From staff reports:

Federal Way High School retained its status as an AVID demonstration school, one of only 125 schools worldwide to be denoted with that status.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and is a college-readiness program designed to increase academic performance.

The certification is valid for three years, according to a press release from Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS). As a demonstration school, FWHS is used as a model for other schools looking to join the AVID program.

The AVID program has been in existence for more than two decades, and focuses on preparing students “for college by using a rigorous curriculum centered on writing, inquiry, collaboration and reading.” AVID is offered as an elective in the school district, and for those who participate, they have “tutorials two days a week in which students come with questions they’ve prepared about work they are doing in their classrooms, in order to discuss that work on a deeper level,” the district reports.

According to the district, AVID students also go on field trips to colleges, hear from speakers about different careers, and work on goal setting and organizational skills.

The recertification for FWHS as an AVID demonstration school included AVID officials touring the school and interviewing students and teachers. According to the district, the AVID officials “had a number of positive reactions to the exceptional program at Federal Way, acknowledging the incredible depth of commitment and knowledge about AVID across the school.”

Learn more

Click here to read a 2008 report in The Mirror about Federal Way High School’s status as a role model for the AVID program.