At its meeting on Tuesday, March 25, the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Education received an update on two of the district’s many efforts to support underserved and underrepresented students.
AVID program update
Introduced during the 2023-2024 school year for fifth grade students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School, sixth grade students at Wood Middle School, and ninth grade students at Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School, the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program is an academic support structure implemented at schools nationwide that is intended to help close opportunity gaps, increase enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes, and improve college readiness.
Underlying AVID is the Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading (WICOR) model. This model helps students develop critical thinking and communication skills through peer-to-peer tutorials and Socratic methods.
Doug Heim, a fourth grade teacher at Ruby Bridges, described how he integrates WICOR into many facets of classroom instruction. Heim lets students take a hands-on approach in learning how circuits work to develop a sense of scientific inquiry, encouraging students to take ownership of their education through collaborative learning rather than waiting for the teacher, and making personal connections to reading materials.
Fourth grade student Priya Washington took to the podium to relay a well-organized speech about how she stays organized in school and at home.
“The first thing I will be talking about is organization. I like to keep my desk organized so that I can find my things really quickly,” she explained. “The second thing I will be talking about is using my planner. I like to use a planner for writing down my homework so that when I go home, I’m ready, and I know to do my homework.”
Kelly Scott, a seventh grade teacher at Wood, added, “The core of AVID…is taking a student who is historically underrepresented and a passive learner and making them an active learner and a part of their educational system.” Scott applauded tutors from the Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) who visit Wood on Tuesdays and Thursdays to reinforce learning and help students solve homework questions. Those visits have led to nearly one-third of students in the program achieving a higher grade point average compared to the previous school trimester. A similar peer tutoring model is in place at Encinal.
AVID expanded to several additional grade levels this school year, and AUSD intends to further grow the program to include all grade levels between fourth and twelfth grades for the three school sites.
Update from the Office of Equity
Later in the meeting, Senior Director of Equity Shamar Edwards and other members of AUSD’s Office of Equity provided a progress update and highlighted key achievements. The Office provides mentoring and advising support at several school sites in Alameda.
Renate Westbrooks, Focal Scholars Advisor at Ruby Bridges, spoke passionately about the Black Math Genius program.
“These are some black math geniuses!” Westbrooks proclaimed as she described the program, which provides 30 students with one-on-one instruction from people across the world who look like them. The instructors highlight Black figures and achievements in mathematics to help students grasp the infinite number of possibilities in the world, while reinforcing grade level math concepts. With the program’s support, several students experienced higher Star testing scores between August and November 2024.
Other speakers highlighted key events, including professional learning opportunities for school leaders on addressing racism, a Black History Month celebration at Wood, and an annual educational summit at Encinal. Matthew Caniglia, who teaches AP African American Studies at Encinal, described the course as a success and relayed positive responses he has heard from students who have taken the course.
One of those students, Anye Dias, spoke about her experience.
“Through this class, I have gotten a more in-depth perspective on the Black struggle and how it affects African Americans today,” said Dias. “I would suggest this class to someone who wants to form a deeper understanding on what it means to be Black in America, and specifically how racial prejudice affects African Americans.”
Edwards concluded with hopes and expectations for mandatory professional learning, protecting the mission of the Office of Equity to focus on Black students, and improving student performance in school subjects, grades, and enrollment.
“You, like me, had in the back of your minds that really troubling presentation…about the Star data,” said Carolyn, a public commenter, as she addressed the Board. “And which group of students tended to be closer to the bottom of all of those metrics? That is the heart of why this Office exists. I implore you…to please continue your investments in this work. You can see from tonight’s presentation the fantastic work this Office is doing, the tremendous impact it is having for families.”
Other notable items:
- Susan Davis, Senior Manager of Community Affairs, and Joyce Boyd, Oversight Committee Chair, provided an annual report on Parcel Tax Program expenditures.
- The Board unanimously approved a declaration of need for fully qualified educators, which allows emergency permits to be granted to hire teachers that do not hold a full credential.
Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.
