Eight teachers from New Manchester High School recently attended an AVID Institute in Tampa, Florida last June to learn to inspire and prepare students for higher education. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) aspires to prepare students traditionally underrepresented at colleges and universities for success in high school, college, and the workforce.
“I learned more practical strategies during the three days of professional learning in this conference than I did all four years of my undergraduate teacher preparation,” commented NMHS English/Language Arts teacher Tennile Edwards.
While at the Institute, teachers participated in content-specific workshops and updated their school’s AVID site plan. Rachel Rogers, AVID Coordinator and 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year for the Douglas County School System, lead the group of educators.
The eight instructors who went to the AVID conference last June join the existing site team of teachers who benefitted from the same training summer of 2017. After the institute, the committee organized an open house for rising ninth graders interested in the program and interviewed applicants to see if they fit the profile. The site team will be instrumental in rolling out AVID initiatives to their departments and the entire school.
The forty freshmen who became part of the program at the beginning of the school year joined the forty sophomores who started AVID a year ago. As these students progress through the program, they will prepare for standardized tests, putting themselves in a position to earn scholarships.
“By the time my AVID students graduate from high school, they will be equipped with the confidence, knowledge, and the skill set to satisfy four-year college entrance requirements and succeed at the post-secondary level,” explained Rogers.
