AVID Postsecondary
During its 30-year history, AVID has demonstrated success by preparing elementary and secondary students, mostly underserved from families without a college-going tradition. It is now essential to reach beyond the secondary level. Our strong connections to postsecondary institutions prompted colleges and universities to ask the AVID Center to extend our efforts to college students and create the possibility of a college support pipeline with grades 4-16.
There are hard truths to which AVID can bring hope: Only half of our college students receive a degree and 30% of entering freshmen enroll in remedial coursework. These results worsen for community college, minority, and low-income students. We understand the urgency to support college-goers and the need to build K-16 bridges that define a coherent system with a watchful eye on what students can achieve with rigor, high expectations, and support.
What is AVID Postsecondary?
A systemic initiative to support students who are under-prepared for college by:
- Providing a year-long academic training program to develop college success skills needed for academic success, persistence and graduation
- Reducing barriers that traditionally limit levels of academic achievement
- Facilitating professional development using student success pedagogies applicable across academic disciplines and student services
- Designing a college plan around the five AVID Postsecondary Essentials
AVID Postsecondary has a distinctive impact on:
- Students
- Faculty
- Campus Culture
To learn about the impacts at each level, view AVID Postsecondary's Distinctive Impact.
Postsecondary Institutions
We are determining appropriate professional development and examining barriers for students and needed support structures for their persistence and completion. Currently, there are 24 college campuses, diverse in geographic setting, student populations, and size, implementing AVID Postsecondary:
- Amarillo College (TX)
- Augsburg College (MN)
- California State University at Bakersfield (CA)
- Central Texas College (TX)
- Huston-Tillotson University (TX)
- Los Medanos College (CA)
- Mt. Hood Community College (OR)
- Odessa College (TX)
- Skagit Valley College (WA)
- Southwest Texas Junior College (TX)
- Texas A&M Central Texas (TX)
- Texas A&M Commerce (TX)
- Texas A&M Corpus Christi (TX)
- Texas A&M Kingsville (TX)
- Texas College (TX)
- Texas State Technical College, Harlingen (TX)
- Texas Southern University (TX)
- Texas Tech University (TX)
- Texas Woman’s University (TX)
- University of Houston Downtown (TX)
- University of Texas at Arlington (TX)
- University of Texas Pan American (TX)
- University of Texas of the Permian Basin (TX)
- Wiley College (TX)
Implementation
Implementation of AVID Postsecondary requires a strong commitment from across the campus. Just as success at the secondary relies on fidelity to the AVID program and Essentials, quality AVID Postsecondary implementation observes its own five Essentials:
- Essential 1 - Administrative Leadership and Support
College administrative leadership actively supports and participates in the implementation of AVID Postsecondary. - Essential 2 - AVID College Planning Team
The AVID college planning team works collaboratively to develop and implement a multi-year college plan and sustain AVID Postsecondary. - Essential 3 – Professional Development
Professional development plans are implemented to support the AVID Postsecondary effort.
- Essential 4 – AVID Freshman Experience and Beyond
AVID Postsecondary students receive academic and advisory support through the AVID freshman experience and other activities that continue until graduation.
- Essential 5 - Data Collection and Research
AVID Postsecondary colleges participate in data collection and research.
Want to learn more about each Essential? View the AVID Postsecondary Essentials.
Are you ready for AVID Postsecondary? For required next steps, view the AVID Postsecondary Checklist.
Want to learn more?
ACCESS Research Journal, Issue 14.3, Fall 2008 features the following article about Postsecondary:
Beyond High School: AVID's Postsecondary Project
Strong connections to postsecondary institutions have caused colleges and universities to ask AVID Center about extending AVID's reach to support students in college, creating the possibility of a college readiness pipeline with grades 4-16.
The Promise of Postsecondary AVID
From Review of Research and Practice on the First-Year Experience Movement
Learn more about the inception of AVID Postsecondary in this article by Harriett Howell Custer.