FONTANA, CA – Two Fontana Unified School District Schools, Sequoia Middle and Fontana High, have been honored for their success in boosting student achievement and fostering college and career readiness.

Fontana High and Sequoia Middle schools were both re-designated as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration Schools, retaining statuses held since 2016 and 2019 respectively, that reflect the site’s implementation of AVID instruction school-wide. Sequoia had even more reason to celebrate when it was then also redesignated a 2024 California Middle School to Watch.

“Fontana Unified is so proud of the educators, staff, and administrators who work together to remove obstacles to student learning and access, and who are committed to the success of all FUSD families,” Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “Congratulations to Sequoia Middle School and Fontana High School for these revalidations and for continuing to be leaders of excellence.”

Sequoia Middle and Fontana High schools’ efforts to boost college and career readiness through AVID have earned both schools a slew of accolades. Earlier this school year, Fontana High made the U.S. News & World Report’s Best High School rankings and received a silver certification from the California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition, an Advanced Placement (AP) Access Award, and a place on the AP Bronze Honor Roll. Sequoia also earned Platinum Certification from the California PBIS Coalition in September 2023.

As revalidated AVID sites, Sequoia Middle and Fontana High will continue to serve as model examples of AVID curriculum and implementation for other schools and districts across Southern California. AVID programs work to narrow the achievement gap between students and ensure more students attend four-year colleges. Demonstration schools must be revalidated every three years and undergo a rigorous process to prove the implementation of AVID standards is of the highest quality and fidelity.

The school-wide strategies employed at both schools include note-taking techniques, reading comprehension, and writing practices. Through focused AVID trainings, educators are equipped to apply strategies in their classes, using in subjects from language arts to science, and social studies to math.

AVID coordinators from both schools travel to feeder sites to recruit future students, and collaborate with other middle and high school programs within Fontana Unified and across the county for workshops and to share goals, data, practices, and progress.

“These revalidations show the overall commitment of our staff members, and the belief that all our students should have access to college, career, and technical education pathways,” Sequoia Assistant Principal Brittney Davis-Fox said. “Being revalidated helps students enhance their belief in themselves – that they’re capable and they have the opportunities, they just need to grab it.”

Fontana High has 22 AVID courses for grades nine through 12, including six freshmen and five senior sections. FOHI focuses on recruiting students who may be struggling with their grade point average or completing college and graduation requirements.

“Fontana High School’s revalidation was made possible because of the people who are willing to do the work and put in the time and effort, and really hone the AVID strategies to make sure students are getting the best service possible,” FOHI Assistant Principal Joseph Malatesta said. “This helps students be successful, feel supported and valued, and feel like part of the family so that they stick around and excel. One of the biggest tenets of our program is that we target the students that need the assistance to get to college.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_AVID1: Sequoia Middle School’s commitment to boosting student achievement and fostering college and career readiness earned its redesignation as an AVID National Demonstration School and 2024 California Middle School to Watch.

FUSD_AVID2: Fontana High School was redesignated as an AVID National Demonstration School, an honor held by a small portion of the thousands of schools in America with AVID programs. Fontana High will continue to serve as a model of AVID curriculum and implementation for other schools and districts across Southern California.