Page 11 - District Highlight Brochure

avid

Advancement Via Individual Determination’S (AVID) mission is “to close the achievement gap by preparing
all students for college readiness and success in a global society” (AVID.org). AVID is embedded into daily
instruction at the middle and high school levels. The program promotes learning through WICOR (writing,
inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading).

Portola Middle School added an AVID Excel program in 2015 that accelerates and supports the students’
academic language acquisition and increases access to the 9th grade AVID Elective and college preparatory
courses at the high school level. Through a sequential set of middle school 7th and 8th grade courses, students
build their academic language, leadership skills, and overall sense of commitment to school with a cohort of
peers who share their same college readiness goals.
At the primary level, AVID Elementary components
focus on the four essentials of instruction, culture,
leadership, and systems to ensure that all students
are poised for academic success. Nineteen District
elementary schools have begun their implementation
of AVID Elementary in at least one classroom in either
sixth or fifth grade. Participating elementary schools
are: California, Canyon Rim, Cambridge, Chapman
Hills, Crescent, Esplanade, Fairhaven, Handy, Jordan,
La Veta, Nohl Canyon, Olive, Palmyra, Panorama,
Prospect, Sycamore, Taft, Villa Park and and West
Orange Elementary Schools.

gate (gifted & talented education)

The Orange Unified School District offers qualitatively differentiated programs for
students possessing the capacity for excellence beyond that of their chronological peers.
Elementary students qualify for GATE identification both in ability and in performance.
The vast majority of GATE identified students in grades 3-6 are served within the general
education classroom. Students receive grade-level appropriate differentiated instruction
targeted to meet their needs. Other GATE identified students attend special day classes
at one of four GATE Program magnets located at Crescent, Nohl Canyon, La Veta and
Palmyra Elementary Schools. The program provides an integrated and in-depth approach
to the academic studies in Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics.

In GATE classrooms, instruction is differentiated. Differentiation does not mean more of
the same work. Rather, it is an extension of the core curriculum. Four popular ways to
accomplish this differentiation are acceleration, adding depth, increasing complexity, and
providing opportunities for novelty. While the same District adopted textbooks are used,
additional materials are incorporated to enhance the curriculum. Instructional decisions
are made by the classroom teacher based on the needs of the students in the class.

GATE students transition into Honors and Advanced Placement classes at the secondary
level.