In 2018, Inver Grove Heights Middle School earned the title of AVID National Demonstration School. AVID National Demonstration Schools are exemplary models of the AVID College Readiness System that equips students with the tools for lifelong academic and professional success. Demonstration schools undergo a rigorous validation process and are required to be revalidated every few years to ensure high levels of implementation and quality strategies school-wide. Schools from around the world that are preparing to implement the AVID system visit demonstration schools, like IGHMS, to observe how teachers are driving student success through engaging, rigorous, and student-centered learning environments.
The AVID model is based on a wide body of research that suggests all students can learn challenging material if schools provide the right types of instruction and support, and that students do better when they are given rigorous learning opportunities rather than remedial material. The model also derives from research on track system alternatives as well as theories and research on how to foster the positive relationships and supportive conditions that are so important during students' secondary school years. With AVID’s targeted professional development, teachers learn how to build a classroom culture where rigorous academic instruction combines with social and emotional support to accelerate learning.