How Dallas ISD's AVID program is helping students build confidence, soft skills and academic success
Dallas ISD leaders often say the district is "having a moment" – and the numbers back it up.
Seventy percent of campuses are now rated A or B, and the achievement gap continues to narrow. But district advocates stress that the progress is the result of years of work, both inside and outside the classroom.
That work was on display this week as Thomas Jefferson High School junior Bella Smith helped younger students hunt for Easter eggs – a simple moment that mirrors her own determination.
"I want to be a real estate broker. Or own my own brokerage one day," Bella said. "So I definitely do want to go to college."
She's already taking college‑level courses and earning top grades. But Bella knows academic success isn't enough on its own.
Learning the soft skills
She's also learning the "soft skills" that help students thrive beyond high school.
"We learn how to do résumés. And I've been learning the mock interviews, the attire, and like, we learned life skills," she said. "And as it's not like, oh yeah, you need this so you can take a test and pass, but I take these skills out to the real world."
Those lessons come through AVID, a long‑running districtwide program designed to help students build confidence, communication skills, and a clear path toward their goals.
Coaching confidence every day
"That's literally what AVID stands for – Advancement Via Individual Determination," said Krystal Ellis, Bella's AVID teacher. "A lot of kids have it, but they don't know how to get there. So my job is to help them get there."
Ellis spends her days coaching students through everything from public speaking to self‑belief.
"Most of my kids don't have any confidence," she said. "So the first thing I make them do is say why they're awesome."
She's watched the program transform students – from those who could barely speak up on day one to those who leave as class presidents.
Finding support at home
Bella is hoping to be one of them. She's currently running for class president, a milestone made even more meaningful given her past. After a difficult and unsafe home life, she now lives with an older half-sister – a teacher – who provides the support she once lacked.
"She refuses to let me sit in that past and let me dwell on it," Bella said. "And I'm really thankful to have somebody in my life that has not given up on me."
Determined to do something big
Despite everything she's faced, Bella says she's determined to build something bigger for herself.
"Like, I've been through a lot, like, a lot," she said. "But, you know, I persevered, and I'm still here, and I'm going to… I'm going to do something big one day!"
