AVID Elementary Research Study

ECOnorthwest and Calypso Strategy and Research conducted a large-scale, independent evaluation of AVID Elementary (AE), AVID’s foundational program designed to build academic and organizational skills that support long-term college and career readiness. Using longitudinal administrative data from eight participating school districts in three states, we examined how AE participation is associated with student outcomes from elementary school into middle school. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare AE students with similar peers and estimate relationships between program experience and outcomes over time. To strengthen and contextualize the quantitative results, we incorporated implementation measures and educator perspectives that Calypso Strategy and Research collected through interviews and surveys. Findings indicate AE serves students who, on average, face greater barriers to academic success. After accounting for prior academic performance and student demographics, AE students perform as well as comparable peers on several outcomes and better on some—particularly in English Language Arts (ELA) and middle school GPA in core subjects. Findings also underscore that strong implementation fidelity and sustained professional learning are critical for maximizing impact.