AVID
AVID is a nationwide program that pushes students to achieve their highest potential through in-class tutorial support with college-aged students, introducing focused note-taking skills, and beginning the process of looking into various post-graduation paths. The students in this elective are chosen through a rigorous interview process and are required to take at least one advanced class. AVID intends to provide academic and social support throughout their futures, as well as adding advanced classes moving through middle school and continuing to high school and beyond. We aim to take two field trips per year, one to a local college or university and one to a prominent local business, as well as a fall parent night and an end-of-year celebration.
7th Grade AVID
The students in the 7th-grade AVID program are introduced to the TRF process, a system of examining where their understanding of an academic concept breaks down, and how to use that in a small, student-peer-led tutorial group. They are required to take focused notes of their choice (Cornell notes, word-web, outline, etc.) in all their classes, keep a daily agenda for every class period, and learn to self-advocate in classes they are struggling in. They also begin the process of examining different career paths and various other higher education vocabulary and terminology.
8th Grade AVID
8th-grade students may elect to take AVID in place of MAPS and Communication Applications, a high school credit speech class required by every high school endorsement offered by NISD. The 8th-grade curriculum also offers the same .5 speech HS credit as CommApps. While continuing and building on the AVID concepts introduced in 7th grade, It is split into two separate semester classes, AVID A and AVID B. The fall semester is intensely student-focused, teaching them their learning style, their personality type and how it fits into a group setting, and requires they create an online digital portfolio that we use for the remainder of the year with information about themselves and each of their classes' notes and assignments. The TRF process is continued through the peer-led tutorial process, as well. The spring semester switches gears and is focused more on the speech aspect, teaching them vital communication skills, various techniques in public speaking, and civil discourse using philosophical chairs and Socratic seminars. We end the year with a 5-8 minute passion project presentation, where each student presents an activity or hobby and teaches their fellow students about something important to them.
NOTE: As a high school credit class, 8th grade AVID A/B are subject to high school attendance requirements, and as such have a minimum number of allowed absences per semester.