Study skills, study groups, tutorials, and focused notes all make up the Advanced via Individual Determination (AVID) program. AVID is a program that students should consider when selecting their classes as it has many benefits and more individualized support.
AVID is a program offered at most high schools and is known for helping prepare students for life after high school. According to the Woodside High School website, “AVID is a nationally recognized program that has been at Woodside since 1997. AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing students for college readiness.”
The program’s main focus is to teach students the skills they need to succeed, promote personal achievement through hard work and determination, encourage students to take Advanced Standing (AS), Advanced Placement (AP), and community college courses.
In AVID, the everyday tasks include following the WICOR method for curriculum which stands for writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading. Following that method includes career exploration, college research, Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) prep, and students have access to many opportunities.
Being in AVID has many benefits and provides support for students by being in a smaller class size, providing more support, and having someone to answer all your questions. AVID helps you prepare, apply, and practice essential skills you might need after high school.
Abbey Renee, a junior who joined AVID freshman year has found the program helpful so far.
“I heard about AVID just from going on the Woodside High School website and kind of looking through,” Rene said. “Obviously, it being my freshman year, I wanted to see what was offered and if there was anything that would interest me. I found AVID, and I looked into it; so I applied and just got in.”
To join AVID at Woodside, you must go through an application process and to apply you must identify yourself with at least one of the following (from the Woodside website):
- GPA (Minimum: 2.0-3.5)
- Citizenship (No serious discipline issues allowed)
- Attendance (Good attendance is a must)
- Desire and Determination
- First in the Family to Attend College in the US
- Historically Underrepresented in four-year colleges/universities
- Economically Disadvantaged
- Other Special Circumstances
While it may seem like AVID has criteria for who can apply to their program, almost anyone can apply if they’re determined to go to a four-year college.
According to the AVID website, “when schools partner with AVID, they receive professional development, resources, and support to ensure a lasting impact.”
The AVID curriculum said that “40% of students’ time in an AVID elective class is spent in collaborative tutorial groups similar to study groups used in college.”
“So regularly, in AVID we do tutorials and Tutorial Request Forms (TRF)’s, and we always have focused notes,” Rene said. “Depending on your grades through the years, we would focus on different aspects or do different things.”
AVID is offered in all four grades, but each year’s focus is different.
“So freshman year, of course for me it was online, but we did a lot of socratic seminars, research, and presentations,” Rene said. “In my sophomore year, we did lots of interview questions and prepped for an interview. We also did some more presentations and more into the college search.”
The first two years focus a lot on research, but junior year focuses more on studying and actually looking at the process to apply for college.
“Now, in my junior year, we are working on research for an article about homework and also just looking at colleges that interest us,” Rene said.
Rene’s experience in AVID has been pleasant as she’s gained so much through what is offered.
According to The National Student Clearinghouse, they “found that high school graduates from 2010 and 2011 who participated in AVID persisted through their freshman and sophomore years of college at a higher rate than their counterparts who were not in the program. The research found that 87 percent of AVID graduates enrolled in a second year of college, compared to 77 percent of students overall.”
“You get to connect with your college counselors a lot easier, and there are so many opportunities like internships and scholarships that I probably would not have heard of or would not be able to apply for,” Rene said.
Whether you want to go to college, want more support, or want to better your study skills, AVID supports students with all those skills and advice they might need.
“There will always be someone to answer all your questions,” Rene said. “There’s always someone to help you and you have a lot of guidance and support being a part of this program.”
