Overview

EXCELerator emphasizes a district approach to college readiness. The vision of the EXCELerator team is to see all students across the country graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills necessary to enter college and to be successful in the postsecondary environment. Our goal is to create systems that make this vision a reality, with a special focus on serving those students who have been and continue to be underserved.

Process

Today, EXCELerator is a district reform process that increases the college readiness of all students through a multiyear partnership with the College Board. School districts across the country work with College Board experts over several years to diagnose specific strengths and areas for improvement, then develop and implement comprehensive solutions using data-driven processes.

Partners

EXCELerator actively works with key partners who share our commitment to improving students’ college readiness, such as the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC).

History

EXCELerator began in 2006 as a three-and-a-half-year program, funded through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, called EXCELerator Schools. The program was implemented in 27 comprehensive schools serving 45,000 students. Its goals were to create a culture of high achievement and high expectations; promote a rigorous college preparatory curriculum for all students; and strengthen professional development and instructional leadership.

The lessons learned from EXCELerator Schools have informed the development of the current EXCELerator model. Here are some important insights that came out of the program:

• District leadership and commitment are fundamental.
• All districts are not the same. EXCELerator provides a uniquely designed reform plan developed in concert with the district, based on diagnostics.
• A multifaceted approach is needed, emphasizing the four phases of the process.
• The change process is multiyear.
• A dedicated team of experts, analysts, educators and program specialists must support district efforts.
• Benchmarks and quarterly updates on performance and improvement should be used to assess progress and potential plan revisions.