AVID ETNA

There's a big problem in America: "Last year 1.2 million American students dropped out of high school without receiving their diplomas." 

Read about that problem and the "models" that are NOT failing children.  Two of them are AVID and DoDEA schools.

"To keep big-dreaming students on the track for college, some schools have instituted university-based mentoring programs (see sidebar articles) and grant programs like AVID and GEAR UP. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is designed to help selected students from underrepresented populations, often first-generation college-goers, navigate the college application labyrinth."

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"Yet DoDEA children typically perform well in school. 'We found a deep commitment to education and training. Although the parents tend to hold a high school diploma only, they want more for their kids,' Smrekar says. 'Instead of conditions of disengagement, we found instances of integration, support, and a seamless webbing between school and home.'

"DoDEA schools tend to be smaller than comparable public schools, particularly middle schools, where adolescents usually begin to fall away. 'Faculty members have this incredibly deep level of professionalism and dedication,' Smrekar says. 'There’s an exceptional sense of community in these schools, so kids can’t be anonymous. They can’t get lost.'”

Read the entire article on Vanderbilt University's magazine site:

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/alumni/vanderbilt-magazine/2008/03/lost-in-america/