A Case Study of the Effectiveness of the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Program to Enhance College Readiness of High School Students in the Academic Middle

Toriello, Todd M.

Dissertation

A Case Study of the Effectiveness of the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Program to Enhance College Readiness of High School Students in the Academic Middle

Public Deposited

For years, the educational community has debated the support for students in the upper tier, the middle tier, and the lower tier of ability in schools. This purpose of this study was to explore and analyze the effectiveness of AVID strategies and concepts in closing the achievement gap that exists between students who naturally perform at high levels and students in the academic middle, thus increasing their college and career readiness and leveling the playing field. Improvement was measured by the degree to which AVID strategies and concepts were infused within the AVID curriculum, as well as within the general education curriculum at ABC High School. Improvement was also measured by examining students’ performance on the PSAT and SAT or ACT as instruments of college and career readiness. Last, achievement was measured by examining and tracking college acceptances for students in the AVID program over the course of the four years it has been implemented at ABC High School. After examining the AVID program at ABC High School and the quantitative and qualitative data, the findings that determine the effectiveness of AVID strategies and concepts in closing the achievement gap that exists between students who naturally perform at high levels and students in the academic middle yielded favorable results. The results of this study may be of significant interest to educators who support the achievement of students in the academic middle and are searching for a means to enhance their programming to better prepare students for post-secondary work. The outcomes of this study can also be used as a tool for other educational leaders and inform decisions regarding whether or not the AVID program would be a successful addition to their current academic program.

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