AVID for fourth grade?

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Home : 2007 : April : 15

AVID for fourth grade?
By Risa

My principal approached our fourth grade team about some program called AVID. She mentioned that it is done in high schools, but that it is slowly being moved into lower grades, as well. I've heard that the program in
our high schools is for 'at risk' students who might not otherwise consider college as an option. Beyond that, I don't really know what else it entails.

Evidently, it is now in our middle schools, and our district would like to move it down and begin implementing it with fourth grade so that they will be prepared with the recommended organization skills. From the little that she

told us, it sounds similar to the MOOSE notebook that my students use throughout the year. She seemed to be 'strongly suggesting' that we attend a week-long training of our 3 week summer break so that we can do this at our school. She kept emphasizing that if we decide to go with AVID, our students would all receive the notebooks, dividers, etc. (Side rant: I often end up buying all of the materials on my own, since we aren't allowed to ask parents to provide them. When it's 'their' idea, they find the funding, but if it's the teacher's idea, we are on our own to implement it.:confused:)

I'm concerned that this will be yet another 'mandated' program that our already-overburdened fourth grade team will have to squeeze into a very tight schedule. Reading First (low achieving) schools MUST devote at least 2 1/2 hours to ELA daily. Then we MUST include an hour of a daily formal English Language Develpment Program (Spanish speaking community.) We have math for an hour, as well. That's already 4 1/2 hours! Then we try to find ways to squeeze in P.E., computer lab, library, science, social studies and art. We don't have specials teachers. We are each responsible for the whole day of teaching. It's already too too much!

:s) So here are my questions for those who have it at their schools:
-What else is there to the AVID program?
-About how much 'teaching' time is involved in keeping this program going? In other words, will it be like the tug-of-war we have with trying to get kids to do their required homework for those who are going to be required to keep an organized formal notebook?
-How much of 'your own time' is required?
-Is it all worth the time and materials invested?