In 2010, Farb Middle School was named an AVID National Demonstration School, a distinction that is unprecedented in the district. Farb is the first and only middle school with that distinction in the San Diego Unified School District. Farb was revalidated in 2012, 2016 and again in 2020.
What does it mean? AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is an educational program aimed originally at students who were in the academic middle. But its success at raising student achievement has attracted widespread admiration and adaptation of its methods, and now the AVID system is in place schoolwide in many schools. The program focuses on a belief that all students can succeed and be college and career ready when they graduate from high school. AVID also focuses on strategies such as note taking, keeping an organized planner and binder, effectively collaborating in groups to problem solve and complete a project, and much more.
How do schools win the designation? . To win the honor of being an AVID Demonstration School, a school must exhibit a college-going culture evident throughout the campus, through rigor and high expectations for all students. The elective class must provide excellent tutorials, and content area classes must show quality implementation of the AVID curriculum. A demonstration school takes on the role of being an AVID learning site for other schools and organizations to observe in action.
What this honor means to the school community: Farb's students, teachers, and parents are proud to be an AVID National Demonstration School.It is a distinction that makes all those involved believe they are AVID. We are proud to share what we do with other schools and communities, and we are honored to tell everyone about our school.