What is AVID? Newcomers: An Introduction to Basic AVID Concepts and Processes.

What is AVID?

Newcomers: An Introduction to Basic AVID Concepts and Processes

AVID Program

Advancement Via Individual Determination

[L. avidus]: eager for knowledge

“We help our students find their voices by believing in them, helping them become academically competent, by encouraging them, and by treating them not as members of a group, but as individuals with unique skills, talents, and passions. Once our students find their voices, there’s nothing they can’t achieve.”

Mary Catherine Swanson

The Mission of AVID

AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by

preparing all students for college readiness and

success in a global society.

The AVID Student Profile

Students with Academic Potential

Average to High Test Scores

2.0-3.5 GPA

College Potential with Support

Desire and Determination

Meets one or More of the following Criteria

First to Attend College

Historically Underserved in 4-year Colleges

Low Income

Special Circumstances

A Sample Week in AVID Elective

Daily or Block* Schedule

AVID Curriculum includes:

Writing Curriculum College and Careers Strategies for Success

AVID Tutorials Include:

Collaborative Study Groups Writing Groups Socratic Seminars

Writing Curriculum Writing to Learn Writing Process Focus Lessons Timed Writing

Cornell Notes

Cornell Note Taking SystemThe STAR System

Set up your paper Take the notes Apply your thinking to the notes Reflect and Revise your notes

An example of how notes are set up…

Topic Heading

Questions Class NotesSubtitles • Use BulletsHeadings Use Abbreviations (w/ @ etc.)

Summary 3 to 4 sentence summary across buttom

Summary

Summary is added at the end of all note pages on the subject (not at the end of each page). Summary is added AFTER questions are finished.

Inquiry Method

Engage in skillful questioning Higher Level Thinking Respectful dialogue

SOCRATIC SEMINARS: “a form of structured discourse about ideas and moral dilemmas.” Contribute to the development of vocabulary, listening skills, interpretive and comparative reading, textual analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Develops student centered dialogue which is at the heart of rigor.

Fosters understanding of complex ideas and information.

Collaboration Students ask, explore and

answer questions

Students are listeners, thinkers, speakers, and writers

Students discover ideas and remember because they are actively involved

Teacher becomes a coach, guiding students in their learning

TUTORIALS: Purpose

Create deeper understanding of concepts coveredin core content classes.Develop skills necessary to become self-directed learners.It's not just homework help!

Process

To push each other's thinking. AVID tutorials utilize an inquiry process.Tutors do not give answers; they facilitate the group's discovery with critical questions.Students reflect on their learning.

Organization

AVID BinderAgendaCornell NotesTutorial Request FormsPortfolios

Reading to Learn

Connect to prior knowledge Understand Text Structure Use text-processing strategies (during and after reading)

Reciprocal Teaching

Reciprocal teaching is an instructional approach characterized by an interactive dialogue between the teacher and students in response to segments of a reading selection

The dialogue is based on four processes:

QuestioningSummarizingClarifying Predicting

Distinguishing Between Reading and Instructional Strategies

Reading Strategies are deliberate, cognitive acts learners use to bring meaning to a text.

Instructional strategies are the teaching techniques teachers model and use to help students become more independent readers and learners.

AVID Program Essentials

1. AVID Student Selection

2. Voluntary Participation

3. AVID elective class offered during the school day

4. Rigorous course and study

5. Writing and Reading Curriculum

6. Inquiry to promote critical reading

AVID Program Essentials (Continued)

7. Collaboration

8. Trained tutors

9. Data Collection and Analysis

10. District and School Commitment

11. Active and Interdisciplinary Site Team

“Rigorous curriculum is a greater factor in determining college graduation rates than class standing, standardized test scores, or grade point average.”

From: Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor's Degree Attainment (1999) by Clifford Adelman, Senior Research Analyst, U.S. Dept. of Ed.

What is academic rigor?

Rigor is the goal of helping students develop the capacity to understand content that is complex, ambiguous, provocative, and personally or emotionally challenging.

Taking rigorous courses opens doors !

Source: Teaching What Matters Most; Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement by Strong, Silver and Perini, ASCD, 2001.

Meeting the Challenge

To help all students do rigorous work and meet or exceed high standards in each content area we must help students:

Develop as readers and writers.

Develop deep content knowledge.

Know content specific strategies for reading, writing, thinking and talking.

Develop habits, skills, and behaviors to use knowledge and skills.

Meeting the Challenge (Continued)

Why AVID Works

Places AVID students in rigorous curriculum and gives them the support to achieve

Provides the explicit “hidden curriculum” of schools

Provides a team of students for positive peer identification

Redefines teacher’s role as that of student advocate

from 2006 Summer InstituteTonya Leal, Blackstock Jr. High School

8.19.12