Excel Academy Public Charter School

“The chief executive officer and the chief financial officer review the form 990 information return and then forward the form 990 to the treasurer for review and presentation to the board of directors for approval. Once all questions posed by the board of directors are addressed and answered, the treasurer notifies the chief financial officer that the 990 is authorized for filing.”

“The conflict of interest policy is reviewed annually for all board members and key employees. The review requires disclosure of any interest by anyone that may have a conflict of interest. As there are changes in board members or key employees, the policy is disclosed and complied with.”

“The chief executive officer's compensation is reviewed annually by the board of directors at a regular meeting. There is a performance review and a comparison of salary to market for determination of salary.”

“The documents are available upon request for inspection at the school, and a copy may be obtained at a cost per copy for reproduction.”

“The public charter school operates as part of the district of columbia public school system with its purpose of providing an outstanding academic education to pre-school to eighth grade girls in the district of columbia. In an effort to impact the inter-generational patterns of poverty, excel academy has been organized to provide an excellent academic and complementary social and enrichment program to prepare scholars to succeed and effectively compete in highly competitive high schools, colleges, and universities.”

“Reading, writing, math, and to teach ethics, personal responsibility, and healthy choices. We use early and frequent assessments to gauge students' progress and identify academic needs for classrooms and individual students, and respond to the data such assessments provide with immediacy. We hire highly skilled teachers, participate in ongoing professional development, and create and maintain a community of respect and collaboration with our staff and parents. We embrace students' parents and guardians as essential partners in their student's education, and we reach out to families and the wider community to support excel academy's girls. Founded by kaye savage, excel academy was authorized and approved by the dc public charter school board in 2007. In august 2008, the school opened in a church basement with 134 preschool, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten girls. In 2009, the school took partial occupancy of the birney school on martin luther king, jr. Avenue se, in the heart of the barry farm neighborhood in anacostia. From 2008-2016, the school grew to serve over 700 preschool through grade 7 scholars. In august 2013, preparing for growth through grade 8, the charter school expanded to occupy the entire 86,000 square foot building. Excel academy continues to grow in student enrollment and staff size every year. Excel academy provides scholars with a strong standards-based academic program, gender specific teaching and instruction, and leadership and extracurricular opportunities. Two teaching faculty members are assigned to each classroom from preschool to third grade. This structure provides a low student to teacher ratio and allows teachers to deliver instruction appropriately suited to individual student needs. Students advance based on mastery of the curriculum and progress is measured continuously using standardized assessments, rubrics and curriculum checklists. Developing and applying early literacy and numeracy skills in a highly structured setting is a critical component of our academic program in order to ensure strong foundational skills in the core subjects: reading, language, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. We believe that the sooner girls are enrolled in excel academy, the greater the impact on their academic achievement and personal development. Excel academy begins with the earliest learners, pre-school, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, to allow for the movement of students who may be ready for more advanced academic work or for those who may need to be grouped with younger students based on academic and/or social-emotional needs. Much of the student success in the early years of school at excel academy is connected to intensive and comprehensive reading and writing teaching and instruction. Students receive direct instruction in phonics, decoding, vocabulary, handwriting, writing, and comprehension. Through a variety of learning techniques, small group instruction, center work, read aloud and writer's workshop, students are equipped with the necessary tools to read. Excel academy is committed to ensuring that every child is ready to read by kindergarten and is a developing reader before entering first grade. Students who do not demonstrate preparedness for reading will not be promoted to kindergarten. Excel academy has a very strong set of core values and procedures governing all areas of school life. We are committed to providing: a rigorous single gender model - excel academy's unique single-sex environment is supported by extensive research and rooted in high academic achievement and learning for every student that permits staff to focus teaching strategies directed on the learning needs and styles of girls. An early educational intervention program - starting with students who are three years old, excel academy offers an instructional program that promotes school readiness in literacy, math, and social development. "more time on task - students at excel academy are in academically rig”