Welcome to AVID Family Night!

AVID Program Advancement via Individual Determination [L. avidus]: eager for knowledge

The Mission of AVID 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; will complete a rigorous college preparatory path; will enter mainstream activities of the school; will increase their enrollment in four-year colleges; and will become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society.

How AVID Helps Students AVID is an academic, regularly scheduled elective class that helps students by: Teaching study, note-taking and organizational skills Strengthening their reading and writing skills Giving tutorial help with college tutors Teaching them to work collaboratively

How AVID Helps Students AVID guides students to be competitive for college and scholarships, confident in their abilities for success by: Taking them to visit colleges and universities Assisting them with the application process for four- year colleges and universities Assisting students to prepare for college entrance exams (ACT, SAT, EAP, etc.) Requiring community service and active involvement in extracurricular activities each semester of high school.

Signed IRC Due (every 2 weeks) Team-Building & Motivational Activities A Sample Week in the AVID Elective Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AVID Curriculum Tutorial Binder Check Signed IRC Due (every 2 weeks) Team-Building & Motivational Activities AVID Curriculum includes: Reading and Writing Curriculum College and Career Preparation and Information Collaborative, inquiry-based work (ex: Socratic Seminar)

How is this class graded? 25%: Binders 25%: Assignments & IRC 25%: Tutorials 25%: Projects, Essays & Portfolio

Binder Expectations Students will have a divider for each class. This divider will be organized so that handouts, notes, and other assignments can be found easily. 1st Quarter = 5 pages of Cornell Notes/week 2nd-4th Quarter =10 pages of Cornell Notes/week

Cornell Notes Cornell notes are a system of note-taking that force students to look at their notes at least TWO more times. The purpose is to help students retain the knowledge they receive in class and to study more effectively.

Tutorials Tutorials are like study groups: students ask each other questions in order to help each other understand concepts.

Tutorials TRFs are Tutorial Request Forms These are due at the beginning of each class on Tutorial days. They are available online as well as provided in class a couple days before Tutorials (to allow students plenty of completion time). Students must work their problem to their point of confusion (POC). Students create a question based on POC.

Preparing for College: Grades and GPA Colleges look closely at the grades that students earn in college-prep courses. The grades are converted into points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0). There is a handy GPA calculator handout on the website to help calculate your Academic GPA. The minimum GPA required for admission to a 4-year college or university varies widely, but students should strive for at least a “B” average or 3.0 GPA. A higher GPA in rigorous courses (AP and honors courses) will increase students' chances of admission to more selective colleges and universities.

IRCs An IRC is an Interim Report Card. Students have already had 2 IRC checks. Must be completed with Parents/Significant Adult and signed. Students with a D or F in a class MUST get mandatory tutoring within two weeks of the IRC. (They will be getting their forms tomorrow.) If students don’t get tutoring, they lose points in AVID.

Portfolio AVID students are required to create and maintain a Portfolio. This is created and worked on in the Elective class. Portfolios will stay with students and be developed through the end of senior year.

Preparing for College Colleges and universities look for “well-rounded” students that participate in extracurricular activities such as sports, student government, music, drama, visual arts, community/volunteer service, and/or part- time jobs. Not the amount of activities you do, but the depth Leadership positions stand out in the admissions process Engage in academic activities as well Concurrent enrollment at local Community Colleges Summer academic based programs

Volunteer/Community Service AVID students are required to participate in at least 15-hours of Community Service per semester. Students must complete and return their “Volunteer Log” for credit.

Extracurricular Activities AVID students are required to participate in at least one club/sport/other extracurricular program per semester. Students must complete and return their “Extracurricular Log” for credit.

Preparing for College: A – G Courses The University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) require entering freshmen to complete certain courses in high school. Here is the list of "a-g", with the number of years required in each subject. UC recommends additional years in some areas as indicated. a. History/Social Science (2 years) b. English (4 years) c. Mathematics (3 years, UC recommends 4) d. Laboratory Science (2 years, UC recommends 3) e. Language Other than English (2 years, UC recommends 3) f. Visual/Performing Arts (1 year) g. College Preparatory Elective (1 year)

Preparing for College: College Entrance Tests Most 4-year colleges and universities require: SAT-I or the ACT (American College Test) Some colleges also require or recommend the SAT subject tests Students should take practice tests to become familiar with test formats: In AVID classes, students take the ACT-Explore (9th grade) and the ACT-Plan (10th grade) Students should register to take the PSAT at the beginning of their 10th or 11th grade years

Preparing for College: MINIMUM Eligibility Requirements University of California 3.0+ GPA A-G Completion SAT Reasoning Test or ACT Test w/Writing Personal Statement Extracurricular Activities California State University 2.0+ GPA A-G Completion SAT Reasoning or ACT Test *Note, schools become more competitive each year, and most will not accept students without a much higher GPA and strong test scores.

Preparing for College: Private/Independent Colleges & Universities 70+ across CA Liberal institutions, religious colleges, women’s colleges, specialty colleges Incorporate more then just GPAs and College Entrance Exams Some require the common application www.commonapp.org Most require Personal Statements/Essays Letters of Recommendation may be required California Independent Colleges & Universities: http://www.aiccu.edu

Preparing for College: Out-of-State Colleges & Universities Oftentimes, Out-of-State Colleges and Universities will be LESS EXPENSIVE for California students to attend. This is because: “Out-of-State” Tuition for some states is actually less expensive than some rising “In-State” Tuition costs in California. California is an ethnically DIVERSE state. Many other states are not, and therefore offer grants/scholarships (sometimes even “full-ride” to really excellent students) to create a more diverse campus and college experience. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) allows California students to receive a reduced tuition – up to 150%- in other WUE states (ex. Colorado, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, etc.) http://wiche.edu/wue

Cool Stuff Going on in Our Classroom Students in both classes are planning events for College & Career Week October 9th-16th. Tutorials are starting up in two weeks! Students have started a Biology study group that meets in 356 on Wednesdays.

San Leandro High School SLHS College & Career Night 2014 College Fair & Information Night for 9th – 12th Grade Parents & Students Monday, October 13th 5:30 – 8:oopm San Leandro High School Main Campus Gym Presentations: The Road to College The Scholarship Hunt Understanding the Community College, CSU & UC Systems Online Application Assistance And much more! 26

Thank you for attending AVID Parent Night! Ms. Teryn Kravitz 9th Grade AVID Elective Teacher: Ms. Teryn Kravitz (x. 2356) tkravtiz@slusd.us