School News

The Mequon-Thiensville School District is proud to announce that Steffen Middle School has been selected once again as a National Demonstration School by AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a national, nonprofit college readiness system offered to students of all academic levels in grades K-12. The system is designed to equip students with the necessary intellectual skills and behaviors for academic success in rigorous coursework. AVID empowers students with critical thinking skills to navigate the educational landscape through an explicit focus on high expectations. AVID emphasizes the development and refinement of student competence in writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading, or WICOR. Steffen joins approximately 200 other AVID National Demonstration Schools and was selected through an application process, screening, and review, which included a site visit.

"The recognition we've achieved is a testament to the diligent efforts of everyone at Steffen Middle School,” said Trina Hayden, MTSD Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “Each educator at Steffen is dedicated to providing top-notch instruction tailored to every student's needs. This commitment defines us as educators, and we take pride in the opportunity to share our practices with schools nationwide, offering them the chance to learn from Steffen's success."

The recognition of being an AVID National Demonstration School was established in 1993 with a $250,000 award from the Charles A. Dana Foundation of New York. As part of the AVID Demonstration Sites Network, sites are expected to develop a model program with schoolwide participation. AVID National Demonstration Schools are considered to be centers of exceptional teaching and learning that serve as a model of a highly-evolved AVID system for other schools interested in learning about the AVID College Readiness System. AVID National Demonstration Schools, such as Steffen, clearly demonstrate an ongoing pursuit of excellence through rigor and high expectations. After receiving the original designation, National Demonstration Schools maintain their status for three school years upon which they are eligible to renew their status. Schools from around the world that are preparing to implement the AVID system will visit Demonstration Schools, such as this one, to observe a highly evolved AVID system.

Dr. Deborah Anderson, Steffen principal, acknowledges the honor and responsibility as an AVID National Demonstration School, noting the positive impact of this college and career readiness system across Steffen’s campus. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as an AVID National Demonstration School,” said Anderson. “It is a testament to the commitment of faculty, students, staff, and families toward the relentless pursuit of excellence, both in the AVID Elective and AVID Schoolwide, to ensure a pathway to college and career readiness for all students. We are proud and humbled by the honor and recognize our responsibility to continuous improvement in AVID’s four domains:  Instruction, Leadership, Culture, and Systems. The use of AVID strategies schoolwide has positively impacted teaching and learning in the pursuit of excellence, both in the AVID Elective and AVID Schoolwide, to ensure college and career readiness for all.”

MTSD began implementing AVID in 2011 at the high school level and since 2015, has implemented AVID throughout all its schools, making it the first district in Wisconsin to be an AVID Districtwide system. To learn more about AVID in the MTSD, visit: https://www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/departments/avid/avid-in-mtsd. For more about the AVID system, visit: www.avid.org/