EDP 596

FALL 2023
PROGRAM
EVALUATION
REPORT: NORWALK
HIGH SCHOOL’S
AVID PROGRAM
PREPARED BY
Alondra Cortes Briseida Chavez
Bianca Torres Osvaldo Perez
 Table of Contents

03 Mission and Executive Summary

04 Introduction and Focus of the Evaluation

05 Evaluation Questions

06 Brief Overview of Evaluation Plan & Procedures

07 Result for Evaluation Question 1

08 Result for Evaluation Question 2

09 Result for Evaluation Question 3

11 Conclusions and Recommendations

 Mission
The mission of AVID (Advancement via
Individual Determination) is to close the
opportunity gap by preparing all
students for college and career readiness
and success in a global society.

Executive Summary
The AVID program at Norwalk High School supports the academic, professional, and socio
emotional development of 9th-12th students who will be the first in their families to attend
college, historically underrepresented on college campuses, and/or low-income. In this report,
we aim to explore the impact of AVID on students’ academic success, the demographic
breakdown of students served, and the stakeholders involved in implementing and supporting
the AVID program at Norwalk High School. Our results indicated the AVID program has a
positive impact on students, including increased graduation rates, higher college enrollment,
improved study skills, enhanced critical thinking, collaborative learning, boosted confidence,
and a foundation for long-term success. The goal of achieving a GPA between 2.0 and 3.5 was
met by 85% of students. However, there are disparities in program participation among
different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, with a need for increased outreach to some
groups. The AVID program at Norwalk High School has diverse participation across grade
levels, but efforts should be made to address underrepresentation and ensure equity. Key
stakeholders, including teachers, counselors, and administrators, are generally well-trained in
AVID, but there is room for improvement in counselor training. Ongoing data collection and
analysis are crucial for refining strategies and promoting equitable service to all students.

Our recommendations are the following:

1. To enhance equity and inclusivity, strategies should be devised to address the
underrepresentation of certain ethnic groups while continuing to support the success of
those currently enrolled. Ongoing data collection and analysis will be crucial in refining
strategies and ensuring that the AVID program serves all students equitably.
2. To enhance academic achievement, it is recommended to increase the enrollment in
rigorous coursework beyond the current 50%, while also addressing the concern that 16% of
students have a GPA below 2.0 by implementing additional interventions specifically
tailored for those individuals.
3. To enhance stakeholder involvement, it can be beneficial to have 100% of teachers,
counselors, and administrators receive AVID training so there is a more uniform
implementation and understanding of the AVID program on a school-wide level.
 Introduction
Purpose of the Evaluation
The purpose of the program evaluation is to improve the implementation and impact
of the AVID program at Norwalk High School. Our hopes are that the findings of the
program evaluation will inform decision-making and program implementation
strategies.

Target Audience
The intended audience of the program evaluation includes administration, AVID
teachers, AVID counselors, district board, families, and college tutors.

Limitations of the Evaluation

Limitations included parent/guardian engagement and lack of data regarding
students’ socioeconomic status. Parent/guardians were not informed of the supports
and services offered through AVID. The data collected did not reflect students’
socioeconomic status, despite the program aiming to serve students with low
socioeconomic status.

Focus of the Evaluation

Program Description
The Advancement Via Individual
Determination (AVID) at Norwalk High
School was first established in 2011 as a
pathway. The district-wide program aims to
serve students with a 2.0-3.5 GPA who need
additional support in their academics,
especially those who are first-generation,
low-income, and/or students of color.
Services and supports include an AVID
elective class, college and career readiness
activities, college field trips, and tutoring.
The program deliverers are AVID teachers,
college tutors, and the AVID counselor.
Evaluation Questions
To develop the evaluation questions for Norwalk High School’s AVID Program, we
first reflected on the purpose of the AVID program and reviewed the logic model to
help determine which evaluation questions we wanted to explore. In the divergent
phase (Step 1), we developed a list of six questions and organized them into the
following categories: identifying program stakeholders, determining demographics of
students served, and measuring progress or achievement of short and long-term
goals. In the convergent phase (Step 2), we finalized our list of evaluation questions.
The factors we considered included the goals of the AVID program and its
stakeholders, and the needs of AVID students. Our third step involved setting
evaluation criteria and standards needed to determine the success of the AVID
program.

