Alumni’s perceptions of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college readiness system

The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) College Readiness System (ACRS) is a college preparation program that provides an array of college knowledge and college readiness tools and skills primarily for ethnic minority high school students who have been making middling grades, but are striving to become first generation college students. Using naturalistic inquiry, this research developed a case study from the perspective of AVID high school alumni who have persisted in their goals to earn admission into college and have been succeeding in their college studies at major four-year colleges and universities. In particular, this study asked these students for their perspectives on the skills and tools they learned in their AVID classes, and what about those tools helped them gain admission and succeed in meeting the academic challenges they have faced. The research found four emergent themes: AVID focused on me, student-centered activities, AVID family environment, and AVID pride. Additionally, this research reports numerous participant quotes that provide the students’ voices on their perspectives of the program. This study will be of value to school districts, schools, teachers, parents, and students who are considering adopting the ACRS curriculum and to those who already have adopted it to compare their own experiences.