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PRESS RELEASE
EXCEL ACADEMY RANKS FIRST IN STATE FOR SECOND
CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Eighth graders repeat perfect performance in
English, also place first in math
September 16, 2009. East Boston, MA. For the second
year in a row, the students in Excel Academy’s Class of 2009 ranked
first in the state by achieving a perfect 100 percent
Advanced/Proficient rate on the state’s annual English MCAS exam.
This year, they matched their first place performance on the math
MCAS examination, ranking first out of all public middle schools in
Massachusetts on both subject tests.
All Excel Academy students, 69 percent of whom are
Latino and 67 percent of whom are low-income, surpassed their local
and state peers at every single grade level on the English, math and
science MCAS exams. Excel Academy students earned an overall 95
percent Advanced/Proficient rate on the English
MCAS exam and 85 percent Advanced/Proficient rate on
the math exam.
“Excel Academy was founded to close the achievement
gap that exists between low-income, minority students and their
wealthier, Caucasian peers. Our 2009 MCAS results reflect what is
possible when students, families, teachers and staff unite to
achieve this goal,” said Rebecca Cass, Excel Academy’s Interim
Executive Director.
Excel Academy is the only public, charter middle
school in East Boston. During the 2008-09 school year, the school
served 209 middle school students, of which 55 percent lived in East
Boston, 24 percent were from Chelsea and the remaining from
surrounding communities. Students are admitted through an open
lottery system and commit to an extended school day (nearly eight
hours) and extended school year.
The eighth grade’s first-in-the-state performance on
the 2009 English and math MCAS examinations reflects Excel Academy’s
strong academic foundation, as well as the school’s focus on
continual progress. Of the Class of 2009, 50 percent earned an
Advanced rating (the highest possible rating on the MCAS exam) on
the English MCAS examination, a 12 percent increase in the number of
students earning this distinction over last year. The students’
achievement on the math examination, with 96 percent of students
scoring Advanced or Proficient, also illustrates substantial growth,
as the score reflects an 11 percent increase in students earning the
designation over 2008. The eighth graders also excelled on the 2009
Science MCAS examination, ranking fifth out of 464 public middle
schools statewide with a 79 percent Advanced/Proficient rate.
The eighth graders were not alone in their
achievements, other notable achievement include:
5th Grade: 89% Advanced/Proficient on ELA MCAS,
which surpasses state average (63%), and nearly triples the score of
Boston (38%) and Chelsea (36%.) Excel Academy 5th graders
outperformed their more affluent peers in districts such as Weston
(86%), Dover (86%), Lexington (86%) and Newton (83%).
6th Grade: 92% and 91% of students scored
Advanced/Proficient on the English and math MCAS examinations,
respectively. The 6th grade math scores rank in the top 1% in the
state.
7th Grade: Ranked second in the state with 99%
scoring Advanced/Proficient on the English MCAS and in the top 5% of
schools statewide on the math MCAS.
“At Excel Academy, we are proving that high quality
instruction, rigorous curriculum and individualized supports
generate not only great MCAS results, but also a culture of learning
in which our students thrive. We’re not just looking to trigger
short term transformations; we’re looking to instill in students a
lasting understanding of the value of education. We’re preparing
students not just for success in high school, but also for success
in life,” said Komal Bhasin, Excel Academy’s Principal.
The fifty members of Excel Academy’s Class of 2009
will test out Bhasin’s theory while attending over 20 high schools
this fall. Overall, 97 percent of students in Excel’s 2009 eighth
grade class were admitted to college-preparatory independent,
parochial, charter, pilot or exam schools. Graduates are now
attending some of the area’s most prestigious high schools including
Boston College High School, Boston Latin School, Concord Academy,
Newton Country Day School, Pingree School and The Rivers School.
Excel Academy currently serves over 200 fifth,
sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. The school’s mission is to
prepare middle school students to succeed in high school and
college, apply their learning to solve relevant problems, and engage
productively in their communities.
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