What is the impact of AVID on students’ academic

success?

Who does AVID serve by race, ethnicity, and

socioeconomic status?

Who are the stakeholders that are involved in AVID

and how are they involved?

Information Needed to Complete the Evaluation

To complete the evaluation the following information was required: 1) analysis of
GPA reports, failing grades, attendance and enrollment in rigorous courses, 2)
racial/ethnic and socioeconomic breakdown of students participating in AVID, 3)
number of staff and admin involved, and their level of involvement, and 4)
stakeholder (students, families, admin, etc., ) interviews.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF EVALUATION PLAN &
PROCEDURES
To conduct the program evaluation, we followed the six program evaluation stages:
1) we developed an AVID program description to gain a better understanding of the
program overview, components and activities, setting and context, participants,
resources, contextual events and circumstances, and implementation; 2) we
developed a logic model (Figure 1) to gain an insight on the existing relationship
between the program’s resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes; 3) we developed
evaluation questions based on AVID program goals, our logic model (Figure 1), and in
collaboration with stakeholders; 4) we determined the program evaluation designs
that were most appropriate and feasible for us to conduct; 5) we interpreted the
quantitive and qualitative data we collected; 6) we reported on our findings.

Figure I. Logic Model

SDG PROGRESS REPORT 2020

After reviewing the program evaluation designs, we determined that a descriptive
design case study and a quasi-experimental design case study would be the most
helpful in answering our program evaluation questions. The descriptive design case
study will evaluate both the demographics of AVID participants and the involvement
of stakeholders. This design provides quantitative data on the racial, ethnic, and
socioeconomic breakdown of students in the AVID program. The case study design
helps us understand and identify stakeholders' roles and level of involvement,
offering a quantitative analysis of AVID-involved staff and a qualitative examination
through stakeholder interviews. Utilizing the quasi-experimental case study design
allows us to examine the collected data, assessing both the impact of the AVID
program on students' academic success and identifying what aspects have proven

Evaluation Results
effective or ineffective.

Results
What is the impact of AVID on students’ academic
success?
The impact of AVID on students' Figure 2
academic success is multifaceted, 100%

encompassing increased
graduation rates, higher college 80%

enrollment, improved study skills,

enhanced critical thinking, 60%
collaborative learning
experiences, boosted confidence,
40%
and a foundation for long-term
educational success. The
20%
program’s goal was for students
to obtain between 2.0 and 3.5
0%
GPA: 85% of students met and/or
te
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ur
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enrollment in rigorous
te
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At
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coursework, and attendance rate

Ri
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is presented in Figure 2.
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 To supplement the quantitative data we collected, we also conducted interviews with
students, teachers, school counselors, and parents/guardians. Themes are presented
in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Stakeholder Themes

AVID creates a supportive community,

Students creating a network of support that
extends beyond the classroom.

Not aware of all the components of the

AVID program.
Parents/Guardians
Know that AVID has prepared their child
for college and beyond.

AVID is an opportunity for students to

Teachers exceed and use all the resources
available to secure a better future.

AVID works positively because it helps

give students support, tutoring,
School Counselors interventions, guidance, college field
trips, and college/career expo.

Who does AVID serve by race, ethnicity, and

socioeconomic status?
The evaluation of AVID program participation at Norwalk High School reveals varying levels of
representation across different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Notably, the program
appears to attract a significant proportion of Hispanic male and female students, with 60 out of 906
and 80 out of 890, respectively, enrolled. Conversely, there is limited participation among American
Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and White students, highlighting potential areas for outreach and
inclusion. Additionally, the AVID program shows promising engagement with Black or African
American students, with room for improvement. The participation rates among students who identify
as 2 or more races are relatively high, suggesting a positive impact on this demographic. However,
there is a need for increased outreach or support for Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
students, given the low representation.
Figure 4

As seen in the chart below (Figure 5), further analysis of the socioeconomic status data is
required to comprehensively assess the program's reach, but the current information
indicates a diverse range of participants across grade levels. To enhance equity and
inclusivity, strategies should be devised to address the underrepresentation of certain ethnic
groups while continuing to support the success of those currently enrolled. Ongoing data
collection and analysis will be crucial in refining strategies and ensuring that the AVID
program serves all students equitably.

