Advancement Via Individual Determination

What is AVID?

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a global nonprofit organization that provides educators with proven, real-world strategies to accelerate and enhance the skills and performance of students so that all students across the entire campus succeed in college, career, and life. Established more than 30 years ago with one teacher in one classroom, AVID today impacts more than 700,000 students in 45 states and 16 other countries/territories.

What are  the AVID Elective courses?

In these classes, students develop an awareness of the values accompanying academic goals and success. The courses focus on building self-confidence, communication skills in working with peers as well as build college ready academic skills so that students can experience greater success in their current classes. AVID students will learn habits of mind and cognitive routines proven to help them succeed in high school curriculum, college, careers, and life such as peer collaboration skills, questioning strategies, goal setting, note-taking as a process, organization, time-management, and self-advocacy.

  • Community building activities to increase connectedness to the Tillicum Community
  • Organization for binders, OneNote on student computers, email, Outlook calendar
  • Goal setting for personal growth, learning, and grade monitoring
  • Inquiry and collaboration to build unity and problem solving
  • Reading and writing to explore significant topics that students can instigate change and make an impact

What will be learned in the AVID Elective classes?

These are the Essential Questions that drive the learning in the courses:

  • How can we go beyond comfort and take calculated risk in order to personally grow and develop?
  • How can the qualities of leadership help us develop and grow as people whom others follow?
  • How can the writing process show us what we know and what we need to learn about our writing?
  • How can you use your own knowledge to learn about yourself and what you know as well as what you need to learn?
  • How do questions teach and lead to deep thinking?
  • How do you challenge one another in a way that broadens learning and deepens discussion?
  • How can we learn from the process of note taking?
  • Why is collaboration an essential quality for successful people?
  • How does organization facilitate achievement?
  • Why are goals and the steps to reach them necessary for productive progress?

What is the focus of the AVID Curriculum?

The AVID curriculum, based on rigorous standards, was developed by middle and high school teachers in collaboration with college professors. It is based on best teaching practices in writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading, and it is supported by state and national content standards. AVID curriculum is used in the AVID Elective and content-area classes in AVID schools to guide teachers and students, while planning strategies for success, by focusing on time management and study skills.

A student might be a fit for AVID if they:

  • Are new to the college process in the United States (no one in their family has attended college in the United States)
  • Will be the first in their family to go to college
  • Have challenges outside of school that interrupt their learning
  • Have the potential and willingness to be a leader
  • Want to build their critical thinking skills and habits (ex. note-taking, study groups)
  • Want to build their organization and time management skills (ex. using a planner, keeping track of deadlines)
  • Thrive in classrooms that have strong “family” environments
  • Would benefit from navigating diverse social challenges and learning to self-advocate more effectively
  • Try hard but still struggle sometimes