HR0697 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0697 LRB094 14861 LCT 49864 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) has provided academic and motivational support to more than 95 percent of the over 257,000 underperforming students who have been in its program to go on to college since its inception 25 years ago; and

WHEREAS, Advancement Via Individual Determination has grown over 25 years to more than 2,200 middle high schools in 36 States and Department of Defense schools in 15 countries; and

WHEREAS, Advancement Via Individual Determination started in 1980 with one teacher, Mary Catherine Swanson, and 32 high school students in San Diego, California, and developed into a transferable program that creates academic success; and

WHEREAS, Students are selected because they are low-income, first generation, college-going students in the academic middle not performing to their level of capability; and

WHEREAS, These students choose to take an elective class that teaches note-taking, academic reading strategies, and collaborative work styles; and

WHEREAS, College students support the program with individual academic coaching; and

WHEREAS, Students are required to take a rigorous college preparatory curriculum including advanced level courses; and

WHEREAS, The program provides SAT/ACT preparation, college information and financial aid assistance, college visits, and motivational experiences; and

WHEREAS, At the end of the first college years, 89 percent of Advancement Via Individual Determination students are fully eligible and do enroll for this sophomore year compared to a national average of 50 percent; and

WHEREAS, Over 98,000 teachers and administration have attended training in the high-quality teaching skills that support Advancement Via Individual Determination students; and

WHEREAS, In 1997, Freeport Illinois High School teacher, George Buss, was the catalyst behind bringing the AVID Program to Illinois; and

WHEREAS, His high school, Freeport District 145, was the first Illinois school to adopt the AVID Program; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buss has served as Freeport AVID District Director since its inception and championed the AVID concept throughout Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that George Buss, AVID District Director, be recognized for his exemplary work in the AVID program; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to AVID District Director, George Buss.