Ferndale Middle School, a school in Michigan has started an Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program which enables students with mixed abilities to get the push they need to achieve equally as the other students. Also, this will help in increasing student diversity in higher education. Schools all around the state are planning to follow the AVID model or a unique one with a similar ideology behind it.
Parents understand when they need to give their children some extra push to let the best out of them. Parents at the Ferndale school believe that the AVID elective helps with their learning and school, so they can stand shoulder to shoulder with other students in the school.
Some different schools are planning to remove honors courses from their school curriculum. This will be done to give girl students more opportunities to explore Mathematics and Science fields. In a study, it was found that the girl students have more edge in humanity and arts when compared to Mathematics and Science honors courses.
Grosse Pointe Public School has taken honors in science and social studies off the course and they are planning to adopt a better and student-friendly curriculum. As pointed by a high-level authority at Gross Pointe, Maureen Bur they are mainly into the equity, not just in the terms of race or ethnic background, but also how boys and girls learn.
AVID aims for equality in STEM education and careers
AVID isn’t new to the system though, it has been introduced in 1980. Since then more than 7000 schools across all states in the US follow it. AVID is also followed in some Canadian and Australian Schools. Within Michigan, there are six states that follow the AVID program.
As per the reports of non-profit organizations, the program has been quite successful. 42% of the low-income students who took AVID elective graduated with a four-year degree while there were just 11% of the students who didn’t take the elective.
Mixing students of all abilities and removing the honors courses has though received mixed reactions. Some say they support the move the district and the school are making while there are parents who don’t like the approach of mixing up in the middle school. However, if the results are proving to be effective for everyone, the program will continue to grow to many schools outside Michigan.
