AVID - San Juan Unified School District

AVID is a program designed for students who want to attend college after high school graduation. AVID’s mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society. To learn more, visit the National AVID Center Website.

Why apply for AVID?

AVID Students:

have determination and desire for college
might be first in their family to go to college
succeed in the most rigorous courses
become a part of school and community activities
become educated and responsible participants and leaders in society
Nearly 100% of SJUSD AVID graduates complete college entrance requirements compared to 37% of CA students overall.

Activities and Events for AVID Students:

SAT/ACT Prep
College / Career Exploration
Field Trips
Financial Aid Workshops
Academic Support during class from tutors
College Application support

How to Become a High School AVID Student

Keep your grades up. AVID students usually have a 3.1 GPA or above. Citizenship grades count, too!
Fill out the AVID application online as soon as you are interested in AVID. High school AVID teachers will review applications and notify students about enrollment decisions.
You’ll be notified by the high school you will be attending if you have a space in the AVID class.

2026-2027 HS AVID APPLICATION

How to Become a Middle School AVID Student

Contact the AVID Coordinator at the middle school you will be attending.
AVID accepts all grade levels of students, so even if you're already enrolled in middle school, you can still join!

HS Contacts

Contact your designated high school's AVID Coordinator for more information

Bella Vista - Christina Schlater / christina.schlater@sanjuan.edu
Casa Roble - David Vazquez / david.vazquez@sanjuan.edu
Del Campo- Dani Baeder and David Eidem / darriann.baeder@sanjuan.edu - david.eidem@sanjuan.edu
El Camino - Marcia Tyler / marcia.tyler@sanjuan.edu
Encina - Antonio Contreras / antonio.contreras@sanjuan.edu
Mesa Verde - Luke Whatley / luke.whatley@sanjuan.edu
Rio Americano - Erica Kelt / erica.kelt@sanjuan.edu
San Juan HS - Erica Kinsworthy / erica.kinsworthy@sanjuan.edu
District Director - Diane Boyd / dboyd@sanjuan.edu

MS Contacts

Contact your middle school's AVID Coordinator for more information

Arden Middle School - Amber Betzler / amber.betzler@sanjuan.edu
Barrett Middle School - Rebecca Culver / rebecca.culver@sanjuan.edu
Carnegie Middle School - Kim Baker / kim.baker@sanjuan.edu
Churchill Middle School - Stephanie Bauman / stephanie.bauman@sanjuan.edu and Jamie Masse / jamie.masse@sanjuan.edu
Katherine Johnson Middle School - Brittany Yavrom / brittany.yavrom@sanjuan.edu
Pasteur Middle School - Tammi Shelton / tshelton@sanjuan.edu
Sylvan Middle School - Riley Goode / riley.goode@sanjuan.edu
Will Rogers Middle School - Katharine Silaj / katharine.silaj@sanjuan.edu
District Director - Diane Boyd / dboyd@sanjuan.edu

AVID K-12

AVID is primarily a middle and high school system, with some presence in the elementary level, that prepares students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID is based on the idea that “effort creates ability” and it has proven to bring out the best in students and in closing the opportunity gap.

In San Juan Unified School District, AVID Secondary is available at K-8 schools, middle schools and comprehensive high schools. Three elementary schools participate in AVID Elementary. The mission of AVID is to ensure that ALL students and most especially the least served students who are in the middle will: succeed in rigorous curriculum; complete a rigorous college preparatory path; enter mainstream activities of the school; increase their enrollment in four-year colleges; and become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society. If you are an elementary, middle, or high school student and would like to be a part of the AVID Elective, please contact your school.

The AVID Student

AVID targets students in the academic middle — B, C, and even D students — who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. These are students who are capable of completing rigorous curriculum but are falling short of their potential. Typically, they will be the first in their families to attend college, and many are from low-income or minority families. AVID pulls these students out of their less challenging courses and puts them on the college track: acceleration instead of remediation.

The AVID Elective

Not only are students enrolled in their school’s toughest classes, such as honors and advanced placement, but also in the AVID elective. For one period a day, they learn organizational and study skills, work on critical thinking and asking probing questions, get academic help from peers and college tutors, and participate in enrichment and motivational activities that make college seem attainable. Their self-images improve, and they become academically successful leaders and role models for other students.

The AVID Curriculum

The AVID curriculum, based on rigorous standards, was developed by middle and high school teachers in collaboration with college professors. It is driven by the WICR method, which stands for writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading. AVID curriculum is used in AVID elective classes, in content-area classes in AVID schools, and even in schools where the AVID elective is not offered.

The AVID Faculty

One key to a successful AVID program is a site coordinator/teacher who is a respected site instructional leader, works well with secondary school personnel, college students and faculty, who can organize curriculum as well as activities, and who is committed to serving the needs of target students. The coordinator works with colleagues to implement AVID methodologies school wide, place students in college preparatory curriculum, and to work with counselors to guide students through the college application process.

The AVID Tutor

Tutors are essential to the success of the AVID elective class, where they facilitate student access to rigorous curriculum. As students from colleges and universities, tutors receive formal training and also serve as role models. AVID students who continue their education in college often return to the program as tutors.

We are always seeking qualified applicants to fill our tutor positions.

The AVID Parent/Guardian

Community

Colleges demonstrate their support of AVID programs in many ways. They may provide class speakers, offer college credit courses to AVID high school students, include AVID students in residential, academically-oriented summer bridge programs, and follow and support the progress of AVID students during their college careers. The community supports AVID by providing speakers and summer apprenticeships for AVID students.

Results

Nationwide, independent research, together with AVID’s own data, validate that the AVID college-readiness system works. AVID students are more likely to take AP classes, complete their college eligibility requirements, and get into four-year colleges than students who don’t take AVID. In California's class of 2025, 92% percent of all AVID graduates complete the “a-g” course requirements necessary for four-year college acceptance. AVID also helps ensure that students, once accepted to college, possess the higher-level skills they need for college success. Last spring, the San Juan Unified School District celebrated 170 AVID graduating seniors. Out of those 170 AVID seniors, 161 met four year college eligibility requirements. 58% enrolled in college immediately after graduation. AVID seniors in our district had an overall 3.6 grade point average.

74% of our graduates persist in college into their second year and beyond. Some examples of college acceptances of SJUSD AVID students are Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC LA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, Menlo College, St Mary's, Loyola Marymount, UNR, Eastern Washington, and University of Oregon, to name a few. Over the years, prestigious scholarships have been awarded to San Juan Unified AVID seniors, examples being the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship (1 out of 1,000 given nationwide), the Buck Scholarship, and the Dell Scholarship.

The AVID elective class is led by a teacher who has been trained in the program’s methodologies. AVID’s professional development, however, goes further than that. Teachers and administrators from throughout the school and District attend AVID’s Summer Institutes, where they learn techniques for bringing out the best in average students.

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