Three years ago, Colleen Ledley and a few associates began a “grassroots movement” to gather information about Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID. A national program used in schools for the past 27 years, AVID teaches confidence and the academic habits necessary to help students reach college.
Why implement AVID at IHS? “When you look at the graduation rate and kids going to four-year colleges, it looks good, but if you take a closer look, the numbers are different,” Ledley said. “We’re trying to give minority families a chance. We’re trying to close the achievement gap and increase the rigor at IHS. We help give students the know-how to succeed, skills that they may not be aware that they need. They might need help knowing how to study from their notes, for example. We also expect kids to make mistakes, pick themselves up, and move on. We’re teaching good habits and fostering a mentality.”
A high grade point average (GPA) at IHS involves more factors than are immediately apparent. Besides assimilating information, students are also responsible for the “hidden curriculum”: the less obvious skills necessary for classroom success. “We try to teach metacognition,” Ledley said. “Metacognition is awareness and reflection on the learning process. After a lesson, we encourage the students to ask themselves, ‘What is it I’m learning? What is it I’m doing here?’ We teach students awareness of their own learning potential.”
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