School of the Week: Excel Academy South helps students reach greatness

Excel Academy South is an accelerated school program that provides students who are behind on credits an opportunity to obtain their high school diploma.

Located at 4641 Roosevelt Boulevard, Excel provides a high school education at an accelerated pace, with students earning their diploma in as little as two and a half years, depending on the number of credits they bring with them and accumulate each term.

“We have a great partnership with the Philadelphia School District, where we take students that are overage and under-credited and try to accelerate them to get their regular high school diploma as quickly as possible,” said Jarrad Muller, executive director of Excel Academy South.

“We set up our school system a lot like college, where we do semesters and have block scheduling,” Muller added. “Our students have the opportunity to earn more credits than they would in a traditional high school.”

Excel students must meet the same school district curriculum and state-mandated graduation requirements as other high schools in the city.

“One huge push this year was the ACT 158 requirements and making sure our students are meeting the needs of the graduation requirements,” Muller said. “If they are not passing Keystones, then they have another pathway where they can achieve success. Whether it’s in certification outside or exploring college needs, we help them figure out what they’re going to do after high school.”

“We want our kids to graduate here and be lifelong learners. We don’t want them to stop once they get their high school diploma. We want them to keep going and strive for college, trade school, the military, or go straight into a career,” Muller added.

Students are kept up to date with their progress and school happenings through meetings and announcements.

“We have a strong SEL component,” said Excel Academy South principal Misha Memon. “We have town halls before classes and an afternoon wrap-up town hall during lunch, where we share announcements and updates about the school.

“They also have team leaders who touch base with the students throughout the day if they’re having any issues or troubles in addition to the regular classes. We’re making sure we’re touching base with them morning, mid-day, and at the end of the day to ensure their success,” Memon added.

Adding to the students’ enthusiasm at Excel are the teachers. Students appreciate the academic expertise of their teachers as well as the personal investments they make in them.

“Excel South is family,” Muller said. “We spend a lot of time with the students. We go above and beyond to get to know them on a personal level so that we can help them where they need to be helped.”

“That may not just be academically, but socially and emotionally. We build a family atmosphere here,” Muller added.

Memon said she wants students to leave Excel knowing the possibilities for them are endless.

“I want them to continue to build on what they learned here and use Excel South as the foundation to continue moving forward,” Memon said. “If they can succeed here, they can do it anywhere. I want them to find the best option for themselves, move forward, and never give up.”



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