| The 1983 publication of A Nation at Risk has prompted many policymakers and educators to reform public schools to ensure that all students have equal access to higher education. As a result of these changes, many school districts across the country have chosen to implement a variety of college outreach programs not only to increase the number of students eligible to attend four year institutions but also to change the academic culture of the school. The context of this issue will be examined under a college preparatory program known as Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) which seeks to increase opportunities for minority or low socioeconomic students to enroll in four year universities by providing both social and academic support in rigorous courses.;The qualitative case study seeks to address how the AVID program has impacted the culture of a low performing and low socioeconomic high school. A large urban, low performing high school in Southern California was selected for the case study. The school was selected because they have been designated as an AVID National Demonstration Site, which is the highest distinction within the program. The distinction indicates that the high school has achieved the highest standards for AVID implementation and expansion. The program has influenced policy and structural changes school wide. In addition, the success of the AVID program is highly contingent on a strong district and site leadership team to support staff members and students. Although the AVID program seeks to change the perceptions of teachers who have lower expectations of minority students, the data reveals that teacher's beliefs about minority student achievement and their access to college has not been altered.;The overarching result is that the academic culture of the high school has changed drastically after the implementation of the AVID program. Both teachers and students strongly agree that the school has improved academically. This can by verified by improvements in standardized test scores for the past seven years, number of students taking both A-G required courses, and the increase in number of students attending a four year institution. One suggestion for future research is to conduct multiple case studies comparing and contrasting the successes and failures of high school AVID programs related to changing the academic culture. Findings from this case study indicate policy and practice implications such as, to provide extensive, specific, ongoing professional development for teachers on the AVID program methodologies and purpose, to provide all students access to A-G courses, and to ensure parents are involved and educated about the college going process. |
