During the first day of teacher in-service August 19, Irving High was announced as the first school in the district to be awarded national certification for the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program.
According to Paula Barnhouse, an AVID district director, AVID is a system to prepare students in the “academic middle” for four-year college eligibility. AVID targets “B” and “C” students who are capable of completing rigorous curriculum and who have the desire to go to college.
Barnhouse said students are enrolled in pre-advanced placement (AP) and AP courses, and also in an AVID elective. For the AVID class period, students learn organizational and study skills, work on critical thinking and asking probing questions, get academic help from college tutors, and participate in motivational enrichment activities that make college seem attainable.
In order to be a nationally certified AVID site, a school must implement AVID for two years and meet rigorous national standards in its implementation. Irving High completed its second year in 2008-2009, was evaluated and met national certification standards. Austin Middle School , Crockett Middle School Nimitz High School , Bowie Middle School , and Lamar Middle School
