AVID Courses and Curriculum

The foundation of the AVID program is an elective class that provides academic support for students who aspire to attend college and explore careers. Students benefit from daily in-school instructional support in order to be successful in all college preparatory courses of study. AVID elective course content includes instruction intended to improve a variety of skills; tutorials designed to increase higher-level thinking and success in rigorous courses; and motivational activities, guest speakers, and college and career exploration.

In AVID classrooms, students find high expectations, encouragement, day-to-day help, a vision of college as an expected and attainable goal, and guidance in and skills for reaching that goal. Ultimately, AVID provides an academic, social, and emotional support system as students work to succeed. 

Students can access the AVID Elective course in various ways: they may select the course or teachers/counselors may nominate them. Please contact the AVID Coordinator at your school to learn more. 

The AVID Excel coursework accelerates students’ academic language acquisition and increases their access to the 9th grade AVID Elective and college preparatory courses. The curriculum is built to support students who have been learning English for several years and continue to need language support. Through a sequential set of middle school 6th, 7th and/or 8th grade courses, students are supported to build their academic language, leadership skills, and overall sense of commitment to school with a cohort of peers who share their same college readiness goals. The AVID Excel Elective emphasizes developing students’ academic language proficiency in all domains—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—while also developing self-determination, leadership skills, and motivation. Students are placed in this course depending on their English proficiency test scores and support needs.

Many schools have embraced using AVID strategies schoolwide to ensure that all students have access to supportive, rigorous curriculum.  Teachers across the content areas are trained to use key AVID strategies that support student inquiry and collaboration.

For more information about the AVID College Readiness System, please visit www.avid.org

Key components of the AVID curriculum include:

• WICOR - Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading
• Taking Effective Notes
• Tutorials and Collaborative Study Groups
• High School and College Readiness 
• Support through the College application process (at the high school level)
• Creating an Equitable Learning Environment