| This
week I want to talk about a program DoDDS
Pacific
implemented that is aligned with our Community
Strategic Plan vision: “Communities
Investing in Success for All Students.” AVID,
Advancement Via Individual Determination,
is a program designed to help students in
the academic middle who are capable of completing
a college prep curricular path. The program
helps students prepare for and achieve success
in four-year colleges and universities.
AVID is offered in more than 1,500 schools including Department of Defense schools
in the Pacific and Europe. There are over 90,000 students enrolled in AVID worldwide.
The program has a 23-year track record of closing the achievement gap. Recent
AVID statistics indicate that 95 percent of AVID graduates go on to college,
and 80 percent of AVID graduates remain in college after high school.
DoDDS Pacific AVID programs exist in our high and middle schools, grades 7-12.
AVID is an elective class which meets during the regular school day. AVID creates
greater equity for students who otherwise might not have had access to academically
challenging classes. The high school AVID program is ideally a four-year program
for students who demonstrate a desire to attend and have the potential to succeed
in college. Upon acceptance into AVID, students must also enroll in college prep
courses which will result in fulfilling entry requirements for most stateside
colleges and universities. The middle school AVID program begins in the 7th grade.
In preparation for the college prep curriculum in high school, AVID students
are expected to enroll in rigorous courses, such as Algebra I and a foreign language.
Students in the program commit themselves to improvement and preparation for
college. AVID offers a rigorous program of instruction in academic “survival
skills” and college level entry skills. The AVID curriculum supports the
DoDEA content standards for English/language arts, mathematics, science and social
studies. The AVID program teaches students how to study, read for content, take
notes, and manage time.
There are several critical components to a successful AVID program. The school
AVID teacher/coordinator is truly a cheerleader who advocates for AVID students,
works with teachers in all subject areas, and shares effective AVID teaching
strategies for writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading. DoDDS Pacific has
been providing AVID implementation training to secondary educators to increase
AVID awareness and to infuse teaching methodologies across the curriculum. Tutors
are the key to facilitating student study groups within the AVID class. Tutors
receive training in Socratic questioning techniques to guide students to finding
the answers to their questions. They are role models and act as partners-in-learning
with the AVID students. Parents play an equally important role in the success
of the program. They work closely with their child and provide support to his
or her academic achievement, attend AVID parent/family meetings, and maintain
close contact with the AVID teacher. In addition, the community is key to the
success of our program. Community members become guest speakers in the AVID class,
support fund-raisers for trips and scholarships, accommodate job-site visitations,
chaperone AVID events and study trips, and publicize the program.
The goal of AVID is to educate the "whole student" toward meeting admission
requirements to most four-year universities. This takes solid community involvement.
I encourage all community members to get involved and am deeply grateful to those
parents and community members who have volunteered their time or tutored in the
AVID classroom.
Nancy
C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS Pacific
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