Undefined
Excel Academy
Excel Academy is #1 - Again!
A NOTE FROM EXCEL ACADEMY'S CEO
September 2014
Dear Friends,
It's that season again - students are back in school, the air is getting crisp, and MCAS scores are released.
MCAS Results
As you may know, we are at the end of the MCAS era, as Massachusetts switches over to the Common Core. There has been some controversy about standardized tests. At Excel, we believe that a good test provides an important benchmark as to whether students are learning and growing, but that no test can capture everything we want to know about a student's development.
The MCAS has been a good test, and our students have achieved truly extraordinary results -- ranking in the top 5 in the state since 2009.
This year our 8th grade students continued that streak, ranking #1 in ELA and #4 in Math out of more than 450 middle schools in Massachusetts. This is quite an accomplishment considering that 75% of students enter Excel in 5th grade reading below grade level and 50% speak a language other than English at home.
Success Beyond Middle School
But MCAS scores are just an intermediate benchmark toward our bigger goal, which is to prepare our students to succeed in high school and college. We are relentlessly focused on our students' performance through college graduation because we believe a college degree is a ticket to a vastly larger set of opportunities.
High School is in Our Future
Next year, we will launch Excel Academy Charter High School. For the first time, our students will have access to an Excel education all the way through 12th grade. We are building a new facility for this high school, in a prime location in East Boston -- right next door to a brand-new Boston Public Library, and steps to the Airport T Station.
Thank you for being a part of the Excel family at this momentous time in our history.
All the best,
Owen Stearns
Chief Executive Officer
ostearns@excelacademy.org | 617.874.4095
Work With Us
Passionate about closing the opportunity gap? Join the Excel Academy team!
While the busy hiring season is behind us, we are currently hiring for a very exciting role: Founding Director of Operations for Excel Academy Charter High School! This is an immediate opening. To learn more, visit our employment opportunities page: http://www.excelacademy.org/donate-get-involved/join-our-team.
