With perspective from Cassie Fogel, Ed.D., Assistant Principal and Incoming Principal (2026–27), Bernard Campbell Middle School, Missouri 

When Bernard Campbell Middle School’s AVID Site Team committed to attending Summer Institute (SI) together, they were looking for practical ways to make teaching and learning more consistent across their campus. They already had strong AVID practices in place, but students’ experiences varied from room to room. The team believed that if they could align their instructional routines and deepen their shared understanding of AVID strategies, they could create a more cohesive, engaging learning environment for all students. 

That mindset shaped how they approached SI. They looked for routines that would support rigorous instruction, strengthen students’ sense of belonging, and make classroom expectations more predictable from one period to the next. 

Early Impact Snapshot

Even as Campbell Middle School continues gathering formal data, staff members observed immediate, schoolwide shifts: 

• More students participating in academic discussions, confirmed by walkthrough trends
• Consistent use of focused note‑taking and collaborative structures across content areas
• Improved organization and preparedness, noticeable in student work and PLC reflections
• Teachers reporting higher student engagement after embedding AVID strategies into professional development and lesson planning

These changes didn’t happen by chance; they came from the team’s intentional approach to professional learning, alignment, and shared practice. 

Campbell’s Story: How SI Turned AVID Into a Schoolwide Instructional Identity

Meaningful Implementation Requires Shared Ownership

At SI, Campbell Middle School’s Site team aligned around a clear challenge: Students needed consistent structures for learning, talking, and thinking—no matter the teacher or content area. 

“A motivating factor was our belief that meaningful implementation requires shared ownership,” shared Cassie Fogel, Campbell’s current assistant principal and incoming principal. “Sending a full Site Team allowed us to build collective understanding, align our vision, and return ready to support staff, creating consistent expectations for AVID implementation across the building.” 

This collective clarity and experience shaped the decisions they made once the school year began. 

Making Professional Learning Feel Like AVID

One of Campbell’s key shifts was turning every professional learning opportunity into an AVID learning experience. 

Instead of telling teachers about strategies, they modeled them. Short “strategy spotlights” became a regular part of meetings. Teachers practiced collaboration structures, experienced inquiry-based questioning, and used note-taking the same way their students would. 

By the time they reached PLCs and walkthroughs, the language felt familiar, and implementation felt possible. 

Embedding WICOR® Into Walkthroughs and PLC Conversations to Reinforce Consistency

The Site Team intentionally aligned their instructional look‑fors with AVID’s framework: 

• Collaboration routines that give every student a voice
• Inquiry-based questions embedded into lesson design
• Writing to organize thinking, not just to complete assignments
• Academic language supports that help students participate with confidence

In collaborative planning and PLC conversations, teams identify where AVID strategies naturally fit in upcoming lessons. The focus is on strengthening the instruction teachers are already providing. 

Focused Note-Taking + Collaboration: A Schoolwide Game Changer

One strategy stood out as particularly transformative: Focused note-taking combined with structured collaboration began to take hold in classrooms across grade levels and subjects. 

Teachers now intentionally model how to capture key ideas, identify essential questions, and then process notes through discussions with peers. This approach moves students from simply receiving information to actively processing and explaining their thinking. 

This shift has proven powerful for both students and teachers. Students became more confident in explaining their thinking, asking questions, and participating in discussions, and teachers are better able to gauge students’ understanding in real time, allowing for adjustments in instruction and targeted support. 

Belonging as an Instructional Practice

“Belonging and engagement are central to how we approach AVID implementation,” Cassie explained. Classrooms are intentionally structured so every student has a voice and an opportunity to contribute. Practices that create classroom environments where students feel both supported and academically challenged include: 

• Collaborative learning structures
• Inquiry-based discussions
• Intentional academic language support

Ensuring AVID strategies are used across all classrooms means students experience consistent structures for learning and participation. That helps build confidence and a sense of belonging throughout the school. 

Evidence of Year-Long Gains

Campbell’s observations highlight the effectiveness of sustained professional learning: 

• Walkthroughs show more classrooms using collaborative structures, inquiry routines, and note-taking strategies
• Teachers report increased engagement and participation
• Students ask more questions and take more ownership of learning
• Classroom discussions now include more voices, not just the confident few

The changes are visible in student work, conveyed in teacher reflections, and felt by the school leadership team when they walk through the classrooms. 

Looking Ahead: Deepening Inquiry and Academic Conversations

As they return to AVID Summer Institute, in Kansas City this year, Campbell’s team members are focused on the next level of schoolwide AVID implementation. 

They want to refine the intentional use of inquiry, strengthen academic conversations, and continue building teacher capacity so AVID strategies remain sustainable and consistent over time. 

"Summer Institute plays an important role in sustaining our work because it allows our team to continue learning, reflecting, and aligning around best practices for AVID implementation,” Cassie says. 

Each year, the Campbell team brings back new ideas, strengthens their shared vision, and refines how AVID strategies are embedded in everything from professional learning to instruction to collaborative planning. 

“Over time, this ongoing learning helps ensure that AVID remains a living part of our instructional culture at Campbell, supporting both teachers and students as we continue to grow.” 

Seven Ways to Increase Schoolwide Impact Through Professional Learning

1) Make professional learning feel like classroom learning.

Model AVID strategies in every professional development session so that teachers experience them the way students will.

2) Focus schoolwide efforts on what matters most.

Identify and commit to two or three schoolwide high-impact strategies rather than overwhelming staff members.

3) Build a common instructional language.

Use shared language for collaboration, inquiry, and note-taking, so expectations feel clear across classrooms.

4) Align walkthroughs with what you teach in professional learning.

Connect look‑fors with writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading (WICOR) to reinforce coherence between learning, planning, and instructional practice.

5) Bring AVID into PLCs as a natural part of lesson planning.

Embed AVID strategies into collaborative planning by identifying where strategies naturally enhance existing lessons.

6) Pair processing and collaboration to deepen students’ thinking.

Use focused note-taking alongside structured peer discussion to strengthen students’ understanding and confidence.

7) Use AVID practices to build belonging, not compliance.

Anchor use of strategies in community building, individual voice, and support so students feel safe, challenged, and capable.

About Bernard Campbell Middle School

• Student population: 1,040 
• Grades: 6–8 
• 57.8% White 
• 19.6% African American 
• 10.2% Hispanic 
• 9.4% More than one race 
• 2.2% Asian American 
• 31% Free or reduced lunch 
• AVID partner since 2022