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Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

Program that Works

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Summary

Participants enroll in a special AVID course, where they learn organizational and study skills, work on critical thinking and asking probing questions, receive academic help from peers and college tutors, and participate in enrichment and motivational activities that make college seem attainable.

Target Population

Minority, urban and rural, low-income, and other fourth-to-twelfth grade students from families without college experience or a college degree. AVID specifically targets students whose grades are average and who are often overlooked by college access programs that target top students.

Goal(s)

To ensure that all students will: a) succeed in a rigorous curriculum, b) complete a college preparatory path, c) enter mainstream activities of the school, d) increase their enrollment in four-year colleges, and e) become educated, responsible participants and leaders.

Program Highlights

Approximately 11 percent of AVID’s California graduates attend one of the nine highly selective University of California campuses.
Since 1990, more than 65,300 AVID students have graduated from high school and planned to attend college. Of the 2009 AVID graduates, 92 percent planned to attend college.
AVID costs only $1.80 per day per student for the first three years of programmatic implementation.

The Facts

Year introduced:1983

Number of schools:AVID has been adopted by nearly 4,500 schools in 45 states, the District of Columbia and 16 countries/territories.

Costs:The average cost is approximately $1.80 per student per day for first three years.

Region:National; International

Partners

Higher Education

University of San Diego (Continuing Education)

Business

QUALCOMM, Inc.
San Diego Union Tribune
Washington Mutual

Non-Profit / Philanthropy

The College Board
The James Irvine Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Government

The California Department of Education
The County of San Diego

Evidence of Impact

AVID students have better attendance and standardized test scores in school than their peers and college enrollment rates are particularly high for Latino, African-American, and low-income AVID students.

Study 1:

Implications of One Comprehensive School Reform Model for Secondary School Students Underrepresented in Higher Education: A study of ten high schools in Texas that shows that AVID students have better attendance and standardized test scores than their peers.

Study 2:

Longitudinal Research on AVID: A longitudinal study of AVID students reports that 95 percent of AVID graduates enrolled in college, with more than half of them reporting an “A” or “B” average.

Extent of evidence:Two independent studies

Evidence of replicability:AVID has been replicated in over 3,500 elementary and secondary schools in 45 states, and the District of Columbia.

Other resources or research:

http://www.avidonline.org/info/?ID=1188&criteria=%22research%22