Hitting the Books: Richfield's AVID Programs Helping Close Achievement Gaps

The has been working especially hard to close achievement gaps and boost tests scores over the past few years and the school's Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program is helping schools do just that, according to school administrators.

What is AVID?

AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success throughout the world. AVID has a direct support structure for first generation college-goers who show desire and determination to achieve their goals. AVID has grown to serve more than 400,000 students in 4,500 schools in 47 states and 16 countries and territories, according to the AVID website.

AVID and Richfield Schools

Currently, Richfield’s district offers the AVID program in Grades 7-12 and provides more diversity in honors classes, gives students extra support and teaches them accountability, according to Eric Herrmann, the program's director at (RHS).

There are 104 students at 72 students at RHS who participate in AVID, according Eric Paulson, assistant principal at RHS.

“Students in the program have one AVID class [out of their six classes] a day," Paulson said. "Class periods are devoted to AVID skills and strategies, [such as Cornell notes and critical reading], tutorials, speakers and field trips to visit colleges."

How AVID is Helping Richfield Students

One graduating senior is receiving a $6,500 scholarship each year at Augsburg College because of their participation in AVID, according to RHS AVID Teacher Bonnie Mueller.

About 29 percent of all freshman and 33 percent of junior students in honors classes are in the AVID program, according to Herrmann. The students involved in AVID have frequent binder checks, tutorials from guest speakers who talk to them about career paths, finances and achieving their academic and personal goals.

“Being in the AVID classes means more work and they are harder than traditional classes," Paulson added. "But if a student goes through four years of AVID there is no doubt in my mind that they will be successful in college."

Community and School Involvement

The program also gets the students involved in community service projects. Richfield was spotlighted on the AVID website for its middle school students spending a Saturday morning in April 2010 delivering brochures door-to-door.

Welcome to Richfield resource guides were delivered to 10,000 homes throughout the city by over 100 AVID students, teachers, tutors and parents as a community service project. The money saved on postage was then donated to the AVID program, according to Mueller.

In addition, Mueller said RHS AVID students recently went to the middle school and talked with the entire eighth grade class things they need to know to survive the transition to RHS. In the summer of 2010, students also hosted eighth grade students at the high school to show them around to classes to get a sense of the building. They also played ice-breaker games and talked about the AVID program.

Currently, RHS AVID students are working on creating their Spring 2011 service project, which will likely be related to teen pregnancy issues.

Stay tuned to Richfield Patch for more on the students' spring service project.