San Luis Obispo County Office of Education


*WHAT IS AVID?* ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION (AVID) is an academic, regularly scheduled elective class based on "writing as a tool of learning," collaborative grouping, and inquiry method. The three main components of the program are academic instruction, tutorial support, and motivational activities.

*HOW DOES AVID WORK?* The goal of AVID is to educate the "whole student." This is achieved by unifying six important elements of education: students, curriculum, faculty, tutors, parents, and community.
	Students: AVID students are those "in the middle" who are often underachieving, underserved, underrepresented or first generation college students. Students with academic potential and a willingness to embrace a rigorous curriculum are invited to participate. Curriculum: The AVID curriculum, based on the California Curriculum Frameworks, was developed by middle and senior high school teachers in collaboration with college professors. Faculty: The AVID site coordinator is a respected instructional leader who works well with faculty and is committed to serving the needs of target students. The coordinator works with counselors to schedule students into college preparatory courses and assist with test preparation, college applications, and financial aid. A site team of subject area teachers makes AVID goals a reality throughout the school. Tutors: Using a collaborative group model, tutors work with AVID students in all subject areas and serve as role models. Parents: Parents participate on advisory boards, attend quarterly meetings, maintain regular telephone contact with the AVID coordinator and continually encourage their students to achieve greater academic success. Community: The community supports AVID by providing speakers, scholarships and summer apprenticeships for AVID students.

WHAT MAKES AVID DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PROGRAMS?

AVID programs are successful because:

	AVID classes are an integral part of the regular school day and provide students with a new support network,

	students and staff choose to participate,

	writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading provide the basis for instruction,

	individual student progress and AVID program implementation are monitored to ensure success,

	trained tutors are available in the AVID classroom to clarify subject matter in academic courses and facilitate students' growth as independent learners,

	students are placed in the most rigorous curriculum, and

	there is a strong school, regional, and statewide support system.

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

Since 1980, AVID has grown from a single classroom in one school in California to more than 1,275 middle schools and high schools - serving over 65,000 students in 21 states and 15 countries. In Region VIII, AVID has grown from one school in 1991 to 65 schools, serving over 3198 students, by the Fall of 2001. Region VIII is comprised of four counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Kern.

A well developed AVID program:

	improves standardized test scores campus-wide

	generates greater enrollment in advanced level courses

	increases the number of students eligible to attend college

Encouraging statistics reveal:

	95% of California AVID graduates enroll in college

	71% of California AVID graduates are attending a four-year university

	24% are attending a two-year college

	75% of the graduates are working either full or part-time to send themselves through college.

	89% of statewide AVID students who enter college are still enrolled two years later

CREATE, Center for Research and Evaluation in Education, 1999, Palo Alto, CA


*Why is AVID important on the middle school level?*

	The AVID program on the middle school level emphasizes one of the most important developmental skills for students, which is learning how to plan for success. Although the AVID students are still very young, they are in the process of preparing themselves for the opportunities that lie ahead on the high school level and later for postsecondary education. The AVID program at the middle school level develops the students' abilities to compete for opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them. The AVID program creates a learning environment for students that provides a broad general idea of where they are headed with their educational careers. A college education should be among the options. AVID fundamentals and study skills continually refocus students on the college path. Most importantly, AVID students take middle school education seriously. Their hard work in middle school prepares them to take the most challenging academic courses in high school. It also puts them on the path to a 4-year educational plan that includes college preparatory subjects and will make them more competitive for college admissions. The "CREATE Research 1999-2000" (Guthrie) continues to emphasize the importance of a 2-year AVID program at the middle level. "Students with two years of AVID continue to out perform students with only one year or no AVID experience in terms of credit accumulation. Students with two years of middle level AVID earned higher standardized test scores, accumulated more a-f credits, and enrolled in more Advanced Placement courses."
	CREATE, Center for Research and Evaluation in Education, 1999, Palo Alto, CA