For second straight year, Broadway Elementary School‘s AVID program has earned the attention of educators from other parts of North Carolina. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a program that helps students close the achievement gap, with an eye toward college, military or employment. 36 principals, teachers and central office personnel from schools as far away as Nash-Rocky Mount came to Broadway in December for a first-hand look at the impact AVID has had on the school population.
Broadway Elementary has been recognized for past 2 years as an AVID Showcase School, because of its success in implementing the concept in every facet of the school. Critical thinking skills are emphasized and college & career culture are incorporated into everyday learning.
Lee County Schools AVID District Director Paula Layton notes, “The school incorporates AVID into its action plans to ensure student success with state standards, and also implements AVID approaches to improve support structures, communication, teacher development and student success.” Broadway Elementary Principal Ricky Secor adds, “Both End-of-Grade proficiency scores and student growth have improved since the implementation, so we are able to say that for our students, these methods and strategies have been effective.”
The day-long event allowed the school’s visitors to see the implementation of AVID concepts in elementary school classrooms, as well as to hear from several Broadway parents, teachers and students, about their AVID experiences.
4th Grade AVID student Sophie Allen sees value in the emphasis on positive motivation, commenting “AVID helps me be a better student because whenever I don’t feel like doing my work or think something’s boring, I remember, like AVID says, that I’m only going to advance if I work hard, take pride in my own work and take the time to do it right.”
5th Grade AVID student Jaden Saunders appreciates the impact the program is already having in his studies and future plans. He notes, “AVID has honestly got me thinking about what career would I want, what job, what college do I want to go to, what would make me happy for the rest of my life. With AVID, it gave me the time to think that I have lots of time to figure out what I want to do before that all even starts.”
Principal Secor was pleased with the day’s activities and the recognition it provided, commenting “We are thrilled for our students, parents and teachers to have had the opportunity to share our story with other North Carolina school districts. We could not have asked for a better day or better feedback from our guests. Receiving their questions and comments also helps us deliver a better AVID experience for our students, as it causes all of us to continuously improve upon what we are doing. It was a great educational opportunity for all of us.”
