Amy Batista, Special Writer
MONROE — AVID, or Acquirement Via Individual Determination, has been helping students at Monroe schools study and get organized for the past three years.
Jan. 27, Monroe Township Middle School hosted AVID Parent Day for the parents to come in and observe the program as well as have an opportunity to experience the benefits of the program firsthand.
The program was set up Friday to be done period by period, allowing parents the chance to see their child in action and present what they have learned versus just the night presentation that was done in the past.
This is the fourth year Monroe Township Middle School has participated in the AVID program.
”Basically, they are explaining different learning strategies they have learned through the AVID program to the parents,” said James Higgins, AVID site coordinator and assistant principal.
”Parents are getting a hands-on (approach) so they can see what goes on in the classroom,” said Chari Chanley, principal of Monroe Township Middle School. “Every other day, they (students) have an AVID elective teacher that teaches them the strategies that they can then implement in the classroom.”
”Tutorology and marking the text are our main ones and help us out with a lot of things that we do with AVID,” said eighth-grader Sarah McGarth.
”I’m happy with it. I enjoyed myself,” said Sarah in reference to presenting her station, “Marking the Text,” to the parents. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be. The parents seemed to enjoy it. It was just nice for all of us to collaborate together.”
”It helps me a lot in school, surprisingly,” said eighth-grader Nicholas Goff. “At first, I doubted it. I like it now.”
Parents interacted with the students as they presented the strategies learned throughout the school year in their AVID program. Parents had the opportunity to meet the AVID teachers, staff and administrators.
In the presentation, the students and their tutors set up five stations to explain AVID to parents and other guests. One station explained the Cornell notes method; another explained tutorology — which teaches students to answer questions outside of the lesson; another explained how AVID teaches marking texts; Costa’s level of questioning teaches students how to ask more effective questions; and the last station, WICR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Reading) explained how all four key instructional strategies are pulled together .
All AVID teachers attend annual training for one week during the summer. Each year, the teachers work on refining their skills and areas in order to take their program up a level.
”We try to show them through different facets of the AVID program, like guest speakers who we have come in and speak to them about their college years and what they did as college students to prepare for their careers and how they use these four components (writing, inquiry, collaboration, reading) in their day-to-day jobs and in their lives,” said Sherri Fatovic, Quest AVID elective teacher.
She added, “We try to get them to understand and appreciate these four areas of study can really help them to go forward.”
AVID is a nationwide program designed as a college readiness program. The program is a national program and has been in existence for 30 years now.
Monroe Township Middle School just recently received its AVID certificate and was recognized officially this past fall.
AVID is an elementary through post-secondary college readiness system that is designed to increase schoolwide learning and performance. The AVID system is designed to accelerate student learning, use research-based methods of effective instruction, provide professional development and act as a catalyst for systemic reform and change, according to the AVID website, www.avid.org.
There is a process the students need to go through in order to be part of the AVID program. The students get recommended by their teachers and their counselors. Once the students are recommended, they are asked to do a writing sample and work samples are provided.
Students then are interviewed by a panel. Their information is compiled onto a rubric, and from there, the information is scored.
”For me, it was an assessment piece seeing them here today because this is their first live presentation,” Cybele Posner, Spectrum AVID elective teacher, said referring to her seventh-grade class. “I was able to see them live to see if they were projecting, did they know their topic, were they engaging with the audience, were they asking questions?”
”College interviews, job interviews, this is what it we’re really setting them up for so that by the time they get down the road, they are going to be very well-versed in these skills,” Ms. Posner said. “The individual stations are other strategies of what they have covered so far this year.”
She added, “Our tutors are our facilitators. They are all emphasizing the college readiness and what you need to get there.”
The AVID program just increased the days for tutorology due to its significant role. After-school tutorology was implemented, and the first session began Jan. 26. It starts at the end of the school day and runs until 4:15 p.m.
Students are invited to attend the after-school tutorology and do it voluntarily. The program has 20 students enrolled.
”We are always looking to expand and provide more services to the kids as we see needs are arising,” Ms. Posner added.
”I really believe that these kids are going to accomplish great things as they get college and career ready,” said Dr. Jeff Gorman, district site coordinator and assistant superintendent of Monroe schools. “I think it ties right in with preparing our kids for that type of experience where they choose to go to college or not. It’s up to them, but we are going to give them the skills to be equipped for it.”
He added, “The teachers really connect with the kids and the families. It (AVID program) has the potential to impact every student in the building.”
”I am a pre-medical student so right now I am at UMDNJ, and I am receiving my master’s in biomedical science,” said William Weeks, an AVID tutor. “When I was a student in middle school, I was that average road, A/B student that if I had done a bit better, maybe there would have been scholarship opportunities.”
He added, “I’ve learned as much as they have learned. I go to my classes at UMDNJ, and I use some of the strategies that they’re learning, and I didn’t even know what they were called. Now since I know there is a name to these, I will tell Mrs. Posner I just used this strategy in my class.”
”I think the kids did a great job,” said parent Thomas Pietrulewicz, of Monroe. “They seem to know a lot about the topics that are involved. It helps my son with his study habits and to organize things.
”For him (her son), this is the perfect program,” said parent Diana Pietrulewicz, of Monroe. “When he got picked, (he) wanted to do it. He’s that average kid. He likes it; he’s excited about it.”
She added, “How many kids in school do you know that take an interest in learning? He talks about colleges at home. It’s getting him ready.”
”I was really impressed with the notebook organization,” said Councilwoman Leslie Koppel and parent of an AVID student. “If my daughter, Remi, can keep her notebook so neat, then she should be able to clean her room like that.”
Three-quarters of the students who participate in at least three years of the program are accepted by four-year colleges, according to the AVID website.
