Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary principals who successfully implement and sustain the AVID system school wide at their Title 1 elementary schools in Southern California as a means to close the achievement gaps and prepare all students to be college and career ready.Methodology. This study utilized a qualitative, phenomenological research design. The researcher used purposeful sampling methods to select principals who experienced the phenomenon to inform this study's focus. Data were collected through one-on-one, semistructured interviews with 10 elementary principals implementing and sustaining AVID at their Title 1 schools for a minimum of 3 years.Findings. The study identified six major themes and findings related to the phenomenon of implementing and sustaining AVID at Title 1 elementary schools: (a) strategic implementation; (b) rigorous academic preparedness, student agency skills, and opportunity knowledge; (c) middle school and high school readiness as the pathway for college and career readiness; (d) principal leadership and sustainability; (e) AVID as a system and not a program; and (f) belief in closing the opportunity gaps.Conclusions. The results of the study found many commonalities between AVID experiences in elementary and secondary schools pertaining to academic rigor, student agency, and opportunity knowledge. Elementary and secondary schools also found that closing the opportunity gaps for students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds was crucial to improving academic achievement and readiness for their next level of education.Recommendations. As states continue to enact accountability measures regarding students' readiness for college and career, researchers must continue to explore how early intervention at the elementary level closes achievement gaps for socioeconomically disadvantaged students with systems such as AVID. Further research should include exploring the experiences of elementary teachers and other stakeholders on how AVID affects student achievement and school-wide change, investigating how AVID works as a system, conducting a longitudinal study tracking students' academic progress who experienced AVID from elementary to high school, and examining further how professional learning and networking support principals in their leadership and sustainment of the AVID system.