HR0697 LRB094 14861 LCT 49864 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)
3 has provided academic and motivational support to more than 95
4 percent of the over 257,000 underperforming students who have
5 been in its program to go on to college since its inception 25
6 years ago; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Advancement Via Individual Determination has
8 grown over 25 years to more than 2,200 middle high schools in
9 36 States and Department of Defense schools in 15 countries;
10 and
 
11     WHEREAS, Advancement Via Individual Determination started
12 in 1980 with one teacher, Mary Catherine Swanson, and 32 high
13 school students in San Diego, California, and developed into a
14 transferable program that creates academic success; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Students are selected because they are
16 low-income, first generation, college-going students in the
17 academic middle not performing to their level of capability;
18 and
 
19     WHEREAS, These students choose to take an elective class
20 that teaches note-taking, academic reading strategies, and
21 collaborative work styles; and
 
22     WHEREAS, College students support the program with
23 individual academic coaching; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Students are required to take a rigorous college
25 preparatory curriculum including advanced level courses; and
 
26     WHEREAS, The program provides SAT/ACT preparation, college
27 information and financial aid assistance, college visits, and
28 motivational experiences; and
 

 

 

HR0697 - 2 - LRB094 14861 LCT 49864 r

1     WHEREAS, At the end of the first college years, 89 percent
2 of Advancement Via Individual Determination students are fully
3 eligible and do enroll for this sophomore year compared to a
4 national average of 50 percent; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Over 98,000 teachers and administration have
6 attended training in the high-quality teaching skills that
7 support Advancement Via Individual Determination students; and
 
8     WHEREAS, In 1997, Freeport Illinois High School teacher,
9 George Buss, was the catalyst behind bringing the AVID Program
10 to Illinois; and
 
11     WHEREAS, His high school, Freeport District 145, was the
12 first Illinois school to adopt the AVID Program; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Mr. Buss has served as Freeport AVID District
14 Director since its inception and championed the AVID concept
15 throughout Illinois; therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18 George Buss, AVID District Director, be recognized for his
19 exemplary work in the AVID program; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to AVID District Director, George Buss.