NEW
YORK—The College Board today announced the expansion
of its EXCELerator
Schools project to include Denver and Hillsborough
County, Florida, (Tampa area) school districts and
several more schools in Chicago and Duval County,
Florida (Jacksonville area). Sixteen public high
schools in these four school districts will join 11
EXCELerator Schools already in operation throughout
the country, implementing the system of College Board
programs, tools, and support services designed to
prepare more American high school students for
postsecondary success.
The
project, which complements the College Board’s first
promising new school development efforts in
New
York, is part of an effort launched in 2006 through a
$16 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. Early indicators suggest that these
schools are increasing the level of student
aspirations and academic performance.
“The
continued growth of the
EXCELerator
project will allow us to reach thousands of students
in urban districts with a model that is designed to
prepare them for advanced courses and fortify them
with the skills they need to succeed in college,” said
College Board President Gaston Caperton. “The
project’s success to date is a testament to the
outstanding work being done.”
The
College Board will partner with selected districts and
schools to help improve graduation and college
readiness rates—particularly for low-income and
minority students—over the course of the next four
years. With an emphasis on equity, the
EXCELerator
project supports high schools as they create a culture
of high achievement and high expectations; promote a
rigorous college-preparatory curriculum; increase
access to that curriculum; and foster postsecondary
aspirations in all students. By the end of the 2007-08
school year, more than 45,000 students will benefit
from the EXCELerator project.
As
large urban districts, Denver and Hillsborough County
join Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Duval County in
the struggle to overcome the nationwide “advantage
gap” by ensuring that all students receive a
high-quality education, regardless of their background
or socioeconomic status. According to national and
state data, graduation rates in these five districts
lag behind or just meet the national average of
69.6 percent.
Many
deserving urban school districts from across the
country took part in the competitive application
process to join these new
EXCELerator
Schools. Those selected demonstrated an urgent need to
address the challenges facing underserved students, a
strong commitment from district leaders, and the
capacity and commitment to engage in a comprehensive
reform model that aims to prepare all students for
postsecondary success.
Launched last year in 11 high schools in
Chicago,
Washington, D.C., and Duval County, Florida,
EXCELerator is already making progress in its first
year of implementation. In October, more than 11,000
students in participating schools took the PSAT/NMSQT®,
potentially expanding the roster of students to be
identified through AP Potential™ as likely
to succeed in Advanced Placement Program®
(AP®) courses. Guidance professionals in
each school will be trained to use AP Potential data
to recruit traditionally underrepresented students for
enrollment in AP. In a parallel effort, school
schedulers will receive direct assistance in designing
master schedules to accommodate increased academic
support for those students.
Last
summer, teachers from all 11 schools attended AP
Summer Institutes in preparation for an expansion of
AP offerings next year. Teachers and administrators
also received intensive training in SpringBoardâ,
the College Board’s rigorous program in English
Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 6–12. The
same teachers then collaborated to build a rigorous
common curriculum incorporating SpringBoard, and
aligned both to state standards and to the College
Board Standards for College Success™. At
the start of the 2006-07 school year, all schools were
equipped with the materials and training required to
implement this curriculum in the classroom.
It is
expected that the following new
EXCELerator
Schools will mirror this success:
The
College Board: Connecting Students to College Success
The College Board
is a not-for-profit membership association whose
mission is to connect students to college success and
opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is
composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges,
universities, and other educational organizations.
Each year, the College Board serves seven million
students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and
3,500 colleges through major programs and services in
college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial
aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its
best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®,
and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®).
The College Board is committed to the principles of
excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied
in all of its programs, services, activities, and
concerns. For further information, visit
www.collegeboard.com.
