Judging by the high-pitched squeals and booming cheers coming from the Fesler Junior High School gym on Nov. 19, passersby might have guessed the students were watching a fierce athletic competition or maybe a Jonas Brothers concert. The source of the excitement, however, was something much more academic.
During a celebratory assembly, a team of educators named the school a national Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) demonstration site.
“It feels good here. Students believe in themselves. Teachers believe in themselves,” said Robin Kisinger, an AVID representative and former Arroyo Grande High School principal, while announcing the school’s results.
Fesler Junior High School is now one of 120 schools out of approximately 4,500 worldwide to receive the honor of being a demonstration site. This means students and teachers from other schools will visit throughout the school year to see how a model AVID program is run.
The AVID program is designed to help students who might be struggling in school become college-ready, and motivates them to be college-bound.
According to its website, AVIDonline.org, almost all AVID students who participate for at least three years in the program are accepted to college, with roughly three quarters getting into four-year universities.
School Scene is compiled by News Editor Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Dec 3-10, 2009.