Tuesday, March 19, 2024

AVID program continues to grow at Cascade High School and IRMS

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The AVID program is expanding in the Cascade School District. AVID, which stands for, Advancement Via Individual Determination, helps students in school, with the goal of getting them to college.

It was started last year by Malia Renner-Singer, who experienced the program in the Wenatchee School District. Cascade High School Principal, Elia Ala’ilima-Daley, gave a report on the AVID program to Cascade School Board at the Feb. 27 meeting.

“We added AVID last year with two classes, freshman and sophomore. This year, we have a freshman, sophomore and junior class. Next at the high school, we’ll roll into a senior class of it,” Daley said.

Daley said it was very interesting to see a new group of freshman working with ninth grade AVID teacher, Andrea Brixey.

“They are working on study skills, better homework habits along with preparing to be a high school student,” Daley said. “The transition from there to sophomore year, really understanding. Their goal is to go to college. These are the kids we wouldn’t normally see go to college. We’re setting them up for that.”

Juniors are now working on pre-SAT work, in preparation for the April SAT. As seniors, Daley said they will be working on resumes. This type of support is provided through their career center, he said, but the AVID program provides that support in class every other day.

Tutorials are happening right now.

“A student brings a point of concern to a class, like a problem they can’t get. They stand up in front of their peers and talk about they lost it, for say a math problem,” Daley said. “The other students ask questions to help trigger some thoughts so they can figure it out. We have adults from the community to help support. I had a couple seniors help with this. They were dying because they wanted to give the answer.”

Tutorials are happening one or two times per week, he said. In terms of professional development for teachers, last year eight high school teachers went to San Diego for training. Half of the high school staff has been trained in AVID and have brought back teaching strategies for their students.

AVID is not bringing back anything new, he said.

“They are just reminding us of all the great teaching strategies out there. They bundle them in a package. Our teachers have a library to go back to, so they can work on new strategies for their students,” Daley said.

The 11th grade AVID students have taken walking field trips to learn more about local businesses, Gibbs Graphics, Bavarian Village Vet, Cascade Medical and Todd Smith Architects. Daley said the students are finding out what an education might do for them at the next level.

To this point, the funding for training has come from grants. Daley said it is unknown how the program will be funded in the future. The district is going to have to figure that out, he said.Eighteen students are enrolled in eighth grade AVID, taught by Leah Boggs.

“They are struggling with the scheduling of it. It comes during their enrichment time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All of eighth grade is the Cornell notes. You hear us talk about that a lot. It is a way of organizing your notes, critical thinking, questions. Not just writing the notes down and trying to memorize it,” Daley said. “They use them at the high school. So there’s that continuity. The sixth and seventh grade teams are looking to go down (to San Diego), if they can receive the funding.”

The Osborn teachers are the next to go for training. Daley said they are funded through Title One for professional development.

“AVID is designed to be embedded in the instruction of all elementary classrooms, across all grade levels to impact school wide structure. They are not doing tutorials, they are doing school wide structures. They do Cornell notes and teaching strategies all the kids know,” Daley said. “To walk into our classrooms and see our teachers doing well makes you feel good about the program. At the same time, does the cost justify what we are doing?”’

There are some field trips planned, college visits. They will be doing two college visits per year, Western, Eastern, WSU, UW. To get into the AVID program, you must have a certain GPA.

“The GPA can’t be too low or too high. It’s for the kids in the middle. If they are first generation college students, if they’ve had a traumatic event, divorce, death. You have to apply to be in there,” Daley said. “To exit, your parents have to come in. Some kids have been exited out, if they can’t meet the 2.0 grade point average. It is a bit of a privilege, but too much work for some kids. We have some kids that are creative with it.”

Currently, there are 20 students in 11th grade, 17 in 10th grade, 19 in ninth grade and 18 in eighth grade. Board member Jennifer Pickel asked if they are able to track student success after high school.

“After they graduate, that’s when we have to do the metrics to see if they stay in school. They are graduating and going to college, but are they staying in school? That’s what we’ll figure out in a couple of years,” Daley said.

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

 

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