Theory of Change
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AVID changes both the individuals involved in the program and the school communities in which it resides. AVID changes individuals. In 1980, Mary Catherine Swanson, an AP English teacher at Clairemont High School in San Diego, created the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) system when she recruited 32 low-income, diverse students in the middle academically (C students), and enrolled them in a college preparatory sequence and an AVID elective class. The AVID class included development of study skills, tutoring in collaborative study groups, and a curriculum focused on writing for learning in all disciplines. AVID's program design was originally based on a theory of change that centered on the process of learning. Mary Catherine Swanson collaborated with Dr. Uri Treisman (a professor at UC Berkeley at the time) to develop this theory of change through learning. They observed teachers interacting with students and asking questions for which they had pre-conceived answers they wanted from the students. Teachers typically asked the question twice, got a couple of responses, and if they did not get the answers they sought, they would answer it themselves. The problem was that the students never understood why the answer was correct. Swanson and Treisman concluded that to learn effectively, individuals must go through five steps:
The individual researches what they want to know, thinks through the problem, and identifies what answers they need to address it. They work with others to gather more information and assess different viewpoints. They organize the information and their thoughts enough to explain their conclusions to others, both verbally and in writing. This process changes students in several ways. First, it makes them responsible for their own learning. They come to understand that they have the ability to seek out answers for themselves, and to solve problems through thoughtful action. They learn to organize their thoughts, work with others, and to express themselves clearly and effectively. They see a path that will enable them to become effective, self-sustaining members of society. AVID helps students envision their future, challenges them to succeed, prepares them to succeed, and supports them as they pursue the long road to success. AVID changes schools and school districts. AVID was originally developed to meet the needs of underachieving ethnic and linguistic minority and low-income students. To the gratification of all involved, however, AVID often results in the complete transformation of the academic, college-going culture of the school. Students from all backgrounds begin attaining higher levels of achievement. AVID helps reform schools because it confronts a fundamental systemic issue: the de facto tracking that tends to keep low income and minority students out of college preparatory programs and which results in lower levels of academic achievement. Research has demonstrated that AVID offers an effective way to address these problems because:
AVID’s theory of change is to transform a school and/or district’s culture into one in which all students are expected to achieve and are given the tools and skills to do so. As AVID grows and becomes embedded in a school, across a feeder pattern, and throughout a district, teacher, student and parent belief systems change. Students from all backgrounds come to believe that they are capable of attaining higher levels of achievement and reject the de facto tracking that tends to keep low income and minority students out of college and career readiness programs, and out of STEM subject and rigorous coursework. To reach the “tipping point” that changes the school’s culture, a critical mass of students and teachers need to actively participate in the AVID program. Based on anecdotal evidence and their extensive experience working with schools and school districts, AVID Center leaders believe that this tipping point is reached when approximately 50% or more of the teachers have been trained in AVID methodology and when about 10% or more of the students are enrolled in an AVID elective class. Directory: documents documents -> Concept stage documents -> Concept stage documents -> The international correspondence chess federation documents -> Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Urbanization Review documents -> Report No: aus11011 Central America documents -> Technical writer directory documents -> Report No. 94474-pk fiscal Disaster Risk Assessment Options for Consideration documents -> Environmental and Social Management Framework for the Costa Rica Telecommunications Sector Modernization Project documents -> Environment Impact Assessment For Jiangxi Shangrao Sanqingshan Airport Beijing Guohuantiandi Environmental Technology Development Center. Ltd. Oct. 2012 Content documents -> Growth through Innovation An Industrial Strategy for Shanghai By Shahid Yusuf Kaoru Nabeshima April 22nd, 2009 Download 12.89 Kb. Share with your friends:
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