AVID in the Parkrose School District

AVID is a fourth- through twelfth-grade system to prepare students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility.  It has a proven track record in bringing out the best in students, and in closing the achievement gap.  AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.

AVID targets students in the academic middle - B, C, and even D students - who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard.  These are students who are capable of completing rigorous curriculum but are falling short of their potential.  Typically, they will be the first in their families to attend college, and many are from low-income or minority families.  AVID pulls these students out of their unchallenging courses and puts them on the college track: acceleration instead of remediation. 

Not only are students enrolled in their school's toughest classes, such as honors and Advanced Placement, but also in the AVID elective.  For one period a day, they learn organizational and study skills, work on critical thinking and asking probing questions, get academic help from peers and college tutors, and participate in enrichment and motivational activities that make college seem attainable.  Their self-images improve, and they become academically successful leaders and role models for other students. 

AVID is at work in over 4,000 schools in 45 states and 15 countries [Fall 2008]. Large urban schools, tiny rural schools, resource-rich suburban schools, struggling schools — they all find that AVID meets the needs of their students in the middle.

For more information about AVID, please visit their website.