AVID in SFUSD Advancement via individual determination

AVID is an elective class that is available to students in grades 6-12 at select SFUSD schools. Academic reading, writing, inquiry, organization and collaboration skills are a main focus of the AVID curriculum which propels students to be more ready for rigorous courses, high school, college and career. All AVID teachers attend training and choose to return year after year to continue to hone their teaching practice and tool kits. When AVID strategies are utilized with fidelity, students are more engaged, connected to the class community and more prepared for all subject areas. AVID is a National Organization that not only supports the elective class, but also core subjects by supporting teachers with academic and engagement strategies for the classrooms.

The AVID curriculum and framework impacts all students in a school when AVID strategies and curriculum are implemented school-wide across content areas.

There are two AVID programs at the middle school level: AVID and AVID Excel.

The AVID course is an elective class that students opt to take in their 6/7th- 8th grade years. In the course, students learn organizational skills, focused note-taking, binder organization, presentation skills, and writing, reading, collaboration, inquiry. Many programs also engage in AVID Tutorials, where students group, present their academic problems of practice, and support one another through inquiry to arrive at a solution. The AVID Tutorial grouping are facilitated by AVID trained college-aged tutors as well as the AVID Elective Teacher.

The AVID Excel course is a class offered to 7th and 8th graders and is designed for students who have been designated as Long-Term English Language Learners. The goals of the AVID Excel class are to disrupt the LTEL status, accelerate language acquisition, and teach high school and college readiness skills.

AVID and AVID Excel teachers are trained in AVID methodology and strategies, with continuing professional development and alignment through opportunities supported by AVID Central Office.

The AVID Elective program, taught at Lincoln, Galileo, Lowell, Washington, and Wallenberg, is an elective class taken for 3-4 years that prepares first generation, historically underrepresented students for high school and college success. Through adult support, academic advocacy, and rigorous instructional AVID methodology, the AVID Elective and AVID Elective teacher provides students to designed ability to be able to access their non-AVID content area curriculum in meaningful and deep ways. AVID students receive the help necessary to conquer barriers to their academic success and college access.

The AVID programs at Balboa, Burton, Mission, and June Jordan are where AVID methodologies are integrated into grade-level-wide classes, i.e. Health Ed, College/Career, Senior Seminar. Through this, all grade-level students have access to that course's curriculum through the delivery of AVID strategies.

AVID Central Office provides all AVID schools with:

• college-aged tutors that are trained in AVID methodologies, and SFUSD student-centered support
• paid buses for college visits
• supplies for AVID class projects
• paid professional development hosted by AVID National (i.e. AVID Summer Institute, Path Trainings, and more)