School Profile

ECA School Profile

Excelsior Classical Academy is a tuition-free public charter school with a rigorous, college-preparatory, liberal arts focus.

We started in the 2015–2016 school year with 252 students in grades K–4. We added a grade a year to grow to K–12. Our first graduating class was the class of 2024. Stats for the class of 2024

In 2020, the North Carolina State Board of Education awarded Excelsior Classical Academy a 10-year charter renewal – the longest term possible for NC charter schools.

In the summer of 2024, Excelsior Classical Academy was notified that we had earned Cognia® Accreditation. Cognia is a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers.

School Hours

Monday-Friday Grammar 8:30 am–3:30 pm, Upper 8:25 am–3:30 pm.
Drop-off begins 8:00 am and pick-up begins at 3:30 pm.
School office hours are Monday–Friday 7:45am–4:15pm.
Summer office hours are Monday-Thursday 9:00am to 2:30pm. The school is closed the week of July 4.

School Calendar

We have a modified year-round calendar. We typically start at the beginning of August and end after the first week in June. We have a one-week Fall break, a two to two-and-a-half week Winter Break, and a two to two-and-a-half week Spring Break. Students have about seven weeks off in the summer.

Curriculum

A classical curriculum based on the Trivium of Grammar, Dialectic (Logic), and Rhetoric
The Core Knowledge Sequence in grades K–8
Singapore Math
Daily physical activity
Spanish in grades K–5
Latin in grades 6–8
Latin I and II in 7th and 8th grade for high school credit
Additional two years of language study in high school
Fine arts instruction in grades K–12
Character education and service learning
Math 1 in 8th grade with option for Math 1 and Math 2 in 8th grade for high school credit
Honors and AP options in high school
Dual enrollment options at Durham Tech for 11th & 12th graders to earn both HS and College credits with the opportunity to earn an Associate’s Degree by the time they graduate from high school

Teaching Methods

Direct instruction/lecture
Socratic questioning
Class discussion
Seminars
Differentiation
Individual and group work, as appropriate

Philosophy

Teachers will foster a growth mindset, encouraging all students to believe that intelligence can increase through learning, perseverance, and hard work. All students will be treated as individuals, with high academic expectations for all.

Uniform Dress Code

Our students wear uniforms to place the focus on academics; instill school pride, unity, and spirit; and remove distinctions of socio-economic status and cliques.

Our Motto

Eruditio et Virtus (Learning and Virtue)

Our Mascot

Flying Lion—Flying Lions take Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort in our school!

School Improvement Plan

School improvement planning provides a mechanism for identifying needs and establishing a common approach to meeting those needs at the school level. Effective school improvement planning contributes to overall school performance. School Improvement Plans remain in effect for no more than two school years and must be approved by the local Board of Education biannually. Plans are amended periodically to reflect each school’s efforts toward meeting established goals.

Excelsior posts and links to their School Improvement Plans in NCStar, a web-based school improvement management tool. This tool can be accessed for each school using the guest login information in the table below.

You will need to log in with Excelsior’s Guest Login (below)

Guest Access

Username: GuestS17731
Password: GuestS17731

Please be sure to click on and follow these Instructions for Reviewing School Improvement Plan in NCStar

Then click on the link below, log in using the Guest login, and click on Comprehensive Plan Report to view the plan.

School Improvement Plan 2023-25

School Report Card

In North Carolina, a school’s performance grade is based 80 percent on the school’s achievement score and 20 percent on students’ academic growth. The final grade is based on the following 15-point scale:
A = 85–100, B = 70–84, C = 55–69, D = 40–54, F = Less than 40

2023-2024 School Performance Grade: C; School Performance Score: 60

2024 School Report Card (not yet posted by SAS – See WRAL’s School Report Card Look-up)

2022-2023 School Performance Grade: D; School Performance Score: 53

2023 School Report Card

2021-2022 School Performance Grade: D; School Performance Score: 52

2022 School Report Card

2020-2021 No School Performance Grade; No School Performance Score

For the 2020-21 school year, the U.S. Department of Education waived accountability requirements to North Carolina and other states in consideration of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the N.C. General Assembly and the governor waived state accountability rules, including the calculation and reporting of A-F school performance grades and growth analyses. State Superintendent, Catherine Truitt said the 2020-21 assessment data were meant to provide information to parents, educators, and the public about student performance and to help design and deploy resources and supports. “We know the 2020-21 school year was incredibly challenging for students, families and educators,” Truitt said. “We need to remember these results are only a snapshot of a year marked by extreme anomalies and extenuating circumstances. To treat these scores as though they are valid indicators of future success or performance would not only be an improper use of these data, but also would be a disservice to our students, teachers, and administrators.”

2021 NC School Report Card