More than 40 Sandalwood students returned to school early this year to participate in a week-long AVID summer bridge program.
AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and it’s a program that targets students in the academic middle — B, C and D students — who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. The program puts these students on the college track: acceleration instead of remediation.
AVID students are enrolled in traditional classes, but also spend one period per day in the AVID elective, learning organizational, critical thinking and study skills. The elective also provides time for students to receive academic support from their AVID teacher, peers and college tutors.
This is the first year Sandalwood has had a summer bridge program, and five teachers returned this summer to help.
Jessie Kirk, formerly a Spanish teacher at Sandalwood, is beginning her second year teaching AVID. She plans to continue teaching in the program because of the growth – both academically and personally - that she sees in her students.
“The AVID program gives students who would typically get lost in the shuffle more self confidence, and equips them with learning strategies that not only help them succeed in their other classes, but also prepares them for college,” said Kirk.
The WICR method (writing, inquiry, collaboration and reading) is the basis of the AVID curriculum, and includes learning techniques such as Cornell Notetaking, tutorial groups, learning logs and inquiry-based questioning.
Tenth-grade students Judy H., Leila E. and Jessica Y., who began the AVID program last year and served as mentors for the summer program, credit AVID in helping them reach academic success and preparing for college.
"AVID helped me improve my math grade from a C to an A," said Judy H. She used two AVID learning components, Cornell Notes and tutorials, to help her in math.
"AVID has really helped me with my writing, especially since we have already started practicing our SAT vocabulary," said Jessica Y.
Once school begins, more than 300 Sandalwood students will be participating in the AVID program. This year’s rising seniors will be the first from the program, which began three years ago, to graduate.
The other AVID teacher at Sandalwood, Robert "Matthew" Hartley, who was formerly a reading teacher, will be teaching the 12th-grade students.
He says his seniors are not only focused on graduating, but also on attending college after high school.
"AVID students prepare for college throughout high school," Hartley said. "They decide which colleges they would be interested in attending, and then research the admission requirements and financial aid information."
For Hartley, the AVID program has not only helped his students, but has also helped him decide on his own career plans. He had planned to stop teaching and return to college to seek a degree in another field, but changed his mind once he began teaching AVID.
"You build a strong relationship with the students in this program and you want to see them be successful," said Hartley. "Once your heart gets involved, you can't turn your back on these kids."
The AVID program is currently in 11 Duval County high schools. Terry Parker High School is also
hosting a summer bridge program.
For more information about AVID, visit www.avidonline.org or contact the district's AVID Specialist Eddie Christian at 904-348-7788.
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