RA Long AVID Program

AVID paves the path to college and sets students up for successful college completion. During their first year of the high school AVID program, students develop strategies to identify and fulfill personal and academic goals to ensure success in core studies required for entrance to four-year colleges and universities. Students are prepared to take the PSAT, start college exploration and focus on school involvement.

AVID is a regularly scheduled elective class based on using writing and reading as tools for learning. Students become proficient in the skills and concepts that prepare them for the rigorous courses required for admission to four-year colleges and universities. Specific skills include:

• Collaboration and inquiry through Socratic seminars and tutorials
• Organizational skills
• Writing through essays
• Cornell note-taking

AVID challenges students to perform at high levels, recognizing that college-readiness depends on providing the extra time they need to succeed. Students participate in college field trips, tutorials, team-building, guest speakers and community service projects such as bell ringing for the Salvation Army and service in the community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students are prepared for and take the PSAT early in the AVID program, continue college exploration, start scholarship exploration and planning, focus on community service and give individualized college presentations.

During the last two years of the AVID program, students focus on becoming college-ready. Students are enrolled in one or more Advanced Placement courses and are set up for success by the support of the AVID class, teachers and weekly tutoring.

Students use Career Cruising to research careers of interest and attend the College Fair and College Boot Camp to assist them in selecting colleges that are the best fit for their future. Guest speakers include college admissions officials and counselors to guide students through the processes of college applications, scholarships and financial aid. Writing assignments focus on college application essays, resumes, scholarship applications and letters of recommendation.

Students are provided instruction in preparation for the SAT and ACT; the scholarship application process, including letters of recommendation; personal statements; and admission essays while continuing to focus on school and community involvement. Students also visit four-year colleges to gain a better perspective on the array of opportunities college has to offer.