The achievement can be attributed to hard work and dedication. Beyond boasting some of the state’s strongest MCAS scores, Excel Academy Charter School, which serves Chelsea and East Boston students, achieved first place statewide in English and fourth place statewide in math when measuring improvements in student performance over time, earning recognition as a high growth school. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) unveiled a new growth model on Tuesday that evaluates student achievement across a three-year span and benchmarks each student’s academic progress against their peer group. Across the board, Excel Academy students performed at the 86th percentile in English language arts, indicating that Excel Academy students advanced at a faster pace than 86 percent of their peers across the state. For math, Excel Academy students achieved the 83rd percentile, surpassing the progress made by their statewide peers at a rate of 83 percent.
“At Excel Academy we are committed to providing the highest quality instruction and individualized support to ensure that all students can achieve at high levels,” stated Rebecca Cass, Excel Academy’s Interim Executive Director. “These results demonstrate that our commitment helps each child make significant academic gains year after year.” Spring 2009 MCAS examination results, which measure absolute performance in meeting state content standards, were released by DESE earlier in the year. Excel Academy students achieved among the highest scores statewide, securing first place in both the 8th grade English Language Arts and math examinations. The combination of Excel Academy’s MCAS performance and growth results led to the school receiving DESE’s “high achievement, high growth” designation. Massachusetts employed a growth model for the first time to assess student performance in this manner. The model tracks individual student progress on the state assessment by comparing scores year to year. While standard test results show how a student performed on a given assessment, growth reports show how much a student’s performance has shifted over time relative to students with comparable test score backgrounds. Excel Academy Charter School (www.excelacademy.org) operates as a tuition-free public middle school for Chelsea and East Boston students. The school aims to equip students to excel in high school and college, apply their knowledge to address real-world challenges and participate actively in their community. The school currently enrolls 211 students in grades five through eight, with two-thirds identifying as Latino and coming from low-income backgrounds.