Botello Elementary students sit on AVID National Conference student panel

Last week, over 25 teachers from Bismarck, N.D., and surrounding cities visited Felix G. Botello Personalized Learning Elementary, Annie Webb Blanton Elementary, and New Tech High School at B.F. Darrell to see AVID in Action. AVID, which stands for Advancement via Individual Determination, is a global organization dedicated to closing the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career opportunities. 

As the first and oldest elementary AVID model school site in Dallas ISD, Botello Elementary has a track record of success, receiving five academic distinctions from the Texas Education Agency under the state’s current accountability system.

Botello Elementary has been an AVID campus since 2013, when the school started implementing AVID with fifth-grade students. In 2015, Botello became an AVID schoolwide campus for Pre-K-5, implementing and embedding AVID strategies schoolwide with effective training for both staff and parents. Since 2016, the school has been an AVID National Model Elementary campus and has hosted many districts and states, including Hawaii. 

This year, the school was invited to have students sit on the 2021 AVID National Conference student panel to share their experiences. Fifth graders Luis Flores and Alyzza Baltazar shared their AVID story and answered questions from an audience of about 3,000 educators.