Study: AVID Excel Doubles Success Rate for English Learners

SAN DIEGO, CA – April 07, 2026 – A landmark independent study has provided the first comprehensive evidence that AVID Excel, a program for middle schoolers who are long-term English learners, significantly improves academic outcomes, nearly doubling the rate at which students achieve English fluency and are reclassified.

The research, conducted by the highly-regarded RMC Research Corporation, validates a program that educators have anecdotally praised for years. It offers a research-backed pathway for a student population that often faces significant hurdles in the U.S. education system. The findings affirm the program's effectiveness in boosting language proficiency and creating clear pathways to college preparatory coursework.

"These findings affirm what educators have seen in AVID Excel classrooms for years: When students’ strengths are recognized and they are given structured opportunities to take ownership of their learning, growth follows,” said AVID CEO Dr. Thuan Nguyen in a statement.

A Data-Backed Solution for a Persistent Challenge

The study, a rigorous retrospective, mixed-methods analysis, examined data from over 4,000 English learners across 58 schools. The core finding that has educators and policymakers taking notice is the program's impact on reclassification—the process by which an English learner is formally recognized as proficient in English. In ninth grade, 21 percent of former AVID Excel students were reclassified, a rate nearly double the 12 percent seen in a matched comparison group of their peers.

This is particularly significant for students identified as Long-Term English Learners (LTELs), who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for five or more years without reaching fluency. This group, which numbered over 200,000 in California alone in a recent academic year, often has the least access to advanced academic opportunities. The study, conducted by a firm with over 50 years of experience in educational evaluation, provides a rare look into a specific intervention that works.

The quantitative results are stark:
* Higher English Proficiency: Students who participated in AVID Excel for both seventh and eighth grades scored, on average, 0.10 standard deviations higher on eighth-grade English proficiency assessments than similar students not in the program.
* Increased Access to Support: In ninth grade, 44 percent of AVID Excel alumni enrolled in the AVID Elective, a college-readiness support class. This compares to just 26 percent of their non-AVID Excel peers, suggesting the program effectively builds a bridge to continued academic support in high school.

While the study is overwhelmingly positive, it also notes with transparency that participation did not significantly influence state ELA and math assessment scores in middle school, and that AVID Excel students were sometimes less likely to enroll in other rigorous elective courses, potentially due to scheduling constraints. Researchers suggest that caution should be used when interpreting some grade 9 and 10 outcomes due to smaller sample sizes for those analyses.

Transforming Classrooms and Educators

Beyond student metrics, the research highlights a profound impact on educators and school culture. The AVID Excel model is not just a curriculum; it is a professional development framework that equips teachers with strategies to support multilingual learners more effectively.

According to survey data from the study, the program's influence radiates beyond the specific AVID Excel classroom. An overwhelming 94 percent of surveyed educators reported that the program fostered a strong sense of community among multilingual students. Furthermore, at least 80 percent of AVID-trained educators felt the program strengthened their ability to accelerate language acquisition, engage and motivate these learners, and prepare them for high school and beyond. Teachers reported applying these new strategies in their other classes, benefiting a wider student population.

This shift in instructional practice is central to the program's philosophy. AVID Excel focuses on what it calls WICOR® strategies—Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading—to build academic skills and language confidence simultaneously.

“AVID Excel isn’t about remediation; it’s about replacing old narratives with a clear pathway to leadership and college,” explained Robin Ilac, an Instructional Coach at El Camino High School in California. “We’re making a research-backed commitment to ensure every student has the academic tools and the individual determination they need to truly thrive in a global society.”

A Pathway from Language Skills to College Readiness

The study’s findings suggest that AVID Excel serves as a critical catalyst, moving students beyond the single goal of language acquisition and placing them on a trajectory toward higher education. The significantly higher enrollment rate in the high school AVID Elective is a key indicator of this long-term impact. The AVID Elective is a year-round course designed to provide students with the skills—from organization and study habits to navigating the college application process—needed to succeed in rigorous coursework and postsecondary education.

For many long-term English learners, the path to college can be obscured by academic tracking that places them in less rigorous classes. By creating a direct pipeline into a proven college-readiness system, AVID Excel appears to effectively interrupt this pattern. This is a crucial finding for school districts across the country, from Alexandria, Virginia, to Roseville, California, that have adopted the program as a key lever for equity.

The parent organization, AVID Center, is a well-established nonprofit with a 45-year history and a strong financial track record, earning a 97% rating from Charity Navigator. Its mission to close the opportunity gap is supported by a presence in over 7,500 schools. The success of AVID Excel, as detailed in the RMC Research report, provides a powerful new tool in that mission.

The Importance of Fidelity and a Look Ahead

A crucial takeaway from the report is the importance of strong, consistent implementation. Schools that implemented AVID Excel with high fidelity—regularly incorporating its core curriculum and providing robust support for teachers—saw the strongest outcomes. These schools not only had higher reclassification rates but also saw improved eighth-grade English language arts (ELA) scores and higher levels of English proficiency.

This underscores that the program is not a "silver bullet" but a comprehensive system that requires commitment from school leadership and dedicated educators. Even small shifts in performance were deemed meaningful by the researchers, given the systemic challenges that English learners often face.

Armed with this independent validation, AVID Center plans to use the insights to refine the program and develop practical supports to help more schools achieve high-fidelity implementation. The research provides a clear roadmap for districts looking for an effective, evidence-based strategy to empower their multilingual learners and ensure they are prepared not just to learn English, but to thrive in high school, college, and future careers. The full report is publicly available on the organization's website, inviting further analysis and discussion on how to best serve this vital student population.