Is seventh grade too soon to be thinking about college? Crabapple Middle student Maggie Gilder doesn’t think so. She already has her sights set on attending the University of Alabama.
The 13-year-old is getting a head start on attaining her dream since she was accepted into the Advancement Via Individual Determination program at the Roswell school last fall. The inquiry-based, student-centered approach is designed to strengthen academic skills while also assisting youngsters set goals beyond middle school.
The program is also offered in 26 Fulton County schools, and Crabapple joined the ranks at the start of the school year. What differentiates it from other get-ahead approaches is that it takes aim at often overlooked students.
“We’re looking at kids who typically perform in the middle — C, B or low A’s,” said Maggie Nelms, Crabapple’s coordinator and elective teacher. “They don’t have chronic behavioral problems and are highly motivated to succeed, but they can easily fall between the cracks without support.”
Students identified by teachers as having the potential to move into that top tier are invited to apply for the program and must provide two recommendations and have an interview. Out of the school’s 960 students, 52 seventh graders were accepted into the first AVID class. “It’s really important that the student want to be part of the program,” said Nelms.
Once selected, students are introduced to a variety of skills designed to enhance their academic and social capabilities.
“We’re teaching skills that every parent wants their child to learn,” said Nelms. “The core is writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading. The meat-and-potatoes of the program is a tutorial where students reflect on what they’re learning and thinking about the areas where they need the most review.
“They submit their requests for review to me, then I put them in groups, so everyone with questions around science or math is together. Each one makes a 30-second presentation on their ‘points of confusion’ while others take notes,” she said. “It’s a beautiful process to watch unfold. They don’t even realize they’re learning writing and public speaking.”
Along with peer support, AVID students get help from paid adult and college-level tutors, many of whom are parents who want to be involved in the school. The seventh graders also have college and career events each week that help them explore options beyond high school, and they’ve heard from former AVID students about how the program helped them in their academic careers.
Dylan Jensen, 12, is already seeing an impact.
“It definitely is helping me get ready for college with public speaking and organizational skills,” he said. “It’s teaching us about scholarships, what kind of GPA you need for certain colleges and things you don’t usually learn in middle school.”
Gilder is counting on staying in the program after middle school. “I can do this through high school, too, and I will because I know I want to go to college.”
Information about Crabapple Middle is online at fultonschools.org/crabapplems.
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Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
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