Figure 5

Who are the stakeholders that are involved in AVID

and how are they involved?
As the AVID program is implemented at the high school, key stakeholders are:
teachers, counselors, and administrators (seen in Figure 6). The data indicates that
51% of teachers, 28% of counselors, 80% of administrators, and the principal are AVID
trained. This report indicates that for the most part, a majority of the stakeholders
involved in implementing AVID are properly trained, though there is room for
improvement as it pertains to counselor training.
Figure 6

To supplement the quantitative data we collected, we also conducted interviews with

the AVID coordinator, AVID teachers, and the school counselor for the AVID pathway
to gain a better understanding of their role in AVID.

Figure 7
Stakeholder Involvement

The coordinator is charged with collecting and

evaluating data to develop an AVID program
best suited to meet student needs based on
what is reported on the secondary site data
collection form. They must also apply for
recertification each year. The program has
AVID Coordinator
been recertified each year since 2011 due to
proven efficacy in achieving positive student
outcomes.

The counselor exclaimed her role entails

AVID Pathway Counselor advocacy on behalf of students to ensure
rigorous coursework is available as well as
the necessary support for students who may
be struggling.

Teacher 1 believes their involvement in AVID

entails equipping students with the necessary
tools to be successful in rigorous academia
AVID Teacher 1
and to achieve the best version of themselves.

Teacher 2 believes their role in AVID is to not

AVID Teacher 2 only teach core curriculum but also to
support students in becoming critical thinkers
and lifelong learners.
 Conclusions and
Recommendations
Criteria and Standards Used to Judge Evaluation Object
The criteria used to judge the AVID program at Norwalk High School is based on the
program’s mission, student expectations and goals, and their implementation plan. The first
criteria states that AVID will provide the necessary resources and supports to students who
are the first in their family to attend college, are economically disadvantaged, and are
historically underrepresented in higher education. The second criteria states that students
enrolled in the AVID program will be on track to graduate, required to enroll in rigorous
courses (i.e. Honors, AP, dual enrollment, etc.,). The final criteria states that AVID will be
implemented by teachers, admin, coordinator, and the school counselor. All of the
stakeholders involved will receive training in order to implement the AVID program with
fidelity.

Judgements about Evaluation Object

The judgements on the AVID program at Norwalk High School have been summarized in
Figure 8.
Figure 8

Strengths Limitations
Supported students’
No additional interventions for students
academic
who fell below a 2.0 GPA
performance

Varying levels of further analysis of the socioeconomic

representation across status data is required to
different racial, ethnic, comprehensively assess the program's
and socioeconomic reach for students with low
group socioeconomic status.

Collaboration Parents/guardians are not informed of

amongst all the specific supports and services
stakeholders at school offered through AVID and the programs’
to support the expectations of students.
implementation of
AVID
Recommendations
To enhance equity and inclusivity, strategies should be devised to address the
underrepresentation of certain ethnic groups while continuing to support the
success of those currently enrolled. Ongoing data collection and analysis will
be crucial in refining strategies and ensuring that the AVID program serves all
students equitably.

To enhance academic achievement, it is recommended to increase the

enrollment in rigorous coursework beyond the current 50%, while also
addressing the concern that 16% of students have a GPA below 2.0 by
implementing additional interventions specifically tailored for those
individuals.

To enhance stakeholder involvement, it can be beneficial to have 100% of

teachers, counselors, and administrators receive AVID training so there is a
more uniform implementation and understanding of the AVID program on a
school-wide level.