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AVID shows students a pathway to college

April 2, 2008 12:15 am

GOLDILOCKS was eyeing the por- ridge. Mama and Papa Bear were in the midst of a make-believe tiff. One of the Three Little Pigs was checking the computer program that would track would-be wolves as they tried to "huff and puff" the miniature houses down.

"Remember, stay in character," cautioned teacher Kathryn Walseman.

Moments later, the first class of grade-schoolers paraded through Dahlgren School's Fairy Tale Museum--a creative celebration of last month's Read Across America Day.

But there was another distinction to the fun and games at the school on the King George County naval base. The museum day was organized by Dahlgren School's AVID class-- an innovative program aimed at nudging more students into high achievement and, eventually, on to college.

Rigorous study, collaborative activities, and academic and social support are key elements to the program.

Walseman is sold on AVID, which involves selected sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Dahlgren. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is also being used in schools in Culpeper, Orange and Westmoreland counties.

They're not alone. Created almost three decades ago, AVID is at work in 3,500 schools in 45 states and 15 countries, including many Department of Defense schools like Dahlgren. The program can be used in grades four through 12. Walseman calls it "life-changing."

"In the five years I've taught the class at Dahlgren," she said, "I have seen it change the lives of students and send them to high school with a one-way ticket down the road to college--a path many did not think was on their road map."

Walseman worries that some college applicants are finding out too late in their high school careers what it takes to get into higher education.

Her AVID students "know that your choices for college start with your performance on Day One of high school," says Walseman. "They know that leadership and community service are important parts of an application.

"Above all, they know they need to take the most rigorous courses offered at their high school, and they have the study skills to be successful in them."

There are other ways to lift students from the academic middle onto the fast track.

Spotsylvania County schools considered AVID a few years back, before opting for other approaches. Superintendent Jerry Hill says the county school system has put into effect an aggressive plan to increase student participation in Advanced Placement courses and in the gifted student program. Indeed, the number of students involved with AP has gone up over 200 percent in the past five years.

Hill adds that the county "is attempting to open John J. Wright Alternative Education and Cultural Center next year to provide high school and middle school students who are struggling with the traditional school setting an alternative opportunity for success."

Spotsylvania also noted that AVID doesn't come free. Participating schools designate a site coordinator. There are costs for materials and teacher training.

But Walseman says she sees the payoff every year, and hopes King George County schools and other systems will eventually incorporate the program into their high school curriculums.

Here's how it works during an average week at Dahlgren: The seven AVID students go to a 45-minute class each day. On two of those days, they work with tutors (active-duty military). Once a week, they take part in a session on motivational techniques, which might be a field trip, a film or a guest speaker.

The AVID curriculum emphasizes reading, writing, study skills, testing, organization, critical thinking and setting goals.

And then there's the fun, such as a recent trip to the University of Mary Washington, complete with a meal in the dining hall and seats at a college softball game.

Organizing the Fairy Tale Museum was a way to show how community service to younger students can be fun--even if a couple of the first-graders didn't like the porridge.

Ed Jones: 540/374-5401
Email: edjones@freelancestar.com