Increasing Access To & Success In Rigorous Courses
Schools implementing high quality AVID and Navigation 101 programs for several years have demonstrated the capacity to increase students' interest in taking rigorous high school courses that prepare them for college.
Ten districts implementing AVID and Navigation 101 with grants from the College Spark College Readiness Initiative will receive additional funds to help them meet this increased demand for rigorous courses, and equally important, help more students succeed in these courses once they're enrolled.
Districts will use these funds to:
- Increase access to and success in dual credit programs including UW in the High School, Project Lead the Way (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Course), and on-line courses through Digipen and Eastern Washington University
- Offer early college placement testing and support students in improving their scores on these tests (SAT, ACT, Accuplacer, and Compass)
- Provide AP training to teachers so that more students can take AP courses
- Host vertical team training where teachers across grade levels work together to plan curriculum and instruction in ways that prepare 11th grade students to succeed in AP
- Facilitate extended-day learning options for struggling AP students
- Improve the middle to high school transition process
The impact of these strategies will be measured by tracking changes in:
- Decreasing college remediation rates
- Increasing access to and success in dual credit courses for low-income students
- Increasing the percentage of low-income students who graduate from high school with a four-year college eligible transcript
- Improving college placement scores (SAT, ATC, Accuplacer, and Compass)
Want to learn more? Contact Heather Gingerich or read brief descriptions of the projects these ten districts are implementing.