AVID – Preparing For Life Dreams

Advancement via Individual Determination

Our scholars in our Online Learning Program are fully supported in personal quests for futures full of opportunity. One way we establish such support is through our school-wide implementation of AVID instructional strategies and our AVID elective course. We are proud to be one of a few free online charter schools in the nation to earn the title of Certified AVID Site for our High School AVID Elective course. 

Compass Online scholars in grades 7-12 can elect to take AVID for the next level of support to build relational capacity, build collaborative and inquiry skills, and lead their peers as they prepare for College and Career Readiness. So what is AVID, and how does it help so much?

AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) was created by a San Diego English teacher in 1980 who saw that there were scholars who could be capable of going to college, but lacked the skill sets and mindset necessary to achieve top grades, or the confidence to pursue higher education or advanced careers. Today, this proven development system creates a safe open environment with high expectations for both scholars and teachers, to establish a collaborative goal to improve academic success. All Supervising Teachers attend AVID Professional Development and employ AVID Strategies across both programs, driving our schoolwide implementation. In essence, Compass Online Learning Program offers AVID to help close achievement gaps and prepare even more scholars for higher education or whatever life dream lies ahead. 

Happy Scholars

We use a lot of acronyms in AVID, and that’s all part of the program. Scholars develop and fine-tune critical skills to prepare for the future, and a lot of what they take away may stick with them for life. Here is a peek at some of what Compass Online scholars in AVID learn:

WICOR – Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading. These are the main areas of focus for AVID.

POC – Point of Confusion. It’s self-explanatory yet an essential part of learning. Once a scholar understands their POC, they can then ask for help and get that Aha! moment.

TRF – Tutor Request Form. Once the scholar pinpoints their POC, they can fill out a TRF that helps them map out what they do know, what they don’t, and to what level they need support.

C-Notes – Note-taking skills from Cornell University that help scholars better capture and retain course material.

Think, Pair, Share – OK, so this isn’t an acronym, but it’s easy to remember. This concept helps scholars learn how to communicate effectively in a group and work out a problem.

Academic Portfolios are created by each scholar as a way to showcase their learning journey and growth over the course of the school year, as they learn various organizational and notetaking skills.

We have weekly labs where scholars share engaging lessons on various ways to take, organize, interact, and apply the information they are learning in their CORE courses. Scholars enjoy inquiry-based learning on areas of personal interest and have the opportunity to build confidence in their public speaking abilities.

Imagine how much more ready these scholars can be for any pursuit outside of school after working out these skills with teachers and fellow scholars.

Scholars Think of Their Future

Ask any Compass Online AVID scholar how their mindset changed after taking the program. You might get goosebumps. Shy, quiet scholars gain confidence and learn how to communicate what they want and need, as well as how to communicate within a group. Many scholars boast how AVID helps them with time-management and organization. According to our AVID Scholar Highlights, scholars smile with pride that their grades jump up. They get to share this pride in the largest Spirit Week in the World, April 27-May 1st! And for many, for the first time ever, they start to seriously look to the future with optimistic curiosity.

You don’t have to take it from us. 

Online Scholar Jeremiah Franco

Jeremiah Franco, a Compass Online scholar, chose AVID to invest in his future and is happy to share his thoughts on the program.

“I have been getting excellent grades my first semester, and I was awarded an Honor Roll Award. I believe AVID has helped me achieve that,” Jeremiah said. “I would like an engineering job in the future; AVID helps me understand what colleges look for in an engineering course.” He adds, “I would highly recommend this program to other scholars because it is helpful in school and gaining a head-start into the future past high school.”

What happens at the end of the program?

AVID helps scholars with college credits and applications. It’s quite the interview process, and on the other end of that, there are potential funds available for college tuition. AVID for the high school scholar is an excellent opportunity for those who might be the first in their family to go to college.

At Compass Online, we help our scholars discover and realize academic goals and life dreams. AVID is just one incredibly powerful program we have the privilege and honor to implement school-wide. As we continue to embrace and encourage AVID initiatives, we are confident Compass Online scholars will continue to share  incredible success stories. Your scholar could be the next Firebird we highlight. Rise and soar with us at Compass Online! Enroll today!

About Compass 

Compass Charter Schools’ Online Learning Program (Compass Online) celebrates 10 years as the Gold Standard in Virtual Education. Serving thousands of online scholars throughout California, we support each K-12 scholar and learning coach with in-house counselors, talented accredited teachers, and a staff of excellence. As the only Purple Star School in California, and one of the few online AVID programs in the nation, Compass Online is beyond unique and impressive. Rise and Soar with our Firebirds – enroll with Compass Online today!