Many educators have an AVID strategy they love, be it a focused note-taking routine that finally clicks with students, a Socratic Seminar that sparks real discussion, or perhaps a Community of Practice that reframes how they think about rigor and support. 

Behind those tools is a team making sure that AVID feels coherent from TK through graduation, rather than a collection of disconnected “good ideas.” 

Leading that work is Shanda Martin, Head of Core Products and Services at AVID Center, who describes her role as “ensuring that the vision we are executing is aligned with what is needed for the mission of AVID, our partners, and our students.” 

From AVID Classroom Teacher to System-Level Designer 

Shanda’s AVID story started in 2002 in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, almost by accident. When a social studies role didn’t materialize, she was offered the AVID Elective. Upon her principal describing the program, it felt, in her words, like a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

She spent five years teaching AVID in grades 6–8 while completing her master’s degree in School Administration. A defining moment came in 2007, when she was recruited to help turn around a priority high school facing closure, with approval to use AVID as the turnaround model. 

“It was during this time that I fully understood the power of AVID to transform teaching, leadership, and school culture,” she recalls. 

Her work later expanded to the district level, where she led AVID, Advanced Placement, and Gifted Services. That blend of classroom, school, and district leadership now shapes how she designs resources for educators. It taught her that rigor must be intentional and supported, that expectations need to be contextualized for different learners, and that tools and data are most powerful when they serve as indicators of progress, not compliance. 

Designing Tools That Fit Real Classrooms 

As Head of Core Products and Services, Shanda ensures that AVID’s core programs—Elementary, Secondary, and Excel—are clear, coherent, and grounded in real partner needs. 

Her team oversees the development of Communities of Practice, AVID Elective Weeks at a Glance, AVID Excel® District Planning Guides, the Demonstration School process, and AVID Professional Learning Modules. 

“We work closely with teams across AVID to strengthen implementation, reduce complexity, and help the AVID mission show up consistently in classrooms through our resources and tools,” she says. 

The team is also exploring several improvements that could make AVID’s tools even more accessible and supportive for educators. 

A More Usable Digital Home for Strategies 

The Core Products and Services Team is reimagining how educators access AVID strategies by exploring a more intuitive digital home—think of the familiar curriculum books, but unbound and with searchable strategies. In this space, teachers could quickly locate strategies, save favorites, note when they’ve used them, and open handouts or slide decks right alongside the guidance they need for planning. As Shanda explains, making materials more accessible and user‑friendly means educators spend less time digging for resources and more time applying them where it matters most: in the classroom. 

Microlearnings for Just-in-Time Support 

The team is exploring brief, three‑minute microlearnings that offer quick guidance on key units, tools, or concepts. These short supports could help teachers bridge the space between major professional learning and day‑to‑day decisions. “Microlearnings provide just‑in‑time support—short, focused guidance teachers can use immediately,” Shanda explains. “Being able to fill the time gap between longer PL and daily application will ensure that teachers are more confident and can execute more consistently across classrooms.” 

More Grade-Specific Support for Elementary 

Core Products and Services is also examining opportunities to create more developmentally tailored materials for elementary classrooms. Rather than adapting K–2 or 3–6 resources on their own, teachers could eventually see strategies designed specifically for their grade level, supporting clearer alignment and reducing cognitive load. 

Each of these explorations reflects Shanda’s focus on one guiding idea: When AVID’s systems do more of the heavy lifting, educators can spend more of their energy on what matters most: strong instruction and meaningful relationships with students. 

Validating “Cradle to Career”: The Elementary Demo Pilot 

One of the projects that Shanda is especially proud of is the pilot year of the Elementary Demonstration School process. For years, secondary educators have seen how Demo status sharpens implementation and highlights impact. Extending that same clarity to elementary schools is already resonating. 

During the pilot, Shanda heard from educators across the country who were excited to finally have an Elementary Demo process that reflects the quality and outcomes they’re working toward. A district leader in Riverside, California, noted that the process “validates our cradle-to-career philosophy” and affirms that “college-going culture begins the moment a student enters a TK or kindergarten classroom.” 

For Shanda, that feedback underscores the importance of the work. 

