Listen "How AVID Helps Students, Part I"
Episode Synopsis
If you could learn how to learn better or, if you have kids in school, help them unlock proven strategies to ensure they get the most out of school, would you want to hear more about that?
Here on the DCSD Notebook podcast from the top-scoring school district in the Denver area, we’re going to devote the next three episodes to a deep dive into the AVID program.
In this episode, we’re going to start at the 10,000-foot level and learn what Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, is. DCSD’s co-director of the program, Gordon Mosher, who’s going to tell us the why, the how and the what of this program which can literally change the course of a student’s life – from someone who does OK but could achieve so much more if they were equipped, challenged and guided to embrace their potential.
In our next episode, we’ll drill down a little deeper and have a conversation with three principals in Parker who can tell us what AVID looks like at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Then, in the third episode, we’re going to hear from DCSD graduates who went through the AVID program and can tell us how it helped them go forward into college and careers with confidence.
Guest this week:
Gordon Mosher III, executive director of schools for Choice Programming and DCSD co-director of AVID
Resources
AVID homepage
The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework
AVID National data
AVID in Colorado data
Current AVID Schools in DCSD:
Legend High School
Ponderosa High School
VALE High School
Cresthill Middle School
Sagewood Middle School
Franktown Elementary School
Frontier Valley Elementary School
Glossary for this episode
AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination
Metacognition: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: awareness or analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes.
WICOR: Acronym for AVID teaching and learning strategies which stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading
Here on the DCSD Notebook podcast from the top-scoring school district in the Denver area, we’re going to devote the next three episodes to a deep dive into the AVID program.
In this episode, we’re going to start at the 10,000-foot level and learn what Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, is. DCSD’s co-director of the program, Gordon Mosher, who’s going to tell us the why, the how and the what of this program which can literally change the course of a student’s life – from someone who does OK but could achieve so much more if they were equipped, challenged and guided to embrace their potential.
In our next episode, we’ll drill down a little deeper and have a conversation with three principals in Parker who can tell us what AVID looks like at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Then, in the third episode, we’re going to hear from DCSD graduates who went through the AVID program and can tell us how it helped them go forward into college and careers with confidence.
Guest this week:
Gordon Mosher III, executive director of schools for Choice Programming and DCSD co-director of AVID
Resources
AVID homepage
The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework
AVID National data
AVID in Colorado data
Current AVID Schools in DCSD:
Legend High School
Ponderosa High School
VALE High School
Cresthill Middle School
Sagewood Middle School
Franktown Elementary School
Frontier Valley Elementary School
Glossary for this episode
AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination
Metacognition: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: awareness or analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes.
WICOR: Acronym for AVID teaching and learning strategies which stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading
More episodes of the podcast DCSD Notebook
How AVID Helps Students, Part III
17/12/2025
How AVID Helps Students, Part II
10/12/2025
Leadership in Athletics and Activities
22/10/2025
Bullying Prevention, Part 1
01/10/2025
Kindergarten: The Year of Firsts
17/09/2025
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