Excel: A Building Block for Excellence!

An enrichment program entitled Excel (Extra Curricular Enrichment and Learning) was implemented at Parkland Magnet High School during the 2007-08 school year and is still in place for the 2012-13 school year. The program is designed to serve students who would benefit from additional time to master the content in one of several courses with a state mandated End-of-Course (EOC) Test. Those courses are Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, Civics & Economics, English I, Integrated Math II, Integrated Math III, Physical Science, and US History. Five of these courses are specifically required for graduation in North Carolina. Those five courses are Algebra I (or Integrated Math II), Biology, Civics and Economics, English I, and US History.

Data collected during the last four years indicates that students who attended Excel Tutoring performed extremely well on the End-of-Course Tests. In many instances, these students scored significantly higher on the End-of-Course Test than they had ever scored on a standardized test in previous years.

One of the ways in which the state reports EOC results is in terms of state percentiles. The Educational Value Added Assessment System (EVAAS) provides a projected performance level for each student based on their previous history of performance on standardized tests. EVAAS also compares each student's projected performance on the EOC with their actual performance. A summary of the actual performance of Parkland students in relation to their projected performance and the number of sessions of Excel attended is provided below.

Summary Includes Data for All Courses with an End of Course Test

• Zero Excel Sessions: +2.8 +5.4 +6.2
• 1-2 Excel Sessions: +4.4 +5.3 +8.7
• 3-4 Excel Sessions: +5.8 +7.7 +7.9
• 5-6 Excel Sessions: +8.0 +9.1 +8.9
• 7 or More Excel Sessions: +10.1 +13.3 +10.2

As you can see, attendance at even a few sessions of Excel Tutoring can be a significant factor in the improvement of student performance on End-of-Course Tests.

Quarter Tests are administered in each of the courses mentioned earlier (Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, Civics & Economics, English I, Integrated Math II, Integrated Math III, Physical Science, and US History). Quarter Tests are administered after the first 4 ½ weeks of the course, after 9 weeks, and after 13 ½ weeks in Block classes. In Yearlong classes, Quarter Tests are administered after 9, 18, and 27 weeks. The Quarter Tests serve as a benchmark to determine the degree to which the content has been mastered. Excel Tutoring is based on the results of the Quarter Tests. The results are analyzed on a goal by goal and a student by student basis. Students who have not yet demonstrated mastery of a specific goal will be offered assistance as they work toward mastery of that specific goal. In other words, the program will identify and target only the goal(s) that an individual student has not mastered. For example, if a student has mastered goal # 1 but has not yet demonstrated mastery of goal # 2, that individual student will receive assistance in the mastery of goal # 2. Again, the basis of Excel Tutoring is evaluation of mastery, and assistance in achieving mastery, on a goal by goal and a student by student basis.

Each student will receive a form from their teacher indicating the goal(s) it is recommended they address during Excel. Every student enrolled in one of these courses is eligible and invited to attend Excel. There is no formal enrollment process. Students only need to come to the appropriate classroom at 3:45 on the afternoon designated for Excel Tutoring in their specific course.

Teachers will be available from 3:45 until 5:00 on the afternoon designated for their course. That schedule is provided below. Students will be assigned to a classroom and a teacher based on their individual needs. Some students may achieve mastery of the content after one session; others may need to attend multiple sessions in order to achieve mastery. 

Schedule for Excel Tutoring

Monday:    Biology, Physical Science

Tuesday:    Algebra I, Algebra II, Integrated Math II, Integrated Math III

Wednesday:   English I

Thursday:  Civics & Economics and US History

Time (every day): 3:45 - 5:00

Excel: A Building Block for Excellence!