Meet our Districts
Across the nation, there are nine school districts implementing College Readiness Systems models. Learn more about these districts that are working with the College Board to create a culture of college readiness in their schools.
Watch College Board School student Jonathan Hind discuss his school and introduce New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein.
Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland
The Baltimore City School District (Baltimore, MD) is an urban school system serving more than 82,000 students in pre-K through grade 12. The district is opening College Board Schools as part of CEO Andrés Alonso's City Schools Transformation initiative to create secondary school options with a strong college, career, credit recovery or dropout prevention focus. These schools have been created to offer Baltimore City students greater choice and opportunities for academic excellence and personalized attention.
Buffalo Public Schools, New York
The Buffalo School District in New York State, which serves 38,000 students in nearly 70 facilities, strives to bring exemplary teaching practices and unparalleled opportunities to its diverse student population. The decision to open College Board Schools in Buffalo has moved forward under the leadership of the Superintendent of Schools, James A. Williams Ed.D., and at the request of the Buffalo Board of Education, and the opening of the schools is the result of much input by partners in the Buffalo community.
Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
The Chicago Public Schools face the challenge of educating a diverse student population of more than 400,000 students in 655 schools. Basing their work on the belief that successful urban schools provide a comprehensive education by combining quality instructional programs, high expectations, and social and academic supports, the district is working hard to become the premier urban school district in the country. This work, under the leadership of Superintendent of Schools Arne Duncan, centers upon coordinating efforts and providing a common focus for school reform. Eight of Chicago's public high schools are implementing the EXCELerator™ Schools model, four in their first year and four in their second.
Denver Public Schools, Colorado
The Denver Public Schools have spent considerable time and energy developing a document entitled The Denver Plan. This plan, which guides the work of the district, clearly defines the mission: to lead the nation's cities in student achievement, high school graduation, college and career preparation, and college matriculation. Quality professional development, support of teachers and principals, and the use of data are central components of the plan designed to achieve that goal. Four district high schools in this 73,000-student district with 151 schools, are presently implementing the EXCELerator Schools model in partnership with the College Board. Superintendent Michael Bennett oversees the work of the district in its pursuit of high student achievement.
Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville, Florida
Duval County Public Schools educates approximately 125,000 students in 159 schools districtwide. Work in this large, urban district supports the mission of graduating every student with the knowledge and skills to be successful in postsecondary education and/or the workforce. Under the leadership of Superintendent of Schools Ed Pratt-Dannals, and in partnership with the College Board, Duval is implementing the EXCELerator School model in eight of their high schools. Duval, along with the District of Columbia Schools, and the Chicago Public Schools, was one of the first three school districts named to take part in this exciting and promising model for school reform.
New York City Department of Education, New York
The New York City Department of Education has approved the opening of College Board Schools in response to the critical need for creating, developing, and supporting high-quality middle and high schools. These schools have been created as part of Chancellor Joel Klein's new school initiative's goal of providing effective schools and greater choice for all New York City students.
Rochester City School District, New York
The Rochester City School District (Rochester, NY) is an urban school system serving more than 35,000 students in pre-k through grade 12 and 11,000 adult students. The district's ongoing academic success is the result of the hard work of their students, the dedication of their employees, the generosity of their community partners and, most importantly, the involvement of their parents. The Rochester City School District partnered with the College Board to demonstrate that the spirit of collaboration can overcome all obstacles-including those that have plagued urban education, particularly for low-income and minority students.
Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tampa, Florida
The Hillsborough County Public Schools has a vision, and that vision is to be recognized for providing the best education in the nation. Located in Tampa, Florida and serving nearly 193,000 students in 209 schools, the district joined the College Board's EXCELerator Schools model in 2007 and currently has four high schools in the first year of program implementation. The leadership of Superintendent of Schools Mary Ellen Elia has successfully guided the first year of implementation, and next year, Hillsborough will be the first district nationwide to implement the model in all of its 70 middle and high schools. The College Board looks forward to being part of many future successes for Hillsborough students.
Yonkers Public Schools, New York
Yonkers Public Schools is a global school district of 25,022 students from more than 60 cultures, backgrounds, and nationalities. The district, led by Superintendent Bernard P. Pierorazio, intends to open a College Board School in September 2008 as part of Yonkers total district reform plan to strengthen four R's-rigor, relevance, resilience, and relationships-as the means to increase four A's for every student-access, aspirations, achievement, and admission to college (R4A4).