Level up: dual enrollment in AVID and international baccalaureate diploma programs

The AVID and IB programs are becoming popular reform initiatives for high schools seeking to close the achievement gap and better serve a growing number of underrepresented students. This study seeks to add to the literature on IB and AVID by examining the effect of combined enrollment in the two programs and analyzing students' perceptions of IB and AVID programs. Additionally, this study provides voice to a group of students, which in turn, may influence how other institutions seek to implement these programs as reform measures. The quantitative data provide insight into the level of college readiness of AVID and IB students, while the qualitative data explore what students identified as valuable as a result of dual enrollment. The qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using theories of community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005) and recent theories on college readiness (Conley, 2007). The study finds that dual enrollment in AVID and IB leads to an increased level of college knowledge for underrepresented students, smooth transitions to college, and increased levels of confidence with regard to academic and social self-perceptions.