Giving Compass' Take:

• CEO Sandy Husk explains how AVID has successfully trained teachers to improve outcomes for low-income students, particularly students of color. 

• How can other programs learn from the success of AVID?

• Learn about post-secondary interventions to help low-income students succeed. 

Sandy Husk is CEO of Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID). One of the nation’s largest programs working to close the opportunity gap, AVID trains over 70,000 teachers a year on instructional strategies.

What is AVID?

AVID started back in 1980, in the wake of broad-based school busing in Southern California. Our founder, Mary-Catherine Swanson, was teaching at a school grappling with the challenge of serving a different student population than it had historically. Mary-Catherine was deeply committed to setting high expectations for all students—including those bussed in from economically disadvantaged areas of the city. She believed that if students were willing to work hard, she could teach them the skills needed to be college-ready.

Mary-Catherine’s ability to repeat such outcomes brought interest in the instructional practices she was using. Nearly 40 years later, AVID continues to share these methods with educators—and work with teachers, students, and researchers to develop new ones. AVID doesn’t work with students directly, but rather provides educators with training, resources, and ongoing support.

So once a school partners with AVID, what’s that mean for students? 

The hallmark of the AVID program is the AVID Elective. The AVID Elective is intended for those in the “academic middle”—not necessarily straight-A students who are successful without much guidance or support, but rather students in the B or C range that are willing to put in effort and, with a toolkit of learning strategies and teacher support, could become high achievers. The typical AVID students are low-income students of color, and are often the first in their family to go to college. The skills and strategies taught in the class, such as organizational skills, time management, and communication, are appropriate and effective for all students, but those meeting this profile tend to benefit most.

Read the full interview with Sandy Husk about AVID by Frederick M. Hess at American Enterprise Institute.