Excel charter wraps up first school year, prepares for second

As Excel Public Charter School’s first year comes to an end, Adel Sefrioui, its founder and executive director, says he has accomplished what he set out to do: create a school that could see different results than a traditional public institution while serving the same population.

Using a model that includes longer school days, a longer school year, an emphasis on computer science and a strong family and community partnership, Excel aims to serve students who often struggle in a traditional school setting.

“We have accomplished the first phase of what we set out to do when I started this school,” Sefrioui said. “The goal was to prove a model. … Now it is time for more kids in Washington have access to schools like Excel.”

At the Kent school’s annual meeting and fundraiser last Friday evening, Sefrioui announced he will step down as the school’s executive director, and Green Dot Public Schools, a nonprofit charter school organization, will oversee Excel beginning next school year. Green Dot, based out of Los Angeles, operates 18 schools in California, two in Memphis, Tenn., and Destiny Middle School, which opened in Tacoma last August.

“I want you to know that Excel next year stays Excel,” Sefrioui told students, parents and community members during the annual meeting. “I want you to know that the model stays the same. Everything we worked hard for is still in tact. Green Dot will step in to help out in a supporting role as an education service provider next year.”

Sefrioui said he is confident Green Dot will help Excel continue its mission.

“They are one of the finest charter management organization in this country,” he said. “They have the exceptional results, a track record of success. When I think about who can take this school to the next level, I have no doubt in my mind that that’s Green Dot. Their model is very similar to ours.”

Green Dot is working with Excel’s board and leadership to determine what the alliance will look like, said Bree Dusseault, executive director of Green Dot Washington.

“As we figure out the partnership, what we are committed to doing is providing the support to the staff here at the school to make sure there is a seamless transition, support the board in hiring a new school leader, really lift and elevate the incredible staff here through profession development, coaching and partnership with our teachers and administration at our own school in Tacoma,” she said during Excel’s annual meeting.

Dusseault worked for the Washington State Charter Association before joining Green Dot. She encouraged Sefrioui to apply to open one of the state’s first charter schools and helped him develop the model and for the school, Sefrioui said.

His next goal is to open a charter school to serve elementary students, but for now he plans to focus on public policy concerning education and charter school.

“While we are thankful for the new law that was passed, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to strengthen that law …,” Sefrioui said, referring to legislation passed this year to allow charter schools to operate after the state Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. “A lot of that works lies in the policy realm before we start thinking about creating another school.”

Sefrioui said he will continue to work with Excel in an advisory role.

Excel overcomes struggles

Sefrioui said he is pleased with all that was accomplished in the Excel’s first year.

“I would say we had a tremendously successful year, taking into consideration we were fighting an uphill battle the entire year,” he said. “We were still able to cancel that noise out and focus on kids and achieve the results we knew we could achieve.”

Three weeks after Excel opened with its first class of sixth- and seventh-graders last August, the state Supreme Court ruled that charter schools, which were approved by voters in 2012, unconstitutional and ineligible for state funding. After an appeal of the ruling was denied, charter schools were no longer allowed to operate.

Excel and several other charter schools entered an agreement with Mary Walker School District in Eastern Washington, to operate as Alternative Learning Experiences (ALEs) until a more permanent solution could be found.

Students, parents and staff from Excel and charter schools throughout the state lobbied the Legislature for a fix for the charter schools. In March, the Legislature passed a bill that directs charter school funding to come from the state’s Opportunity Pathways Account, which contains state lottery revenues not restricted to common schools.

Excel will remain an ALE until the school year ends June 22, and will operate as a charter school again when the new school year begins.

Despite the challenges, Excel’s students have shown academic growth over the past school year.

In an initial English assessment, 18 percent of sixth-grade students at Excel were proficient or advanced. In March, 51 percent of students fell into those categories. Excel’s seventh-graders, have shown 1.5 years of growth in their reading levels, and 10 percent growth in math.

The school is on track to serve 235 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students next year, Sefrioui said.

“The plan is to continue growing until we realize our model, which is a sixth- through 12th-grade school,” he said.

Spots are still available for next school year. For more information, visit excelwa.org.