Leadership magazine Nov/Dec 2015 V45 No 2 | Page 37

the needs of EL students and provides
strategies that impact that population
positively.” As described by Cervera, EL
students are from a wide range of backgrounds, including native speakers with
below average literacy skills. Implementing AVID strategies, including the use of
tutors, and the WICOR skills, is proof of
effectiveness not only in terms of raising
skills in reading and writing, but more
importantly raising these students’ beliefs that education will provide them a
better future.”

team must examine the critical needs
of the student sub-groups and determine how they will meet LCAP goals.
By eliminating instructional practices
that are ineffective, AV ID strategies
can begin with the support of the staff
to ensure success. For example, most of
the strategies OHS teachers implement
schoolwide are already in the teachers
tool kit, such as posting the Essential

Question along with the class objectives.
Federal and state mandates make it
clear that we must increase and improve
services to better serve our English learners and other sub-groups, and one example is to develop critical reading skills.
This practice is supported by providing
professional development with proper
administrative guidance. This training
will also benefit the school’s reading in-

A principal’s perspective

For an AV ID program to succeed,
principal leadership matters at the site
level and is necessary to set the focus.
The principal of an AV ID school must
be a strong advocate and champion of the
program. This leadership needs to address aspects of the AVID program such
as smaller classes and their impact on the
master schedule, both of which impact
the site budget.
The principal must embrace a systematic approach to implement these strategies and, thus, achieve the mission and
vision of the school. A school that systemically runs a strong AV ID program
can soon take steps toward becoming and
remaining a National Demonstration
School, and move toward the recognition
of becoming an AVID Schoolwide Site of
Distinction.
AV ID Center describes cu lt ure as
“what we allow” at our schools, and a
shift in the school culture involving allowable practices is needed. Here again,
leadership is an important variable in
making AVID schoolwide. The staff, for
their part, should critically examine how
they will support EL students, close the
achievement gap and make the instructional shifts necessar y to fully engage
students with WICOR strategies.
AVID has created a coaching tool that
addresses school culture by assisting educators to review the intentional culture of
the institution. AVID also supports the
college readiness of all graduates, and relies on community support, parent outreach and tutor recruitment.
The administration and site leadership

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