SDE Offers $60,000 AVID Grants
Posted by on Wed, 01/30/2013 - 9:54am
The Oklahoma State Department of Education is offering $60,000 renewable grants for public schools to increase minority participation in Advanced Placement courses through the development of an Advancement Via Individual Determination – AVID program.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 15, 2013. Award announcements will be made Feb. 28.
To apply, click here to go to the AVID application page.
Oklahoma public middle or high schools, including Charter schools. Preference will be given to applicants that demonstrate a high (50% or more) low-income student population (as determined by the number of students who are eligible for free and reduced school meals) and a low (15% or less) number of minority students who do not participate in an Advanced Placement (AP) or Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) program.
The purpose of the AVID program is to close the achievement gap for minority and nontraditional AP students by advancing those students into rigorous coursework while providing support. AVID teachers work in teams, which receive extensive training. Schools provide tutors for their AVID students as part of a support system. Successful schools will see an increase in the number of minority students taking AP classes and exams as well as an increase in qualifying scores on those exams. Participation in Oklahoma’s Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) by minority students does not reflect the percentage of minority students in the state’s public schools. These grants will help ensure minority participation in Advanced Placement courses.
For 25 years, schools across the country have used AVID to provide support and structure while placing students in advanced coursework. AVID allows teachers to teach rigorous AP/Pre-AP curriculum without leaving behind students. AVID takes students who have the determination to succeed and works with them to get the tools to succeed. AVID breaks down the barriers of race, gender, ethnicity and socio-economics and allows all students the chance to succeed in rigorous coursework.
