Retention of first-generation college-going seniors in the college preparatory program AVID

This is a study of the retention behaviors of high school seniors in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) elective class. The design involves a multiple case study of eight high schools chosen from California and Texas. Focus groups of high school seniors were conducted in four Texas schools and in four California schools. This mostly qualitative study included student focus groups, teacher and administrator interviews, and surveys of teachers, students, parents, and administrators. The study found that: Students who felt nurtured stayed in AVID; the family-like atmosphere of AVID was important to students’ morale, self-esteem and determination; School structural issues, such as scheduling, challenged some students yet they navigated their way around these barriers; Tutoring during the school day was cited by students as an advantage; Administrators explained that strong middle school/high school articulation instilled in
students the need for rigor and preparation for college; and finally, those students who dropped AVID exhibited a lack of individual determination.