Saved Schools

Goodwill Excel Center

Goodwill Excel Center, nominated by an anonymous organization, is a high school in Washington, District of Columbia, that describes itself as a public charter school serving learners from a primarily urban area.

Location Washington, District of Columbia

Governance Public Charter School

Grades High

Students 441

Locale Urban

VP, Education & Career Development Chelsea Kirk

Demographics

Percentage of students*

1%

English Learners

99%

Free/Reduced Lunch

8%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black 95%

American Indian/Alaska Native 1%

Asian

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Hispanic or Latino 4%

White

2+ Races

Why Goodwill Excel Center was nominated

This school has a unique mission to transform adult lives through the power of achieving a high school diploma and accessing post-secondary education and careers in growing, sustainable local industries.

Student experience design

The Goodwill Excel Center (GEC) student experience is one that celebrates the student for every milestone along their journey and one that is extremely supportive. Students made a big decision to return to school, and GEC wants to ensure students are celebrated for this and also extremely supported in their journey. Through a holistic support approach, strong community environment, and a relationship first focus, students feel connected to their academic journey and understand their next steps ahead. GEC wants students to feel ignited by their decision to return to school and understand they can meet their goals and earn their diploma and take on their next steps. We want students to feel like their GEC experience is unlike any other school experience and that is what makes them excel.

Core Practices

Core Practices Length of Use

Competency/mastery-based Education

5+ years

All Courses Designed For Inclusion

5+ years

Individual Learning Paths

5+ years

High Quality Instructional Materials

5+ years

Trauma-informed Practices

5+ years

All Practices

Adaptive Learning Software

Advancement On Mastery

Anti-racist Practices

Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning

Assessments For Career Readiness

Assessments For Deeper Learning

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Career Advising & Support

Career Exploration

College Advising & Support

Community And Workforce Partnerships

Family And Community Support Services

Culturally Responsive Practices

Disaggregated Data On Student Participation

Early College High School

Extended Learning Time

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

Grading Policies Focus On Mastery

Higher Education Partnerships

Industry-recognized Credentials

Educators Have Industry Experience

Industry-aligned Learning Pathways

Individual Learner Profiles

Mental Health Services

1:1 Mentoring

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics

Multi-age Classrooms

Industry Networking

No Tracked Classes

Project-based Learning

Peer To Peer Support

Performance Based Assessment

Restorative Practices

SEL Integration School-wide

Students Access Their Own Data

Tutoring

Universal Design For Learning

key reasons for innovating

Better support a specific population of students

Better support economically disadvantaged students

Better support multilingual students

Better support newcomer students

Better support students classified as English learners

Better support students experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness

Better support students in the foster care system

Better support students in the juvenile justice system

Better support students of color

Better support students with disabilities

Better support students with interrupted formal education

Increase student agency

Increase teacher agency

Date Updated: 4/1/2026

*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.