AVID Recruitment Timeline for 5th Grade:

•October-December:  Students and Parents discuss AVID with elementary teachers & counselors

•December 6: 5th Grade Parent Information Night at 5 pm via Google Meet 

•December 24:  Deadline for 5th-grade students to submit AVID Application

•January 22:  AVID Interviews

•February:  Parent email notification 

AVID in the Spotlight

AVID Positively Impacts Student Health Behaviors, UCLA-led Study Suggests

A new UCLA-led study published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics suggests that AVID reduces substance use by 33%, and AVID students are more likely to socialize with peers who are more involved with academics. The study compared students in AVID to similar students in “usual” school programs that commonly cluster—or track—lower-performing students together in less academically rigorous settings.

The study also found that AVID males experienced lower stress and higher self-efficacy, determination, and engagement with school than their peers in the usual tracked academic program. The researchers concluded that “AVID positively impacts social networks, health behaviors, and psycho-social outcomes suggesting academic untracking may have substantial beneficial spillover effects on adolescent health.”

This research is a great way to illustrate to stakeholders in your area the role that AVID plays in not only challenging students academically but also supporting them in building life skills and behaviors that help them discover and embrace all the possibilities. Check out the press release, infographic, and study to learn more. Plus, tune into the January 18 AVID Unpacking Education podcast to hear directly from the lead author, Dr. Rebecca Dudovitz, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Pediatric Health Services Research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.