reading selection. The dialogue is based on four processes: Questioning Summarizing Clarifying Predicting

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

AVID’s Support Structure for Opening Access to Rigorous Curriculum _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Sample Week in AVID Elective Daily or Block* Schedule AVID Curriculum includes: Writing Curriculum College and Careers Strategies for Success AVID Tutorials Include: Collaborative Study Groups Writing Groups Socratic Seminars

Development of AVID in a District Core AVID Program Schoolwide Effort Districtwide Reform DEVELOPMENT Multiple AVID sections & teachers Systemic access to rigorous curriculum Increased site team leadership All teachers AVID trained WICR across the curriculum Schoolwide college-going culture Multi-year site plan AVID counselor in place MATURITY Executive leaders actively participate in AVID College-readiness articulation 4-12 Expanded AVID Path & Summer Institute training College-going culture and AP/IB enrollment: routine District policies reinforce college-readiness at all levels District level multi-year plan IMPLEMENTATION Trained Regional and District Directors Academic elective class Trained tutors Open access to rigorous curriculum with support WICR Site team leadership Parent involvement College exploration Summer Institute

Changing High Schools AVID Works

AVID: Decades of Success For 26 years, AVID has served more than 200,000 students, becoming one of the most successful college-preparatory programs ever for low-income, underserved students in more than 2,000 U.S. schools in 39 states, Canada, and 15 other countries.

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; and Redefines teacher’s role as that of student advocate.

Academic Preparation Transcript Study: “the single biggest predictor of college success is the quality and intensity of students’ high school curriculum” Cliff Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box, U.S. Department of Education, 1999.

AVID Graduates 96% plan to enroll in a college or university 68% plan to enroll in a four-year university 28% plan to enroll in a two-year college 83% of parents have less than a four-year college degree _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: AVID Center Data Collection System, 2003-2004 Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole percent

Ethnicity of AVID Students The ethnic breakdown of the 103,724 AVID students is: Native American 0.7% Asian/Pacific Islander/Filipino 8.2% Hispanic 48.5% African American/Black 17.0% White 23.9% Multi-Racial 1.3% Declined to state 0.4% _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: AVID Center Data Collection System, 2003-2004 Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole percent

Completion of Four-Year College Entrance Requirements AVID students complete university entrance requirements at a much higher rate than their non-AVID peers.

AP and College Success Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years or less. Source: Camara, Wayne (2003). College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation. College Board Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY: College Board.

Next Steps Questions Moving Forward

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