Congratulations to the staff and students of Ruble Middle School!  The school is now an AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) certified site. "Our team did an outstanding job representing the work of our AVID students and our entire staff," said proud principal, Crystal Whitely. 

AVID is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges.  AVID now serves over 400,000 students in nearly 4,500 elementary and secondary schools in 47 states, the District of Columbia and across 16 countries/territories.  Although AVID serves all students, the programs focus is those in the least served academic middle.  The formula is simple - raise expectations of students and, with the AVID support system in place, they will rise to the challenge.

With its AVID certification secured, Ruble Middle School has a goal to become an AVID demonstration school and they are well on their way as visits to the school site show ample evidence of AVID strategies school-wide.  Every student carries a 3-inch organized binder every day and every classroom has student-made college banners hung with a college-going culture.  All students take regular Cornell Notes.  These strategies are not just being implemented with AVID students but with every student at the school.

Ruble is the fifth middle school in Fontana to be certified after three years of planning and implementation, joining Alder, Almeria, Fontana, and Truman Middle Schools.  Sequoia and Southridge Middle Schools will have AVID programs next year.  "We will be an AVID district," said Kelly Willis, Mathematics Coordinator - Secondary Instruction, "with all high schools and all middle schools offering AVID programs to the students in Fontana."