Shaping AVID Learners
Crowley ISD adds three AVID elementary campuses , celebrates national demonstration designation
Three schools joined the AVID ( Advancement Via Individual Determination ) family in Crowley ISD for the 2016-17 school year — Parkway and Jackie Carden elementary schools and the new Crowley Collegiate Academy .
Written by Megan Middleton
AVID College Readiness System transforms a school ’ s academic culture to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges and succeed in higher education and training . It is implemented in about 5,600 schools in 44 states , the District of Columbia and 16 countries / territories .
“ It ’ s incredible to think we will start working with kids as young as kindergarten on organizational skills , notetaking skills and reading and writing strategies ,” Angie Wilkinson , Crowley ISD ’ s AVID district director , said . “ They ’ re going to start their educational careers on the right foot with those strong , basic skills .”
AVID is simply best practices , Wilkinson said .
“ It ’ s nearly 40 years of research of best practices for teachers in their classrooms ,” she said . “ Teachers don ’ t have to reinvent anything . All of these activities are highly reproducible and applicable to just about any subject or discipline … AVID changes the students ’ lives , and it changes the teachers ’ lives .”
Parkway and Jackie Carden elementary schools will be the first elementary schools in Crowley ISD to introduce AVID , a college and career readiness program that teaches writing , reading and organizational strategies , to their students . AVID is already at all CISD high school , middle school and intermediate school campuses .
“ We ’ re so excited to welcome these schools to the CISD AVID family ,” Wilkinson said . “ We ’ re hopeful that each year we ’ ll bring on two or three more elementary sites and become an AVID district .”
SUMMER CREEK NAMED AVID NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION CAMPUS
In the spring , CISD ’ s Summer Creek Middle School became an AVID National Demonstration School for campuses around the world to visit when preparing to implement the AVID system . Officials have said that less than 3 percent of schools with AVID in the country are identified as national AVID demonstration schools .
This designation means , “ they are the best of the best when it comes to AVID schools ,” Mike Mozingo , AVID program manager , said . “ They have implemented and are accomplishing our mission , which is all about student success .”
CROWLEY ISD CONNECTIONS | Fall 2016 17