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22
Community Council
Findings
support student learning. Calzaretta
suggested that schools that have low
dropout and high college-going rates
have created a common culture of
expectation and a system to achieve
that. According to Calzaretta, teach-
ers need to support the vision of the
school, they need expertise in their
field and they must enjoy working
with youth. Calzaretta, who has been
working towards the creation of a
charter school in our region, reported
that charter schools cannot raise
capital for facilities though bonds but
they have more control of the money
that they receive from the state. Kirk
Jameson, Principal of College Place
High School, told the Committee that
all staff must work towards the same
goals, and therefore hiring is the most
important part of his job. According
to Jameson, teachers should have per-
sonal and professional integrity, and
be “kid magnets”—the kind of adult
that students want to be around. Cum-
mings stated that teachers must have
compassion for students, a passion for
learning, and enable student creativity.
Several administrators reported that
opportunities should be created for
students and teachers to take risks and
learn from mistakes. Finally, adminis-
trators said that students need more
time to learn and reflect, and teach-
ers need more time and resources to
develop their teaching.
AVID
Advancement Via Individual Deter-
mination (AVID) is a teaching practice
that seeks to improve educational
attainment and quality by increas-
ing rigor and teaching soft skills.
AVID methods challenge students
and teach the “hidden curriculum”
of schools: how to take notes, keep
a schedule, be organized, advocate
for yourself, and access resources.
Nationally, AVID students tend to
graduate from high school on time,
complete four-year college entrance
requirements, and apply to college
and university at higher rates than
their non-AVID peers. As reported by
Gobel and Peterson, within WWPS,
AVID students outpace non-AVID
students in terms of graduation rates,
attendance at a postsecondary institu-
tion upon graduation (95 percent
vs. 69 percent), and average scholar-
ship awards ($12,000 vs. $3,000). The
number of AVID slots is limited (60
per grade at Wa-Hi), and admission is
selective. AVID students are chosen
based on their grades (they tend to be
2.0–3.0 GPA students who appear to
be underperforming relative to their
potential), and their commitment to
the program. AVID students must take
the AVID elective course, which limits
their schedules for other electives.
Speakers reported that AVID teach-
ing strategies improve the learning
environment for all students. The use of
AVID techniques varies throughout the
study region and the primary barrier to
the expansion of AVID is cost, particu-
larly costs associated with professional
Our community should
consider early education
as part of our economic
development plan
because investments in
early learning generate
significant cognitive and
economic returns.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
IS A SMART INVESTMENT
THE EARLIER THE INVESTMENT, THE GREATER THE RETURN
Rate of return on investment in human capital
Source: James Heckman, Nobel laureate in Economics
Prenatal 0-3 4-5 School Post-school
Prenatal programs
Programs targeted toward the earliest years
Preschool programs
Schooling
Job training