AVID @ Hughes MS

What is AVID?

avid logoAVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an academic elective class offered at Hughes Middle School that is “supported by a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other post-secondary opportunities. Established more than 35 years ago with one teacher in one classroom, AVID today impacts nearly 1.5 million students in 46 states.

AVID at Hughes

The AVID program was introduced to Hughes in the spring 2010.  We continue to grow and are currently serving 100 students in four sections of AVID: Two sections each in 7th and 8th grade.

The Hughes AVID program is supported by an AVID Site Team that is made up of administrators, counselors, teachers, and AVID parents.  The Site Team and AVID program continues to grow and improve through the AVID Summer Institute trainings in Philadelphia that teachers and administrators attend yearly.

How to Apply for AVID

Students are recruited and selected through an application process that begins the prior year to fill slots in the available sections for each grade.  All students are welcome to apply, but a current teacher must fill out a recommendation form to address which criteria they match set forth by AVID.  Students are then interviewed and applications are reviewed and scored by the AVID Site Team for final determination of selection for the following year’s AVID class. Any student selected for AVID makes a yearly commitment to participate in the program and will review that commitment at the end of each year for continuation in the program. AVID does not end at Hughes! Students from LHMS can continue in the AVID program when they enter South Lakes High School.

LHMS is growing in the AVID School wide approach of teaching and learning through the use of:

  • the 5 step Cornell note taking process
  • an emphasis on inquiry based learning paired with the IB program
  • academic discourse activities such as Socratic seminars and philosophical debates
  • effective annotation reading/writing strategies
  • the One Binder Organizational System for all students to impact the entire Hughes school community for lifelong achievement.

For further information or questions regarding the AVID program contact the AVID Coordinator, Kristina Burke at: @email