AVID Elementary is offered at 28 elementary schools in Santa Ana Unified, impacting over 8,000 students in over 300 classrooms.

By teaching and reinforcing academic behaviors and higher-level thinking at a young age, AVID Elementary teachers create a ripple effect in later grades. Elementary students develop the academic habits they will need to be successful in middle school, high school, and college, in an age-appropriate and challenging way. Children learn about organization, study skills, communication, and self-advocacy. AVID Elementary students take structured notes and answer and ask high-level questions that go beyond routine answers.

The strong college-going culture on an AVID Elementary campus encourages students to think about their college and career plans. Schools cover their walls with college pennants and banners, and educators speak about their college experiences. College and careers are no longer foreign concepts, and teachers provide the academic foundation students need to be on a path to college and career success. AVID Elementary closes the opportunity gap before it begins.

AVID Secondary is offered at 20 secondary schools in Santa Ana Unified, impacting over 4,000 students in the AVID Elective classes, as well as thousands more schoolwide.

The power of AVID Secondary is the ability to impact students in the AVID Elective class and all students throughout the campus. AVID Secondary can have an effect on the entire school by providing classroom activities, teaching practices, and academic behaviors that can be incorporated into any classroom to improve engagement and success for all students. Teachers can take what they've learned at AVID training back to any classroom to help all students, not just those in AVID, to become more college- and career-ready.

To address this need, AVID has developed the AVID Elective course. For one period a day, students receive the additional academic, social, and emotional support that will help them succeed in their school’s most rigorous courses. Additionally, the language and literacy needs of long-term English language learners can be addressed through the AVID Excel elective class. 

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nonprofit that changes lives by helping schools shift to a more equitable, student-centered approach. Over 85,000 educators annually are trained worldwide to close the opportunity gap, so they can prepare all students for college, careers, and life.

Our nation’s schools are full of students who possess a desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard, but many of them do not truly have the opportunity to be college-ready. These are often the students who will be the first in their families to attend college and are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education. AVID equips teachers and schools with what they need to help these students succeed on a path to college and career success. AVID provides scaffolded support that educators and students need to encourage college and career readiness and success. 

The AVID College Readiness System has been in Santa Ana Unified since 2000. It currently is used at 28 elementary schools and 20 secondary schools.