The eleven essentials are as follows: 1.) students selected for the program should be from the academic middle, 2.) involvement in the program should be voluntary for all parties, 3.) program sites should be committed to the program’s success, 4.) all students must enroll in honors or Advanced Placement courses, 5.) AVID methodologies should be taught, 6.) the program should be reading and writing intensive, 7.) group work/collaboration and learning should be promoted, 8.) trained college level tutors should be available to mentor students, 9.) program progress should be recorded and submitted to the AVID Data Center, 10.) schools or districts should fund the program, and 11.) the AVID site team should serve as an interdisciplinary team to