AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)

History of AVID
Twenty-five years ago, Mary Catherine Swanson started the AVID program in a small California school to increase students’ achievement, participation in rigorous courses, and preparation for college. Since then, AVID has grown from a single classroom in one school to more than 2,300 middle and high schools in 36 states and 15 countries. AVID has a proven record of accomplishment in helping students realize their potential and in closing the achievement gap.

AVID Student
AVID focuses on students in the middle with B’s and C’s who have the potential and willingness to work hard to attend college. These students are often discounted and not considered as viable candidates for college. The AVID program provides students with possibilities to reach their potential through participation in rigorous courses, tutorial assistance, and college-going motivational activities. AVID improves daily attendance rates, pass rates and graduation rates in secondary schools. In addition, because AVID promotes the study skills program, rigorous instruction and a college-going culture on the secondary school campus, the implementation of an AVID program increases the achievement of the entire student body.

Baltimore County Public Schools: Improved Student Achievement for All
Superintendent’s Initiative
The AVID program in Baltimore County Public Schools is aligned with the school system’s Blueprint for Progress, state standards and federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind. In September 2002, BCPS began implementation of the AVID program in six high schools, under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Dezmon, Assistant to the Superintendent, Office of Equity and Assurance, and Mrs. Shirley Page, former AVID District Director. Kenwood, Milford Mill, Owings Mills, Parkville, Randallstown and Woodlawn were the first high schools to implement the AVID program. Since 2002, four or five high schools have been added annually to begin implementation of the AVID program. Today, there are fifteen high schools implementing AVID, including Catonsville, Chesapeake, Dulaney, Dundalk, Lansdowne, New Town, Overlea , Perry Hall and Pikesville. Five high schools (Franklin, Hereford, Loch Raven, Patapsco, and Sparrows Point) are projected to begin the AVID program 2006-2007. By 2007-2008, all 25 high schools will be implementing AVID.

AVID Site Team
Each school has a trained AVID coordinator and a trained school site team composed of core subject leaders/teachers (science, English, social studies, math), a counselor, and an assistant principal who are responsible for recruiting students, writing the site plan, monitoring successful AVID program implementation, and facilitating professional development for the faculty. Team members work together with clearly defined roles and responsibilities in increasing and sustaining improved student achievement. For example, the AVID site team analyzes student data and monitors students’ progress through frequent communication with parents and school counselors. The AVID school coordinator participates in a monthly countywide AVID professional development.

AVID Program
AVID students are members of the general population until they come together one period a day in the AVID class where they learn the AVID curriculum (writing, inquiry, collaboration, reading, time management and organizational skills). Schools have trained tutors to help AVID students progress successfully. Tutors work with students a minimum of two times per week. Several schools are using grade 12 AP and IB students as tutors. These students earn service-learning hours.

Middle School
Each feeder middle school receives the AVID curriculum called The AVID-PATH, Strategies for Success, where students will learn AVID methodologies and strategies to help them become better prepared for high school and the AVID program. They are exposed to organizational skills, Cornell Notes, learning logs, assignment logs, inquiry (Socratic Seminars—higher level thinking skills), collaboration, and reading skills.

Grade 12 AVID Students
When students complete three or four years of AVID, they will have experienced the rigors of advanced courses and be more prepared to attend a four-year college or university. AVID students begin to write college admittance essays in grade 9. By grade 12, the essays have been corrected, re-written, and refined so they are ready for submission to a college.

The class of 2006 is the first AVID graduating class. There are 115 seniors. To date,
ninety-eight percent of the seniors completed college and scholarship applications. Students are anxiously waiting for responses to their applications. Some students have received acceptance letters. In addition, several students have received scholarships in amounts as high as $32,000.00. The expectation is that each AVID senior will attend college and receive financial support.

AVID Data Driven Results
AVID in Baltimore County Public Schools is in partnership with the college preparatory goals of College Board. Teachers are using AP Potential and PSAT/ NMSQT for early student identification for AP courses. The data show that 46 % of grade 11 and grade 12 AVID students participated in Advanced Placement courses with a 95% student pass rate. In addition, the data reveal that 75 % of AVID students participated in Honors courses and 9% of AVID students participated in GT courses. There is an increase in the number of AVID students participating in PSAT, PSAT online, and SAT. AVID students’ attendance rate is approximately 95%. In addition, AVID students’ pass rates surpass non-AVID students on high school assessments in algebra, biology, government and English.

Through the AVID program, schools embrace the goals of Baltimore County and those of AVID to help all children learn and to reach their full potential. Each school provides staff development to all staff regarding the methodologies and strategies essential to the AVID program. AVID is based on the idea that underachieving students need added support to succeed in rigorous courses. This is a schoolwide approach. When AVID becomes a schoolwide program, schools have the opportunity to improve teaching and learning throughout the school using the school’s data to direct and improve instruction.

For those interested in more information, contact AVID’s website - Avidonline.org

For those interested in more information on the Baltimore County Public Schools’ AVID program contact:
Dr. Jessie L. Douglas, AVID District Coordinator
jdouglas@bcps.org