AVID
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a teaching and learning system that provides teachers and students with research based best teaching and learning practices to support students to engage in and maximise their learning. AVID provides students with the explicit academic tools and strategies needed for success at university, work and careers and to be competent, confident and self- determined lifelong learners. Teachers, students and families work together to implement and expand the AVID strategies schoolwide, using a common language. In doing so we create a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in which students can fulfil their full potential.
Wyndham Central College offers the AVID program schoolwide from Year 7 to Year 12 so that all of our students are given a solid foundation for their lifelong learning journey. At the heart of AVID’s methodologies is the WICOR teaching and learning framework:
- Writing: learning to write and Writing to learn;
- Inquiry: emphasis on Inquiry learning practices;
- Collaboration: Collaborative learning strategies;
- Organisation: Organisational tools and skills;
- Critical Reading: learning to read and reading to learn.
WICOR provides students, teachers and the whole –school environment with a common language and strategic focus to develop the academic, social and emotional skills of students
All students at Wyndham Central College maintain organisation by keeping a well organised AVID binder. All students at the College are explicitly taught and use the Cornell note-taking system, which incorporates all elements of the WICOR and increases student learning.
To further support students the AVID Elective is offered to students in Years 9-12. The focus of the AVID Elective is Tutorology, where students work collaboratively in small groups with a pre-service teacher as a tutor to resolve points of confusion and deepen their understanding of rigorous concepts in their course of study. Students in Years 9-12, who have a willingness to work hard and who show individual determination to succeed are eligible to apply for the AVID elective.
AVID is designed to increase school-wide learning and performance. The implementation of AVID at Wyndham Central College in 2013 has been met with exceptional success. There has been improvement in all areas of teaching and learning at the College and in VCE results. Furthermore, the success of AVID at our College has seen Wyndham Central College become the first secondary college in Australia to be awarded AVID Certification achieving a status of a Highly Certified AVID School.
