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Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

The mission of AVID is to ensure that average students (“students in the middle”) who have the potential to be successful in a college preparatory path will:

• Succeed in a rigorous course of study
• Enroll in four-year colleges and universities
• Enter mainstream activities of the school
• Become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society

AVID students enroll in at least one honors or advanced placement class each year they participate in AVID and take a course of study designed to prepare them for college acceptance upon graduation from high school.

FCPS Schools Offering AVID:

Middle Schools	High Schools
Glasgow	Annandale
Hayfield	Edison
Holmes	Fairfax
Jackson	Falls Church
Lake Braddock	Hayfield
Lanier	Lake Braddock
Poe	Marshall
Sandburg	Mt. Vernon
Twain	Stuart
Whitman	West Potomac

AVID is an academic class that meets daily to provide students with study skills instruction, motivational activities, and career and college exploration.

• Student Recruitment and Selection for School Year 2012-13
  
  

What does an AVID class look like?

In schools on a traditional schedule, the AVID class is an elective class that meets daily. Two periods per week are devoted to developing the academic strategies needed to succeed in rigorous classes; two periods per week are devoted to tutorial sessions; and one period per week is set aside for motivational activities and career and college exploration. In schools with block scheduling, the class is structured to reflect a similar distribution of instructional time.

During the two periods per week devoted to development of academic skills, students are taught time management, good study habits, and effective study skills. They learn and practice higher-level thinking skills, effective reading and writing strategies, library research strategies, test taking skills, and interviewing and presentation skills. They learn to participate attentively and take comprehensive notes in all their classes. Students are taught the Cornell note-taking method, which assists them in organizing, analyzing, summarizing and reviewing material, and helps them prepare for tests. Notes are kept in an AVID binder that is checked weekly. Students prepare for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT by reviewing math and language arts and by developing vocabulary skills and test-taking strategies.

During the two tutorial sessions per week, college students, retired educators, and/or adults from business and industry tutor AVID students. Students prepare for tutorial groups by developing questions about the material they are studying in their other classes. In tutorial groups, under the tutor’s guidance, students discuss class notes, clarify questions, explore ideas, review for tests, and resolve troublesome homework problems using a Socratic method of shared inquiry which facilitates the development of higher-order thinking skills. In the process, they become better at listening and expressing ideas, and they discover, understand, and remember ideas because they are actively involved in discussing and defending them.

Tutorial groups not only help with the work at hand but also address the reluctance of many students to seek and use help. This unwillingness to take advantage of resources prevents students from resolving questions and persevering in difficult courses. Through tutorials AVID students develop habits that are associated with the most successful college students: seeking help when needed and studying intensely in collaboration with classmates.

Motivational activities and career and college exploration are scheduled for the equivalent of one period a week. Guest speakers expose students to career options and inspirational stories. Field visits to businesses expand career awareness, and college tours and speakers help students visualize college as a realistic goal. Former AVID students now in college are some of the most powerful speakers, communicating that college is an attainable goal and that AVID charts a direct path.

Criteria:

Candidates for the AVID program are identified by counselors, teachers, parents and/or students themselves, according to the following criteria:

• GPA of 2.0-3.5 in regular, on-level classes
• Average to above average standardized test scores in language arts and math (somewhat lower in English for emerging ESOL students
• Desire to attend college
• Willingness to undertake demanding preparation for college
• Good attendance record
• Appropriate classroom behavior and few or no discipline referrals
• Willingness to give up an elective in order to reach goals
• A student “in the middle” receiving no other services
• A student who may be the first in their family to attend college
• A student who may be from groups historically less likely to attend college