Today is the first national AVID Day dedicated to recognizing the incredible work of the educators who are committed to closing the opportunity gap and making a difference in students’ lives.
Both Richardson and Berkner high schools are AVID National Demonstration Schools. Administrators from all over the country come to RISD to learn more about how the school district is helping prepare all students for college and career readiness.
The number of RISD students enrolled in the high school AVID elective in 2024-25 rose 37% from the year earlier. Students enrolled in the junior high and middle school AVID elective grew 3% from 2023-24. Also, Diana Larsen of Berkner and Richard Pardo of North Junior High are members of the first cohort of teachers in the AVID Certified Educator Program.
RHS AVID Coordinator Elizabeth (Beth) Brown is so good at her job that the national AVID Center asked her to write new units for the senior curriculum that would be published nationally.
“I was identified by AVID Center as a subject matter expert in my work with AVID seniors,” Brown said. “I have been teaching AVID seniors and supporting students’ post-secondary goals since 2008. I have shared much of my personalized senior curriculum, including post-secondary application preparation and processes, personalized tracking spreadsheets, and hands-on life-skills units as a presenter at the AVID national conference for several years. AVID is in the process of rolling out updated curriculum for grade levels 6-12 this year, and there are four total rollouts. It has been an honor to be able to support teachers across the globe as they support senior students’ collegiate and post-secondary dreams.”
Congratulations, Beth! #RISDBeTheOne
