Inside avid: preparing for the future
In this article, Audrey explores GPHS' AVID program through interviews with teacher Lindsey Richardson and AVID students, examining how the AVID program helps students navigate postsecondary plans.
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Inside avid: preparing for the future
Inside avid: preparing for the future
By: Audrey Roetling
By: Audrey Roetling
When you visit an elementary classroom and ask students, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” many will excitedly respond with “doctor,” “lawyer,” “scientist,” or “astronaut!” But when you pose the same question to a classroom of high school seniors, the answers often shift in response to a more dreaded concern: “I’m not sure if I can afford college,” or “I might take a gap year… Can we talk about something else?” Now imagine the difference for middle and high school students who have been given direction and are empowered to pursue their ambitions regardless of their background. Across the United States, countless students face barriers that threaten to derail their educational journeys, leading them to drop out of high school or struggle through college. For many students, especially first-generation graduates, the path forward can feel overwhelming. How do you develop effective study habits? Where do you begin when exploring careers? What does it really take to get into college and secure scholarships?
Image from Lindsey Richardson
The goal of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is to bridge these gaps and offer students the resources and support they need. AVID is not just an elective, but also a program that provides training for teachers in District 7. Through professional development, AVID provides teachers with tools and strategies to help students stay organized, manage time, take charge of their learning, and ultimately gain admission to the college, trade program, or military service of their choice.
At the high school level, AVID carries two meanings. First, it serves as an umbrella program that trains teachers and staff, offering consistent strategies and resources to support student success. Second, it is an elective course designed to support students who are academically “middle of the road,” particularly those facing economic or systemic barriers. These students remain with the same AVID teacher for all four years, creating stability and strong relationships. According to Lindsey Richardson, an instructional coach and AVID teacher at GPHS, “The program provides consistent academic support while ensuring graduates leave with as many post–high school options as possible. Students who start off in the middle of the road should end up working through enough challenges to be in a better position to achieve their goals than before.”
Image from Lindsey Richardson
A typical week in Mrs. Richardson’s AVID classroom blends organization, academic support, and community building. Every Monday, students update planners to schedule time for studying and completing assignments. Mon. and Tues. are content days, covering topics that range from academic support to college and career planning. One day each week is dedicated to tutorials, a structured tutoring model unique to AVID. Upperclassmen can earn tutoring credit by assisting in underclassmen AVID classes. These tutors are not teacher aides; they grade assignments such as Tutorial Request Forms (TRFs), monitor individual student progress, and lead study groups. Before tutorials, students complete a TRF, which involves identifying a specific concept they do not understand, the questions they have, and what they already know. During tutorials, tutors and peers guide the student through the problem using the Socratic method, meaning they can only ask guiding questions. For example, if a student is struggling with solving linear equations in Algebra I, group members might ask, “Now that you’ve subtracted from one side, what should you do with the other side of the equation?” By guiding students toward answers, rather than providing them directly, tutorials build critical thinking and encourage collaborative problem-solving. “It is one of the hardest activities,” Mrs. Richardson explained. “It takes vulnerability to stand up in front of a group and admit that you don’t understand something.” Most Fridays are designated as “Family Fridays.” Because students remain with the same peers and teacher for four years, these days emphasize collaboration and relationship-building through games and group activities.
Image from Lindsey Richardson
While AVID is a four-year program, the curriculum adapts as students progress through each grade level. Strategies such as Focused Notes, WICOR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading), and Socratic seminars remain consistent throughout all four years. However, the focus shifts each year. As Mrs. Richardson described it, “Freshman year is ‘Who am I?’ Sophomore year is ‘Career Exploration.’ Junior year is ‘College Pathways.’ Senior year is ‘Go time, to apply and prepare'.’” Freshmen focus on building foundational organizational habits, including binder systems, note-taking, and planner use. They also take personality and learning-style assessments to better understand how they learn best. Sophomores are able to meet Career Academy requirements through AVID, explore careers of interest, participate in mock interviews, complete job shadows, and map out steps toward their chosen fields. During junior year, students research colleges, scholarships, military options, and trade schools, while drafting college and scholarship essays in advance and creating Common App accounts. Senior year centers on finalizing and submitting applications, often taking advantage of early deadlines, as well as applying for Oregon Promise, FAFSA, scholarships, and grants. Tutorials become student-led study groups, and the year concludes with life-skills projects such as budgeting, meal planning, summer planning, and researching college housing.
Outside the classroom, AVID students participate in events that expand opportunity and strengthen community connections. The program hosts AVID Family Night twice a year, bringing together middle and high school students, families, and the AVID site team for dinner, activities, and informational sessions. AVID students also attend college field trips throughout their first three years of high school. These visits focus on Oregon schools as well as West Coast institutions that participate in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program that offers reduced tuition for Oregon students at certain out-of-state public universities. Freshmen visit Southern Oregon University and Oregon State University; sophomores tour the University of Oregon and Western Oregon University; and juniors visit Oregon Institute of Technology and Rogue Community College’s Table Rock Campus to explore trade and technical programs.
Image from Lindsey Richardson
Sophia Lange is a senior who has been a part of Kathy Mathews’ AVID class for all four years of high school. Her plan for after high school is to earn a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate and a teaching degree so that she can teach internationally. Reflecting on her experience, Sophia shares, “AVID has helped me so much with organization, managing my time, and I feel more confident presenting in front of people.” Thanks to AVID’s support and her own dedication, Sophia completed her college essays during her junior year and has already been accepted into Western Oregon University, University of Puget Sound, Bushnell University, and Colorado Mesa University.
For Ms. Richardson, the most rewarding aspect of teaching AVID is witnessing students’ growth across all four years of high school. “You get to see the full journey,” she said. “You get to see their growth and be with the same students all four years.” On a personal level, she added, “AVID has really challenged me to adapt my methods based on the learning styles I see unfolding, and to slow down and reflect on what needs to improve for each group of students.” The program’s intentional curriculum allows educators to adapt to students’ needs while keeping long-term success at the center. Students who participate in AVID for at least three years, maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher, and complete 20 hours of community service graduate wearing white AVID stoles over their GPHS blue gowns. But for many students, AVID represents more than academic preparation. It provides a foundation of confidence, independence, and direction that continues long after graduation.
Sources:
Sources:
Interview with Lindsey Richardson, AVID Teacher
Interview with Sophia Lange, AVID Senior
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