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Old Orchard Junior High rolls out AVID program; students report stronger note‑taking and engagement
Summary
Assistant Principal Ariel Otto and AVID teacher Garrett Ziker described the first phase of AVID at Old Orchard Junior High, a school‑wide strategy to boost academic rigor and student agency. Presenters said AVID students showed measurable percentile growth on winter assessments compared with a matched comparison group.
Ariel Otto, assistant principal at Old Orchard Junior High, and Garrett Ziker, the school's AVID teacher, presented the first phase of implementing AVID at the junior high during the Skokie School District 68 board meeting on Feb. 20, 2025. The program is intended to align with district strategic goals for social‑emotional learning and teaching and learning, Otto said, and is guided by a core committee that meets monthly to plan schoolwide practices.
"This year we started with a core committee," Otto said, describing staff professional development they call "AVID appetizers," short sessions at staff meetings to train teachers in AVID strategies. Ziker said AVID is built on four domains — instruction, systems, culture and leadership — and emphasized classroom practices such as structured note taking and developing student‑generated questions. "AVID's mission ... is to close the opportunity gap by preparing students not only for college, but also career," Ziker said.
Presenters reported early student outcomes based on winter I‑Ready data: AVID students outperformed a matched comparison group, with AVID students rising "over 3.6 percentile points," the presentation stated. Students interviewed in the presentation described practical benefits: one student said AVID's note taking helps her remember and engage more in class. Board members asked about selection: Ziker said students were scouted in fifth grade and interviewed, with a focus on motivated students who scored in the lower‑to‑mid ranges on I‑Ready.
Otto and Ziker said the program's long‑range goal is to extend AVID strategies beyond the elective into schoolwide practices, and they invited board questions and future engagement with families and staff as the rollout continues.
