AVID/TOPs: Assessing the Outcomes of a Private-Public Pre-College Program

AVID/TOPs, a program coordinated jointly by the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, aims to prepare students in the “academic middle” for four-year college eligibility and also provide them with financial assistance. It began in 2007 as a pilot program at Madison East High School and the Boys & Girls Club and has since been implemented throughout the district. The 2009-2010 school year will be the first in which all four MMSD high schools participate in the program.

WISCAPE has partnered with MMSD and the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County to study the effects of the AVID/TOPs program on students’ postsecondary outcomes. Policy Analyst Beth Stransky Vaade and Project Assistant Bo McCready will lead the WISCAPE research team. They will examine the impact of the program on students’ achievement outcomes in high school, teaching practices within the schools, and students’ postsecondary access, persistence, and success. The team will also work closely with AVID/TOPs staff to identify areas of interest and continuously improve the program.

This project compliments ongoing WISCAPE work on postsecondary access, persistence, and success. If the AVID/TOPs program is highly successful in helping underrepresented students improve their educational outcomes and enroll in postsecondary institutions, this study will potentially help policymakers and educational professionals construct policy and programs to improve access to postsecondary education. The project may also help inform research on the challenges and opportunities of public-private partnerships in education.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nationally recognized program focusing on acceleration rather than remediation for students in the “academic middle” (i.e. B and C students) who have college ambitions and a willingness to work hard. Participating students enroll in an AVID elective course, which helps them to excel within the school and prepares them to apply and enroll in a four-year college. A major goal of AVID is to ensure that its students not only enroll in college, but also persist and graduate at a higher rate than their peers.

The TOPs (Teens of Promise) program is a Boys & Girls Club of Dane County initiative developed and implemented to complement the AVID curriculum. Students who apply for the program, sign up for the AVID elective in high school, and make the commitment to be on the college track are offered tutoring, mentorships, paid summer job internships, and college field trips. Upon completion of the program, AVID/TOPs students are eligible for a $5,000 scholarship to attend a four-year college or $2,500 to attend a two-year college or technical college.
 

Make a Gift to WISCAPE

About Gifts
Make a Gift Online
Make a Gift by Mail