AVID At a Glance

In 1977, AVID Founder Mary Catherine Swanson completed her Master’s thesis in Education in which she identified the important skills necessary for a student to be successful at the postsecondary level. These components form the foundation of AVID, including its philosophy, practices, and curriculum and include:

1. A non-traditional classroom setting meeting the academic and emotional needs of individual students.
2. The teacher as advisor/counselor/student advocate
3. An emphasis on objective data
4. The student at the center of decision-making regarding educational goals
5. A student contract outlining willingness to work and setting learning goals
6. Student support from teachers and skilled, trained tutors
7. A curriculum emphasizing academic reading and writing
8. Reliance on the Socratic process

("AVID's History." MYAVID. AVID, 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2015. <www.avid.org/history.ashx>.)

Birdville ISD AVID Schoolwide System

Currently, BISD has the AVID College Readiness System (CRS) in four middle schools (Haltom Middle School, North Oaks Middle School, Richland Middle Schol, Watauga Middle School) and two high schools (Haltom High School, Collegiate Academiy of Birdville). Haltom High School received the distinction of AVID National AVID Demonstration School in 2015 and was revalidated again in 2018. AVID National Demonstration Schools are exemplary models of the AVID College Readiness System which foster the highest level of schoolwide systemic visibility of AVID essentials.

The AVID schoolwide model integrates 5 core elements:  writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading (WICOR). AVID is governed by 4 domains: intruction, systems, leadership and culture. The student interest process begins on campus with a student campus recommendation for the AVID CRS or a student/parent request with interest.  Program criteria and academic commitment will be communicated by the campus AVID Site Coordinator of the aforementioned campuses. 

For additional information about the AVID College Readiness System, contact Ramonda Fields (Advanced Academics District Coordinator) at 817-547-5500 or ramonda.fields@birdvilleschools.net.