“I am so proud of the core team that brought this process to light and the hard work that has been put into it,” she says. “I am also proud of the educators who are participating in this process focused on quality and outcomes for their students.” 

The Elementary Demo work gives schools a clear, high-quality picture of what AVID can look like in the earliest grades, offering models that other sites can learn and build upon. 

Strong AVID Site Teams Are Her Jam 

Ask Shanda about her expertise, and she’ll tell you: Site Teams are her jam. Early in her AVID staff career, she helped develop Site Team materials and saw firsthand how strong, aligned teams sustain AVID at the school level. 

That belief in teamwork shows up in how she leads Core Products and Services. They use brief, twice‑weekly huddles to stay connected, align priorities, and celebrate progress—a rhythm that strengthens collaboration and keeps work moving forward. 

“Hearing first thing Monday how the team is prioritizing is energizing,” Shanda says. “Throughout the week, the team feels connected to what is happening in all streams of work, empowered to solve problems collaboratively and identify barriers faster.” 

Behind those routines is a leadership stance rooted in actionable goals, shared ownership, and supportive accountability. “I believe in the power of strong teams powered by individuals who bring their best and work together to make a lasting impact,” she says. 

A Leader Guided by the Golden Rule (and Fancy Chocolate) 

For Shanda, the way she shows up as an educator and leader is rooted in something simple: the Golden Rule. 

“Treat others how you want to be treated. I was taught that as a kid, and it has never steered me wrong,” she shares. “As an educator, it meant treating every child like they were my own. As a leader, it means being the leader I would want to follow. Every day, it means acting with integrity, treating others with respect and kindness.” 

Outside of work, there’s another through-line: a love of small rituals and simple joys. 

Her very first job was at Belk, a Southern department store, working in fine china and chocolate. That experience sparked a lifelong passion for fancy chocolate and tea. To this day, she loves exploring chocolate and tea shops—a detail that feels fitting for someone who thinks carefully about small details that shape larger experiences. 

Even her favorite AVID strategy reflects this “small steps to big meaning” mindset: the graphic organizer “Here’s What, So What, Now What.” 

“I love how it allows everyone to approach analysis of a topic or data set,” Shanda says. “It requires that the learner make their own meaning and sets the context for action. It is a very empowering strategy.” 

Looking Ahead: A Progression to Career Readiness 

Looking to the next year, Shanda is particularly energized by AVID’s focused work in career readiness. AVID already has strong examples in place. The next step, as she sees it, is to expand and connect them. 

“We now have the chance to develop a clear K–12 structure, so students consistently build the skills and knowledge they need to be prepared for college and career,” she explains. 

In other words, the same coherence she’s building into tools and systems will increasingly shape how students experience career readiness as a progression, not a one-off event. 

Try This: Five Ways to Get More from AVID as a System 

Shanda’s experience has shaped a core belief: “Educators get more out of AVID when it is understood as more than a collection of good teaching strategies.” 

WICOR® strategies are powerful. But in Shanda’s view, and in her experience as both an AVID teacher and district leader, the greatest impact comes when educators use AVID as a system, anchored by clear tools, strong Site Teams, and consistent implementation. 

Here are five practices inspired by the way Shanda leads, coaches, and designs AVID’s tools: 

• Name AVID as a System 
  In your next Site Team or leadership meeting, frame AVID as a system for instructional quality. Ask: How are we using AVID’s tools and processes to create consistency across classrooms?
• Use a Simple Weekly Rhythm 
  Borrow from Shanda’s huddles by establishing a short, predictable check-in, where your Site Team aligns on priorities and surfaces barriers early.
• Use Implementation Tools as Supports 
  Encourage your staff or team to use certification tools, data, and rubrics as indicators of progress, rather than compliance. Choose one tool to anchor reflection this quarter.
• Learn from Demonstration Schools 
  Whether or not your site is in the process of validating or revalidating, use Demo Schools—especially emerging elementary models—to spark discussion about quality implementation, routines, and systems you can adapt.
• Try “Here’s What, So What, Now What” With Your Team 
  Apply Shanda’s favorite organizer with your team around data, student work, or implementation evidence to build shared meaning and clear next steps.

These practices help shift AVID from isolated strategy use to a coherent, schoolwide approach that gives every student a stronger, more supported path to college, career, and life readiness.