What is EXCELerator?

In 2007, South High School was awarded a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to become a College Board EXCELerator School. The College Board and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have partnered to create The EXCELerator Schools project that is now underway in 27 other schools throughout the nation. The EXCELerator Schools project aims to implement a process of continuous improvement to radically increase college admissions and success for students. One of the main goals of this project is to create a college ready culture within the high school through expanding Advanced Placement Course offerings and enrollment for all students. It is dedicated to exposing more students to the rigors of Advanced Placement Courses while supplying the tools and higher order thinking skills that students will need to achieve success.

At every EXCELerator School you will find

• Implementation of rigorous academic programs for all students ranges from efforts aimed at increasing the literacy levels of underachieving students to accelerated and enriched learning programs in mathematics, science, English, and social studies.
• Extensive use of data informs and drives teaching, learning, and assessment within each school, with a particular focus on using data to examine the extent to which students are mastering mathematics, science, reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, and the extent to which schools modify their instructional programs and strategies to meet the needs of every student in all core subjects.
• College planning and preparation includes counseling and advisory programs that support students' efforts to better prepare for enrollment and success in college, taking steps as early as middle school.
• Extensive and ongoing professional development is provided for superintendents, principals, teachers, and counselors. This highly trained cadre of administrators and teachers will guide the school in change while providing intense instructional leadership.
• Developmental supports create a personalized learning environment and community for every student.

Teaching system

EXCELerator Schools use College Board programs and services, among other methods, to drive academic rigor, to increase college access and opportunity, and to inspire college ambitions in students. The components of the EXCELerator model include:

• Programs focused on increasing academic rigor and expectations:
• Advanced Placement Program®
• College Board SpringBoard® English and Math Curriculum
• College Board Standards for College Success™
• Pre-AP® Initiatives
• Programs focused on college access and opportunity:
• PSAT/NMSQT®
• AP Potential™
• SAT Readiness Program™
• College Board-sponsored professional development for guidance counselors
• Training in curriculum writing
• Training in data analysis
• Programs focused on inspiring students to make college a goal:
• CollegeEd®
• MyRoad™
• AVID®

Expected outcomes

The expected outcomes of this initiative within the participating EXCELerator Schools and districts include:

• Increased academic achievement, including increased success in AP courses, reduced achievement gaps across subgroups, and reduced dropout rates.
• Increased high school graduation rates, increased college-readiness rates, and decreased college remediation rates.
• Creation of a school culture focused on college readiness for all students and greater student engagement with challenging, meaningful content.
• Creation of a national model for deep and lasting systemic change that can be widely and quickly disseminated through the College Board's network of members and relationships with states and school districts.