AVID

Advancement

Via

Individual

Determination

AVID is an academic elective class taken during the school day. AVID is based on writing as a tool of learning, the inquiry method, and collaborative grouping. The three main components are

• Academic Instruction
• Tutorial Support
• Motivational activities

Students who have the “Individual Determination” to solidify postsecondary plans, pursue opportunities for leadership, maximize their academic and extracurricular achievements, or any combination of the following:

• Attend school on a regular basis
• Possess a 2.0-3.5 GPA
• Enroll in an honors class or aspire to
• Work hard to set and meet academic goals
• Earn primarily a range of A's, B's and C grades
• Have been recommended by teachers
• May have special circumstances including being from a population that is traditionally under served in 4 – year colleges
• May be the first in their family to attend college

Yes, AVID is a credit bearing course that is counted in a students’ GPA
AVID is a program that is recognized by colleges and universities across the country

AVID students are provided with a binder-like organizer for all their subjects rather than an individual binder for each subject. This binder allows students to have all the necessary materials for all their classes.
Organization is taught, expected, and stressed throughout the AVID program.

Content area teachers who are AVID trained, along with senior AVID tutors come into the classroom and help guide student-centered groups answer their own questions about assignments, schoolwork, and much more. Tutorials help students learn how to develop and answer higher level thinking questions, while fostering collaboration and accountability.

The Cornell method provides a way for students to condense and organize notes. Key terms/questions/concepts are written in one column while information from class is written in the other column. When reviewing the material, the student can cover the note-taking (right) column while attempting to answer the questions/keywords in the key word or cue (left) column. The student is encouraged to reflect on the material and review the notes regularly. Students eventually branch out to focused notes, with the Cornell method being one of many approaches in their AVID toolkit.