Frequently Asked Questions about AVID in Anne Arundel County Public Schools
What is AVID?
 AVID is a 5th
grade through high school program that prepares students who are
traditionally in the “academic middle” for four-year college
eligibility. These students are capable of completing rigorous
coursework, but are falling short of their potential. They may
currently be enrolled in advanced courses but are falling short of their
potential as well. They may be students who would be the first in their
families to attend college or they may be from low-income areas, but
generally speaking, these are students who could be doing much better in
higher-level classes with some additional support from the AVID elective
class.
What are
some of the results of the AVID program?
Over 71% of AVID
graduates are accepted to 4-year colleges, as compared to 24.6%
nationwide. This is impressive given that AVID recruits students who may
or may not initially be considering a college education 95% of AVID
graduates are enrolled in a college or university and 75% of AVID
graduates work full or part time while attending college. Over 85% of
AVID graduates complete their college degree requirements in 5 years or
less
What will occur in the AVID elective class?
With the four-period
day schedule, think of the AVID class as two mini-classes. During the
first half of the AVID elective class, students receive instruction on
reading and writing skills to help them in all of their subjects, study
skills, note-taking using the Cornell notes method, organization and
time management, and college preparatory skills. Then, for the last
40-45 minutes of each AVID period, the students participate in a
tutoring session guided by volunteer tutors from our community to
further strengthen their understanding of course concepts in their core
classes. Students also learn a variety of information regarding colleges
and careers by participating in different activities such as fieldtrips,
guest speakers, and research.
What happens
during the tutoring sessions?
The AVID program
teacher divides students into groups of 3-4. The groups may be
structured in one of two ways. The students may be grouped according to
their strengths – with one student strong in math, one who is strong in
science, one who is strong in language arts, and one who is strong in
social studies – and the students work collaboratively to assist each
other with a tutor present to make sure that each student receives
assistance and that the correct information is shared. Or, the students
may be grouped by subject area and receive more intensive tutoring in a
particular area – for example, if there is a Biology test coming up and
several students need extra assistance to prepare for the test, then the
teacher may group these students together and have a tutor work with
them on Biology only.
A tutoring session is
not time for doing homework, talking with friends, or relaxing. During
tutorial, students are active participants in their own learning and are
responsible for bringing questions each day that they want addressed
during the session to further support their own understanding as they
make their way on their journey of rigorous coursework and academic
improvement.
What
commitments do AVID students make?
In order to be accepted
and remain in the AVID program, students and parents/guardians make
several commitments to the AVID site team and the school:
-
schedule change to
accommodate more rigorous courses
-
1-2 hours of
homework each night (estimated total from all classes)
-
Work to maintain a
2.5 GPA or higher
-
appropriate
classroom behavior
-
good attendance
-
attend
Parent/Student Workshops when possible
Students and parents
sign a contract at the beginning of the school year acknowledging the
responsibilities of AVID students.
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