By Bob Saunders, Director National Demonstration Schools, AVID Center and Lynn Nelson, Assistant Director of Divisions, AVID Center
At a recent AVID Demonstration School validation visit in California, the principal was asked why he was continuing to fund AVID in the midst of major budget cuts. As he answered, he turned to the student panel, most of whom would be first in their family to attend college, and said, “You can’t put a price tag on hope.” The hope of a college education is a reality for this high school’s 60 plus AVID seniors who will be graduating this month. All students, 100 percent, have met the most rigorous college entrance requirements in California and have all applied and been accepted to a four-year college or university.
It’s not surprising because the AVID College Readiness System has a long history of successfully preparing students for college with more than 90 percent of the AVID graduating seniors planning to attend a postsecondary institution. AVID National Demonstration Schools not only maintain this high level of college-readiness for their AVID elective students, but have taken steps to infuse a strong college readiness culture for all students, as well as faculty and staff, on the campus.
AVID Demonstration Schools make important contributions to the mission of AVID by developing and implementing schoolwide college-readiness strategies, including the following:
At the end of the 2011-2012 school year, 126 schools across the country had been designated as AVID National Demonstration Schools. These secondary schools implement high-quality AVID elective classes which form a firm foundation for college awareness and readiness and become the catalyst for implementing a schoolwide college-ready system for all students. If you would like additional information regarding AVID National Demonstration Schools, please contact Lynn Nelson, Assistant Director of Divisions at lnelson@avidcenter.org, or Bob Saunders, Director National Demonstration Schools at bsaunders@avidenter.org.