Dec 13, 2017
Life skills outside of the classroom play a major role in determining academic success. Can tutors take note and add another dimension to their students’ experience?
How do you better teach math and reading skills? Maybe in part by not teaching math and reading, if the AVID program has anything to say about improving student learning.
The non-profit organization Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) designed its program particularly for students from low-income and historically marginalized socioeconomic backgrounds. AVID’s proponents point to the program’s focus on building individual relationships between students, families, and teachers – something tutors can relate to in their own professional experience.
In California’s Covina-Valley Unified School District, which uses the AVID approach, Latino students make up 75% of the student body – and they’re outperforming their peers statewide. Fifty-five percent of Covina-Valley Latino students passed their 2017 English language arts exams, compared to 37% of Latino students across California. The students' 2017 math exam scores were also higher: 32% compared to a state average of 25%.
Engaging students outside of academic learning – by encouraging extracurricular activities, making home visits and time for community events, and teaching “meta-cognitive skills” like note-taking – give students the motivation and support to succeed in their core academic subjects.
banner image from https://edsource.org/2017/how-one-california-district-narrowed-its-latino-achievement-gap/591518
How One California District Narrowed its Latino Achievement Gap https://edsource.org/2017/how-one-california-district-narrowed-its-latino-achievement-gap/591518
