Norris Middle School presented a detailed update to the Norris School District Board of Trustees on the expansion of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) from a seventh‑grade elective to a school‑wide strategy. Principal Amy Spotsky and AVID staff said the program now includes school‑supplied two‑inch binders with color dividers, daily planner use, weekly binder checks and four targeted professional‑development days focused on WICOR practices (writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading).

"One of the things that AVID does is it builds organizational skills for students," Spotsky said during the presentation. Staff described operational rules: students are given class time on Mondays to write assignments in planners, teachers check planners on Tuesdays, and teachers perform grade checks on Thursdays. The program also calls for teacher‑posted weekly agendas so students can snapshot homework if they have trouble copying from a whiteboard.

Two students who appear in AVID outreach materials spoke to the board. "AVID has really helped me because last year I was really bad in organizing, and my grades were really low," said Fulton, a second‑year AVID student, describing how binder checks and tutorials helped him keep schoolwork organized. Eighth‑grader Chisholm Obana, who said he is not an AVID student, told the board that schoolwide binder distribution and planner checks made organization easier for his family and prepared him for high school.

Staff framed AVID as part of a broader instructional strategy that includes Visible Learning techniques and weekly data teams that target small‑group interventions. The presenters said the approach is designed to raise rigor while aligning classroom practice to college and career readiness objectives.

Board members praised the student testimony and the administrative rollout; one trustee noted the value of consistency and repetition in building student habits. The presentation concluded with an invitation to trustees and community members to observe AVID‑aligned classrooms on Wednesdays during teacher‑collaboration sessions.

The district did not propose a new budget line during the presentation; implementation was described as using existing staff time, purchased planners and binders, and professional development already scheduled.