Advancement Via Individual Determination
AVID is an academic elective course that prepares students for college readiness and success, and it is scheduled during the regular school day as a year-long course. Each week, students receive instruction that utilizes a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum provided by AVID Center, tutor-facilitated study groups, motivational activities, and academic success skills. In AVID, students participate in activities that incorporate strategies focused on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading to support their academic growth. Additionally, students engage in activities centered around exploring college and career opportunities and their own agency.
9th Grade:
The 9th grade AVID Elective aids students' transition into, through, and beyond high school. It promotes early college awareness by guiding students to explore colleges based on academic, financial, and social fit. The course emphasizes goal setting, fostering motivation and strategic planning. The exploration of symbolic representation in both reading and writing enhances students' interpretative and expressive skills. Critical thinking is applied through research on post-secondary options. The course explores financial literacy, covering goal setting, debt management, and budgeting. A unique unit on bridge building and civil engineering sparks interest in STEM fields. The course also provides a leadership opportunity for students to serve in their community. This course combines academic, financial, and social learning, preparing students for a successful high school journey.
10th Grade:
The 10th grade AVID Elective course starts with students creating a digital profile to document their high school and community activities, fostering personal organization and record-keeping skills. Goal setting and career exploration are gamified in a unit enhancing strategic planning and career awareness. A novel study is included to advance critical reading skills, a key competency at this stage of academic development. Argumentative writing through a service learning-based research project hones students' persuasive communication skills. The continuation of financial literacy study includes lessons on banking, saving, employment, insurance, and tax credits. Sophomores study broadband internet in their STEM unit. Student Agency and self-confidence are developed to prepare students to become purpose-driven leaders. The 10th-grade AVID course uniquely blends academic, financial, digital literacy, and leadership skills, equipping students for future endeavors.
11th Grade:
The 11th grade AVID Elective begins the year with cultivating a growth mindset and setting personal improvement goals, which are critical for self-development. The course then transitions into enhancing critical reading skills, specifically aimed at analyzing college essays, a skill unique to upper-level high school students preparing for college applications. The course also emphasizes timed writing skills, a crucial ability for standardized tests and college exams. Juniors research colleges for academic fit and look for scholarship opportunities, as well as engaging in a financial literacy course on financing higher education, consumer skills, and credit and debt. They apply research and source integration skills in a practical service-learning project, promoting community engagement and experiential learning. The curriculum incorporates the engineering design process, encouraging critical thinking and collaboration in a STEM context. Lastly, the course initiates the college application process through the creation of a compelling college entrance essay, a key skill for students at this juncture in their academic journey.
12th Grade:
AVID The 12th grade AVID Elective course is final stage in preparing students for higher education and careers. Senior year begins with a checklist of important tasks such as college applications, resumes, letters of recommendation, and interviews which continue throughout the year in the Ready! Set! Go! Transition! units. SMART goals are established for students' future plans, including a scaffolded release of responsibility in AVID senior tutorials. Students design blueprints of their futures inspired by a speech of Dr. King's, and work on their short-response writing skills, crucial for college and scholarship applications. They delve into a practical unit on financing higher education and foster innovative thinking through a STEM unit on space exploration. Seniors complete their checklist by mapping out their summer transitions, preparing themselves for their imminent transition to post-secondary life.