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

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 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

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

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

Linda Powell-McMillan National Director of Program Development