AVID Co-coordinator
Overview
The Advanced Via Individualized Determination (AVID) is a college readiness program designed to increase student learning and performance. The program teaches organizational skills, promotes critical thinking skills, and guides students to learn through inquiry. The program advances students academically through effective research-based methods of instruction and provision of meaningful and motivational learning.
The AVID coordinators help identify students who have a desire to enter college, and once the students are part of the program, coordinators work with the AVID site team of teachers and counselors to serve the needs of the AVID students in multiple ways. One critical part of coordinating is facilitating the AVID site team to set goals for the school year, and ensuring that the team make progress towards the goals. I shared the responsibilities of AVID coordinator with Ms. Godin, an AVID site team member, and school counselor.
Responsibilities of an AVID Coordinator
- Create, implement, and organize a student recruitment plan for 6th grade
- Address student placement or scheduling changes
- Coordinate arrangements for college field trips
- Monitor AVID student grades in all classes
- Ensure elective teachers have appropriate curriculum/materials
- Coordinate/facilitate site level curriculum conversations
- Establish a recruitment process for tutors & provide on-going coaching and support for tutors
- Submit the AVID Center Data Forms online and utilize data to improve program
- Coordinate/facilitate collection of site data to help analyze progress of program
- Create an AVID site budget working with administrator; ensure it is in the school improvement plan
- Complete the online Initial Self-Study and Certification Self-Study according to given deadlines
- Attend and support elective teachers to attend on-going LACOE/AVID training
- Schedule/plan/facilitate regular site team meetings at least quarterly
- Ensure AVID Parent workshops have been implemented
Reflection
The privilege of being part of the AVID site team has always been one of the highlights of my teaching career. The collaborative efforts and the countless hours the team invests to ensure the academic, social, and overall success of the AVID is a source of pride. The relationships that are formed through working closely with the students is invaluable year-to-year.
This school year has been a different experience because, in addition to being an AVID Elective teacher, I had the opportunity to be a coordinator. It brought to perspective the work that it takes to facilitate the program; the weight of responsibility that one carries to be accountable to the AVID students and site team members is heavy. The AVID site team lost one of our coordinators last year who was a key member, and who implemented the AVID program at our school. As a result, this school year, we had to pick up the pieces and attempt to sustain the program with limited knowledge. Learning the responsibilities and finding time outside of teaching to complete tasks on hand was challenging.
Additionally, college-age tutors are a vital part of the AVID program, but due to budget cuts, the district has decided not to fund any more tutors beginning this school year. Therefore, one of the goals that the AVID site team decided upon was to find other means for the students to have access to tutors. Hence, we partnered with Gear Up (a program run by state grants in partnerships with schools to aid cohorts of students to attend college) to have college students act as tutors, and also trained eighth grade AVID students to serve as additional tutors in the seventh grade AVID elective classes.
Being one of the AVID coordinators has been an educational experience. I acquired knowledge about leadership and facilitating a site team, but I also learned a lot about myself as a person. I know that efficiency has always been my strength, and I used it to my advantage as co-coordinator, but I have also come to realize that it is my weakness as well. At times, due to my need to be efficient, I lost perspective on the purpose of the activities that were being planned, and focused only on the logistics. I also missed opportunities to build deeper relationships with my students and fellow AVID site team members as a result. So as I reflect on my experience as a coordinator and look forward to next year, I know the plans we have to put into place in order to improve and build upon what we have accomplished this year. However, my personal goal is to focus on building and deepening the relationships within the AVID community of our school, because when I recall each individual student with whom we have worked, the academic progress they have made, and how they have matured, it has been worthwhile, and it reminds me of the purpose of the AVID site team, and also as educators.
Connection to CPSEL
3.2 Maintained and improved school structures and processes that support student an effective learning environment
3.3 Managed the school as a learning-support system by utilizing effective systems management, organizational development, problem-solving and decision-making techniques; continued to monitor and evaluate the program and staff
5.2 Made and communicated decisions based upon relevant data and research about effective teaching and learning, leadership management practices, and equity
5.4 Encouraged and inspired others to higher levels of performance, commitment, and motivation
6.2 Viewed myself as a leader of a team and also a member of a larger team
Supporting Documents
Sample Agenda AVID Site Team Meeting 10-10-12
