EAST BOSTON, MA — For the second year in a row, Excel Academy middle schoolers led all public school districts in Massachusetts in academic growth, while securing special recognition for surpassing pre-pandemic learning levels in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.
Excel Academy ranked #1 for growth in middle school English Language Arts (ELA) and #3 in Math out of the 352 school districts on the 2026 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams. Excel Academy Charter High School students outperformed the state average and ranked in the top 15% for growth in ELA and Math for the second year in a row.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recognized Excel Academy as one of only 14 districts across Massachusetts to meet or exceed pre-pandemic achievement levels in both ELA and Math for the second consecutive year.
“I am truly in awe of our students, who once again performed at an extraordinary level, and of our teachers, who work so hard every day to set our students up for this level of success,” said Owen Stearns, CEO of Excel Academy Charter Schools.
Regardless of where they start, Excel students accomplish exceptional growth over their four years in middle school. This year’s 8th grade results show that growth: when this class joined Excel four years ago, 36% met or exceeded expectations in math and 23% did so in ELA. In ELA, that placed them in the bottom quartile of achievement in the state. By the end of 8th grade, they finished in the top 10% of all eighth graders across Massachusetts, with 74% proficient in Math and 68% in ELA.
About Excel Academy Charter Schools
Excel Academy Charter Schools is a network of five charter public schools serving 1,970 students in grades 5–12 in East Boston, Chelsea, and Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 2003, Excel prepares students to succeed in high school and college, apply their learning to solve relevant problems, and engage productively in their communities. Most Excel students will be the first in their families to attend college, and Excel graduates complete college at roughly five times the national rate for their peers. U.S. News & World Report ranks Excel Academy Charter High School among the top 3% of public high schools in the country. Learn more at excelacademy.org.
