AVID is an elementary through post secondary college readiness system that is designed to increase schoolwide learning and performance.  AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, uses a system which accelerates student learning, provides research based methods of effective instruction, professional development for teachers, and acts as a catalyst for systemic reform and change.

• AVID programs usually focus in secondary schools (middle and high schools) through an elective class.  Focus on students not yet realizing full potential, first generation to attend college, or from a lower income household.
• AVID elementary focuses on grades 4- 6.
• AVID post secondary works with institutions of higher education to support students with goals of increasing academic success, persistence,  and completion rates.

Links for AVID program:

CA Department of Education:  AVID Program

Helping Underprivileged Students Prepare for College

Biography:  Mary Catherine Swanson--creator of AVID Program

60 Minutes Feature on AVID Program (2002)

Conversation Framing

To drive deeper understanding of the AVID Program and its implications for similar innovation across K12 Ecosystem, let's tee up the following primary questions for ECOSYS WEDS 1/19 9pET.

Q1.What are the primary drivers of AVID's success?

A1a. WICR: Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Reading

A1b.1 Knowing how to learn

A1b.2 Knowing how to teach learning

A1c. Focus on inquiry and critical thinking

A1d. Focus on middle band - kids with high potential who are under achieving

A1e. Learning and study skills focus

A1f. Teachers, kids, parents, united on a common goal: college

A1g.Lower ratios - 7:1

A1h. Emphasis support from a trained, caring adult.

A1i. Self-selection by students - critical.

Q2 Their WICR model creates focus on Critical Thinking. How is this (CT) most effectively taught?

A2a. Provide students opportunity to challenge the norm.

A2b. Start with higher level Bloom taxonomy (create) and work backwards. (David)

A2c. Provides focus that may not be available in mainstream core. Teaching CT takes TIME.

A2d. Need to check into Harvard PZ Visible Thinking (Edna)

A2e. Need to check into Ron Ritcharts "Intellectual Character" (Edna)

A2f. Testing may preclude CT (Becky)

Q3 To what degree do low ratios influence outcomes?  Would AVID work without low ratios? 

A3a. Will be difficult to scale 7:1 ratios in public system.

Q4 Resilience seems to be a strong element of the AVID model. How is this fostered?

A4a. Could be this is better goal than college?

A4b. Believe college-prep resiliency positions student well for life, in any case.

A4c. Accepting kids who and where they are. (Sean)

A4d. Collaborate and sharing goals (Sean)

A4e. Glancing at weaknesses, glaring at strengths (Sean)

A4f.  Provide secure, safe learning environment - enabling students to take risks, learn from mistakes (Edna)

A4g. Where students given accountability, build patterns of success.

Q5 Can the AVID model be expanded, and/or used in other aspects of K12?

A5a. Setting shared goals can scale, and helping kids that want to get there (Jenna)

A5b. Avoid goal of replication. Learners and environments unique, must act within that local context (Jenna)

A5c. Support system critical; perhaps public support network not strong/broad enough? (Bill, Becky)

A5d. AVID a great model: holistic, inclusive, comprehensive .. implies schools can't just be about academics. Students don't live in a bubble, so we shouldn't teach in one (Mary)

A5e. AVID needs to be more widely known (Lark)

More questions are possible, and as always, we'll let the flow of conversation drive our ultimate takeaways.  Please plan to stop back here after the chat to see what we come up with.  Looking forward to your insights.

- Chris, Becky & Michael 1/18/11

What is Ecosys?

It's a conversation about change in our social ecosystems, currently focused on K12 Education.  Here's more on our framing and our wiki frontpage brightspots topics