Excellence For All:
World-Class Instructional Systems For Our Schools
Fall 2011
The National Center on Education
and the Economy
World-Class Instructional Systems
Big Idea: By participating in the Excellence For All
pilot, students participate in a rigorous, curriculumdriven, proven system of aligned instruction and
examinations guided by national and international
college and career readiness standards designed to
ensure they master the knowledge and skills needed
to be prepared for and succeed in postsecondary
studies without remediation – whether that is at a trade
or technical school, community college or four-year
baccalaureate degree granting institution.
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World-Class Instructional Systems
Aligned instructional systems are currently used in many
high-performing countries and include:
•A set of courses that constitute a core curriculum and are aligned
to the new Common Core Standards
•Thoughtfully constructed course designs captured in a syllabus
•High-quality exams derived from the curriculum using multiple
assessment methods designed to determine whether the
students have mastered the curriculum described in the syllabus
•Instructional materials of various sorts designed to support the
syllabus
•Quality teacher training matched to the course syllabi
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Standards & Test Systems vs.
Curriculum-Driven Systems
S & T Systems
• Assumes standards and
tests alone will drive
performance up
• No direct link to
classroom practice
• Leaves the disadvantaged
behind, with weak
curriculum, weak teaching
C-D Systems
• Assumes that an aligned,
powerful instructional
system is needed to drive
high student performance
• Provides direct links to
classroom practice
• Closes the achievement
gap between the
advantaged and the
disadvantaged
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NCEE Research


More than 20 years benchmarking high
performing education systems across the world:
•
America’s Choice: High Skills or Low Wages?!
•
Tough Choices or Tough Times
•
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
NCEE research on high school exit
examinations, and specifically CurriculumBased External Exit Exams (CBEEEs),
influenced the identification of world-class
instructional systems as a reform strategy
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Role of NCEE

The National Center on Education and the Economy
(NCEE) is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
that is staffing, managing, piloting, securing outside
technical expertise for, and convening a consortium
of states to implement world-class instructional
systems through its Excellence For All program

States launching the lower division Excellence For All
program as part of the pilot’s 21 school launch in
2011 include: Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and
Mississippi

We are currently recruiting schools for the cohort
starting in 2012 from existing and new states
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Role of NCEE

Hired University of Michigan Institute for Social
Research to conduct an independent evaluation
of the three-year pilot study to:
• Gather implementation information
• Gain understanding of efficacy of the Excellence
For All lower division program pilot
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Role of NCEE

Convened a Technical Advisory Committee to:
•
•
•
•
Certify world-class instructional system providers, in
conjunction with the State of Kentucky Education
Department, for the lower and upper division
Excellence For All program (completed)
Assure that the E4A courses are compatible with the
new Common Core State Standards (completed)
Set the recommended pass points on the English and
mathematics examinations to an empirically
determined college-ready standard (underway)
Assess the validity, reliability and fairness of the exams
going forward (underway)
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NCEE Excellence For All Program:
Required Core Courses
Stay in High School
2 yrs English
2 yrs Mathematics
2 yrs Science:
Lab-based science
2 yrs History
1 yr American History; 1 yr World History
1 yr or 2 semesters from among the arts
Note: The lower division program leaves
ample room for student electives.
Lower Division Exams (Diploma When Passed)
NCEE LOWER DIVISION PROGRAM
REQUIRED COURSES
NCEE UPPER DIVISION PROGRAM
REQUIRED COURSES
2 yrs English
2 yrs Mathematics
2 yrs Science
Lab-based science, Engineering, or IT
1 yr or 2 semesters of History,
Economics, or other social science
1 yr or 2 semesters from among the
arts
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NCEE Excellence For All Program Pathways
Once students qualify to earn a lower division diploma, multiple
options are open to them including:
•Remaining in high school and taking the necessary additional
coursework to prepare for university entry, including upper division
E4A course of study
•Graduating and enrolling in full-time community college courses on
the students' current high school campus or on a community college
campus
•Enrolling in a full-time career and technical education program
offered on a community college campus, a high school campus or a
joint technical education district campus, or any combination of these
campuses
•Securing employment
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Lower Division

ACT QualityCore

Cambridge IGCSE courses
and exams
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Lower Division: Key Benefits
• Not elite programs but designed to prepare all students for
elite programs
• Prepares students to a minimum college-readiness standard
as early as age 16
– Not intended to pack 4 years of high school into 2 years but offers rigorous
curriculum to prepare students for success in postsecondary educational
pursuits
– Students become “diploma eligible” – are not required to graduate early
– Requires collaboration across the pre-K through college educational
system
Offers options to bright students who are dropping out
because of boredom
• Supports students to pass end of course exams through
customized coursework, formative assessments, spiral
curriculum, and other district-specified interventions
•
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Upper Division

ACT QualityCore

Cambridge AS/A Levels/AICE Exams
leads to AICE Diploma

College Board Advanced Placement,
including the Advanced Placement International
Diploma (APID) option

International Baccalaureate
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Upper Division: Key Benefits
• Students motivated to take tough courses and study
hard
• A very strong curriculum and teachers trained to
teach it
• A strong system for preparing the most able students
for selective colleges
• College entrants ready to do college-level work
• Prepares students for the workforce and specific
careers
• Students can earn college credit at a reduced price
while in high school
• More students are taking and succeeding in higher
level courses
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Commitment:
Role of States
• Grant high school diploma – or waivers to existing
“seat time” diplomas – to those who meet the
lower division Excellence For All standards and
wish to move on
• Approve NCEE Excellence For All providers for
state procurement purposes
• Provide data to evaluators
• Assist with securing post-secondary education
involvement
• Share data related to setting exam cut scores 15
Role of Arizona
• Provided strong support through former Senator and current State
Superintendent John Huppenthal on Move On When Ready (MOWR)
bill sponsorship and on implementation, as well as from Senator Rich
Crandall and State Board of Education Member and Amphitheater
Superintendent Vicki Balentine
• Developed MOWR legislation to award Grand Canyon Diplomas to
those who meet the lower division Excellence For All lower division
standards and wish to move on
• Established Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) as entity
responsible for implementation
• Sharing data related to setting exam cut scores
• Providing data to evaluators
• Assisting with securing post-secondary education involvement
• Approved NCEE world-class instructional system providers for State
Procurement purposes
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Broad Implementation Steps
• Start with demonstration schools that will participate in a
3-year national pilot
• Recruit schools, teachers, students
• Set up alternative performance based diploma, based on
the lower-division exams
• Work with external evaluator – University of Michigan
Institute for Social Research
• Finalize technical work (setting cut scores)
• Establish new pathways to include post-secondary
institutions
• Expand as system proves itself
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Broad Implementation Steps
Ideal Target Date
Deliverable
November 15 or earlier 
if possible
Excellence For All Pilot Commitment Letter Submission to NCEE
November -January

Site visits by providers
January 2012

Design Teams Established and Implementation Planning Commenced
February – April 2012

February – July 2012

Implementation Planning Via Design Teams Commenced – with NCEE
involvement
Implementation Planning Continued – with NCEE involvement
January – March 2012

Orientations for and/or On-Line Teacher and Principal Training Conducted
April

Face to Face Teacher and Principal Training Conducted
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CONTACT
• Lyonel B. Tracy, Engagement Manager
• The National Center on Education and the
Economy, Suite 5300
• 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
• Washington, DC 20006
• [email protected]
• 603-498-4767
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CONTACT
• Katy Cavanagh, Engagement Manager
• [email protected]
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