Major Concepts/Content: Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an academic elective course that prepares students for college readiness and success, and it is scheduled during the regular school day as a year-long course. Each week, students receive instruction utilizing a rigorous college preparatory curriculum provided by AVID Center, tutor-facilitated study groups, motivational activities and academic success skills. In AVID, students participate in activities that incorporate strategies focused on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading to support their academic growth.
The seventh grade AVID Elective course builds upon the components of the AVID philosophy. Students will refine short- and long-term goals, and as a result, begin to understand the value in taking charge of their actions. Students will start working on intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, as well as formal and informal speech. Students will complete self-evaluations and peer evaluations, related to reading, writing, organization, and speaking. In broadening their writing practice, students will begin considering audience, purpose and form in their writing. Students will take an active role in their learning, understanding the roles of all members in assignments and collaborative lessons. They will expand their knowledge bases of note-taking, in relation to studying and test preparation. Students will be exposed to different field trips, guest speakers and research, to increase their knowledge of college and career options.
Assessment: AVID students are assessed in two areas; academics and classroom habits. The academic grade will include Cornell notes, binder checks, and tutorials. The classroom habits grade includes being Responsible (arriving prepared for class, turning in assignments on time), being Respectful (thoughtful listening, participating in class discussions), and being Safe (following directions the first time). To track classroom habits, I will be using a program called ClassDojo – a tool that helps teachers improve behavior in classrooms quickly and easily. It also captures and generates data on behavior that I can share with parents and administrators. Please return the attached sheet if you are interested in receiving weekly ClassDojo emails.
AVID Curriculum Books Used:
AVID College and Careers Implementing and Managing the AVID Program for Middle Level Middle Level Writing with Integrated Reading and Oral Language Organizing the AVID Student Binder Strategies for Success AVID Tutorial Guide
Supplemental Materials could include the following:
AVID Weekly, Supporting Math in the AVID Elective, Write Path content books, AVID Test Prep, Roadtrip Nation Weekly, Focused Note-Taking