AVID = Advancement Via Individual Determination
AVID is a college-readiness
system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year
colleges. Although AVID serves all students, it focuses on the least served
students in the academic middle. The formula is simple - raise expectations of
students and, with the AVID support system in place, they will rise to the
challenge.
Today, AVID has been adopted by nearly 4,500 schools in 45 states, the District
of Columbia and 16 countries/territories, and serves approximately 400,000
students, grades 4-12 (as of school year 2009-2010). Schools and districts have
taken methodologies and strategies from the elective course and implemented
them schoolwide and districtwide to impact their entire communities and create
articulated programs for college success.
At the high school and middle level, AVID students are enrolled in their
school's toughest classes, such as Advanced Placement®, and receive support in
an academic elective class - called AVID - taught within the school day by a
trained AVID teacher. In the accelerated elective class, AVID students receive
support through a rigorous curriculum and ongoing, structured tutorials. AVID
elective teachers support AVID students by providing academic training,
managing their tutorials, working with faculty and parents, and by helping
students develop long-range academic and personal plans.
Schoolwide achievement results from the professional development received by
subject area teachers, counselors, administrators, district administrators, and
especially through the success of the students targeted for the AVID elective.
Use of AVID methodologies, such as Cornell note-taking and group collaboration,
in all classes helps create a college-going culture across the campus.
What differentiates AVID from other educational reform programs is its
astounding success rate. Since 1990, more than 65,300 AVID students have
graduated from high school and planned to attend college. Many of our AVID students have been accepted to numerous four year colleges and universities, are attending and doing well. AVID helps give students the tools to make their future plans a reality.