The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program is a comprehensive academic support system for middle and high school students who enter those schools in the academic middle with potential for college.

Mission:  AVID’s mission is to prepare these students for four-year college entry, to increase the numbers of all students at those schools with programs who are college-ready, and to prepare students to take their places as educated and responsible participants in society.

The AVID Program takes these students in the academic middle with potential and enrolls them in a course for the two-three years of middle school and four years of high school which emphasizes the elements colleges say are most essential for students to master: effective note-taking; strong writing; good test-taking strategies; time management; and college/career awareness. Students are expected to "advance" by completing the most rigorous curriculum available at their schools (typically algebra and language at middle school, and the A-G sequence of college preparatory courses at high school). AVID students in high school are encouraged also to enroll in Advanced Placement courses required for entrance to the University of California. They do this with the support of AVID, which changes the methodologies of an entire school by changing the abilities and expectations of students, teachers, and parents for college entrance.

Over the past 10 years, students leaving the AVID Program throughout California have achieved a 98% college acceptance rate. Here in Region 7, seniors leaving the AVID Program in 1999 had a 95% college acceptance rate, with 63% of these students accepted to 4-year colleges, a figure 20-45% higher than the general population at those schools.

Currently in Region 7 we have 59 established and 15 prospective AVID schools in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare Counties. Kingsburg High School, Redwood High School, and Livingston Middle School serve as the six-county region's National Demonstration Schools for the AVID Program. The  AVID Program will be offered in over 1000 schools in California alone, and over 200 additional schools in the U.S. and the world. In February of 1998, the White House recognized the AVID Program as one of the 12 best programs in the nation for preparing students to enter college when they leave the K-12 system.

Resources

BTSA

Fresno County Consortium
Beginning Teacher Support & Assessment (BTSA) Program is a state funded, structured professional development program for teachers who are new to the profession. Beginning teachers receive professional support (a personal mentor), formative assessment (observation and feedback by a trained observer which is separate from teacher evaluation), and personal professional development sessions (staff development based on the individual teacher’s identified needs).

BTSA brings new teachers into the profession and prepares them for the demands and realities they face in today’s classrooms. As a result, teaching skills and practices improve. Support providers also benefit by learning about new approaches and the assessment process which helps them clarify their own thinking and improve their teaching practice. A key element in BTSA is the collaboration between the beginning teachers and their support providers, as well as districts, universities, and the county office to provide seamless support and expertise to BTSA teachers.

Statewide, BTSA consists of over 130 locally designed and administered programs representing the diversity of the state and serves first-year and second-year teachers. Recent legislation provides that all beginning teachers will be served in an induction program by the year 2000. In the very near future, beginning teachers with a preliminary credential will be required to complete a two year induction program in order to receive their professional clear credential.

The Fresno County BTSA Program is in its fourth year and is co-sponsored by a consortium which includes the following school districts: Alvina Elementary, American Union Elementary, Big Creek Elementary, Burrel Union Elementary, Caruthers Unified, Clay Joint Elementary, Coalinga-Huron Unified, Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified, Fowler Unified, Golden Plains Unified, Kings Canyon Unified, Kingsburg Jt. Union Elementary, Kingsburg Joint Union High School, Laton Unified, Mendota Unified, Orange Center Elementary, Pacific Union Elementary, Parlier Unified, Pine Ridge Elementary, Raisin City Elementary, Sanger Unified, Sierra Unified, Washington Colony Elementary, Washington Union High School, West Fresno Elementary, West Park Elementary, Fresno COE Court and Community Schools, and Fresno COE Special Education Programs. Other sponsors include California State University Fresno, Pacific University, National University, CSLA (California School Leadership Academy), Central Valley Regional Professional Development Consortium, and the Fresno County Office of Education.

In the BTSA Program each new teacher’s strengths and areas for growth are identified through a formative assessment process. Using the assessment results, the beginning teacher and his/her support provider design an Individual Induction Plan (IIP) to improve the new teacher’s skills and abilities. The California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) provide a common language for support providers and beginning teachers as they work together.

The six standards for teaching presented in the CSTP are:

• Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning
• Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments
• Understand and Organizing Subject Matter
• Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences
• Assessing Student Learning
• Developing as a Professional Educator

Beginning teachers that participate in the Fresno County BTSA Program receive:

• Personal mentoring - 1 to 2 hours of weekly support with a trained support provider
• Individualized professional development (4-5 days)
• Formative Assessment to support and improve teaching skills
• Continuing education units or matriculated units toward a credential or advanced degree (optional)
• Instructional books and materials
• Stipend

Support providers receive:

• Support provider training including implementation of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, training in formative assessment, and training in observation skills to allow them to give beginning teachers accurate feedback on their teaching. (5-6 days)
• Continuing education units or matriculated units toward a credential, or advanced degree (optional)
• Instructional books and materials
• Stipend

Districts receive:

• Trained support providers knowledgeable about beginning teacher needs and effective strategies to support their development in the profession
• Site Administrator training in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) and the needs of beginning teachers (1 day)
• Increased new teacher retention and improved performance
• Coordination with other districts in providing staff development
• Opportunity to build capacity and support all teachers within the district

Resources:

• BTSA state web site

If your district is interested in participating in the Fresno County Consortium BTSA Program providing support and assessment to beginning teachers, or if you would like further information please contact:

English Language Arts

The English Language Arts Coordinator provides countywide leadership in the domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This includes interpreting the California Reading and Language Arts Framework, the English and Language Arts Content Standards, and district courses of study. The coordinator provides expertise and direction to the districts concerning instructional programs and methodologies, organizes conferences, special events and literacy institutes, provides assistance in staff development, and guidance in the area of testing and assessment. The LA coordinator acts as the communication link between the California Department of Education, Teaching Support Office, County State Curriculum & Instruction Committee and all schools within Fresno County’s thirty-four school districts.

For more information on upcoming events and staff development dates, please contact:

History/Social Science 

The History/Social Science coordinator’s major responsibility is to provide services to teachers, administrators, and other educators in Fresno County in the area of social studies education. This includes providing facts on textbook adoption, updates on standards and assessment, staff development on content and strategies (http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/), information on character and citizenship (http://www.civiced.org) education curriculum, and coordination of related special events. These special events are Mock Trial, History Day, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art reception, essay and speech contest.

• Assistance to underperforming schools
• Implementation of No Child Left Behind
• Support for English Learner Programs
• CLAD and SB 395 Professional Development