Cascade School District marks 10 years of AVID program

LEAVENWORTH — Cascade School District (CSD) is marking 10 years of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a program intended to close opportunity gaps and prepare students for college and career readiness.

“You should be really proud of that decade of this program that's been changing lives for 10 years,” AVID Program Director Kenny Renner-Singer told the CSD Board during an April 27 presentation.

Established more than 40 years ago, AVID is a nationally implemented program aimed at increasing students’ awareness of and access to college and career opportunities. AVID uses research-based strategies and curriculum to develop students' critical thinking, literacy, and math skills. Today, the program is implemented in over 7,000 schools in 47 states, impacting over two million students. 

AVID first came to Cascade High School during the 2015-2016 school year through elective classes offered to 9th and 10th grade students, said Renner-Singer. It has since grown to become a district-wide program, serving students from grades K-12.

School-wide, AVID is implemented through the use of WICOR activities (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading), which promote higher-level thinking and lifelong learning skills. Introductions to different career pathways also begin at the elementary level.

“A lot of what we do — and this starts actually in kindergarten — is not FAFSA and college applications, but having kids thinking about careers, opportunities, college, all those sorts of things,” said Renner-Singer.

Through elective classes offered at the middle and high school level, AVID helps support students with organization, relational capacity, peer tutoring, and opportunity knowledge, which includes college visits, navigating federal student financial aid and scholarships, and applying to colleges.

In addition to preparing students, AVID’s framework includes reducing barriers to access. As part of this, Cascade has reexamined the necessity of certain prerequisites. While some prerequisites are critical, others aren’t always a necessary determinant for student success, Superintendent Dr. Tracey Edou explained.

“Sometimes prerequisites actually create barriers for kids who could actually be successful without that class,” said Edou. 

AVID electives provide additional support, added Edou, as they teach students how to take notes, study, ask questions and have a peer tutoring group.

“That's one of the things about AVID that's really special, is it actually encourages more kids to take more upper level classes,” said Edou.

The program relies on community support, which includes the Rural Alliance grant, the Community Foundation of NCW, volunteer tutors, the Penny Wars scholarship (a student-driven award), guest speakers, college visits and the Cascade Education Foundation.

“I cannot repeat enough how much Cascade Education Foundation has truly funded and made AVID possible,” said CHS teacher Malia Renner-Singer.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media