The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program is a unique college readiness system for students from socioeconomically disadvantaged households. The program places disadvantaged students in advanced classes, such as Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Further, each student is enrolled in an elective class designed to increase the likelihood of entering a four-year college.
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level courses that are held in high school. Originally, AP courses targeted elite students. However, a wider target audience has caused an expansion in the number of AP students. According to previous studies, taking advanced courses in high school (e.g., AP courses), increases the possibility of college attendance. Therefore, to close the achievement gap, the U.S. Department of Education has made efforts to increase access to AP courses by disadvantaged students.
However, the U.S. Department of Education is facing difficulties in achieving its goal. Although the overall number of schools and students who take AP courses has increased, minority and low-income students are less likely to enroll in AP courses than Caucasian and Asian students.
Despite this situation, the AVID program is available in some schools in and around California, and AVID students take AP courses and go on to college despite their disadvantaged status. Special support provisions are applicable to such students through the AVID program; therefore, it would be pertinent to examine the assistance offered to them.
This study clarified the actual state of the AVID program based on a case study of San Ysidro High School—recognized as a leading AVID school —in San Diego, California. Interviews were conducted at San Ysidro High School in San Diego, California, in March 2016.
First, this paper includes an outline of the AVID program, which was first established at a public high school in San Diego in 1980. Since then, the program has spread to other schools. During the 2015–2016 school year, the AVID program was in effect at 4,273 school sites, and 463,435 students enrolled in the AVID program nationwide. The number of students who were qualified for free/subsidized lunches was 306,555 (66.1%). Despite their disadvantaged status, many AVID students enter four-year universities. In the 2014–2015 school year, 40,272 high school seniors joined the AVID program, and 31,296 of these (77.7%) were accepted at four-year colleges.
The AVID program operates at school sites. School district offices and the AVID Center support these sites. The AVID Center, which is a non-profit organization, oversees the AVID program nationwide. The AVID Center sets the 11 elements of AVID program and offers materials to schools and professional development resources to teachers.
Second, this paper clarifies the reality of the AVID program at San Ysidro High School. In the 2015–2016 school year, 331 students were enrolled in the school’s AVID program. Of these, 76.7% qualified for free/subsidized lunches.
Staff members engaged in the AVID program include an AVID coordinator, AVID elective teacher, and AVID tutor. The AVID coordinator manages the program at the school site. The AVID elective teacher directs the AVID elective class, and the tutor is a college student who assists with the AVID tutorial session.
Program participants are selected based on interviews with an AVID coordinator. The AVID coordinator investigates students’ backgrounds and their willingness to study diligently if selected for the program.
The AVID program comprises three courses: AVID 9/10, AVID Junior Seminar, and AVID Senior Seminar. Students take advanced classes and an AVID elective class. The AVID elective class is held for five hours every week. Two hours are (View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)
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