AVID 101 (Inside the Classroom)
What happens inside an AVID classroom and throughout the school is nothing short of extraordinary. From coast to coast, 85,000 AVID students are discovering a determination, ability and passion for learning that, until now, was hidden from view. What’s the secret?
The AVID Elective
Recruiting Students
Teaching Strategies
Family Workshops
College and Universities
The AVID Elective
The elective class held during the regular school day, is the foundation of AVID. Students are enrolled in a college preparatory sequence and in an elective section of AVID where they receive the academic and motivational support to succeed. During the AVID class students are coached by college tutors, typically AVID graduates themselves, and work in collaborative groups using a curriculum focused on writing and inquiry.
Other days are devoted to reading, writing, math preparation and study skills for college entrance and placement exams. Students may also receive college level mini-courses taught by college professors, motivational presentations by guest speakers, and field trips to colleges and businesses.
Return to top of page...
Recruiting Students
AVID targets students who are getting average grades but who have the potential to succeed in a rigorous academic program.
Selection criteria include:
- Ability
• Are the students getting Cs and Bs but capable of more?
• Can they succeed in college preparatory courses with support?
- Desire and Determination
• Do they want to attend college?
• Are they willing to work hard to get there?
- Membership in an underserved group
• Are they in a low-income household?
• Will they be the first in their family to attend college?
• Are they historically unlikely to attend college?
Return to top of page...
Teaching Strategies
Writing to learn. AVID emphasizes writing in all subjects, with a focus on having students clarify and communicate their thoughts and their understanding of material.
Emphasis on inquiry. AVID is based on inquiry, not lecture. Many activities from Cornell notetaking to tutorial groups are built around asking questions, which forces students to clarify, analyze, and synthesize material.
A collaborative approach. The AVID classroom is not a traditional one in which a teacher lectures to passive students. An AVID teacher is a facilitator and an advocate. But students, not teachers or tutors, are responsible for their learning. Tutors function as discussion leaders, while students challenge, help, and learn from one another.
Critical reading. AVID students don’t merely read words on a page. They are taught to analyze, question, critique, clarify, and comprehend the material.
Mathematics. In AVID, Math instruction has a strong writing and vocabulary/reading component. Mathematicians, like everyone else, write about their ideas, their discoveries, and their understanding of one another's work. Students who attain mastery of mathematics qualify for college entry, college success, and post-college academic and career opportunities.
Return to top of page...
Family Workshops
The AVID Interactive Family Guide is an excellent resource for the AVID family, the guide helps parents learn about the AVID program, understand writing as a tool for learning, gain strategies for goal setting and develop a plan for their students' school success.
Colleges and Universities
Colleges provide tutors and sponsor campus tours, special lectures, and speakers. College fairs bring together AVID students and parents with admissions officers from different institutions. They look to AVID for culturally diverse students who are prepared for college success.
Return to top of page...
