Our Work

Created in 2001, the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis is focused on all children graduating from high school with the skills and knowledge needed for success in postsecondary education and the world of work in a 21st-century economy. The Center has generated $30 million in funding to support its work as the leading convener, catalyst and collaborator for dynamic, innovative education change in Indiana.

CELL provides leadership that is both cutting-edge and action oriented. Via partnerships with international, national and local education leaders and organizations, CELL brings together districts, schools, communities, universities, and businesses to build a sense of urgency and form innovative collaborations for equity focused, sustainable, statewide educational and economic improvement. Key funding is provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. with additional funding from Lumina Foundation for Education.

• By connecting Indiana educators to national and international education experts who address topics such as the urgency of equity, the achievement gap and school improvement, CELL provides information on the latest research and emerging practices. CELL’s annual education transformation conference brings together hundreds of leaders from across the state to discuss implementation of national and international “best practices.” 


• To inform policy that impacts high school students' transition to higher education, CELL is conducting a three-year policy study of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and dual credit programs funded by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education. The Indiana High School-to-College Transition Project examines state and institutional policies that can be improved to help Indiana high school students with successful college careers.


• CELL has been instrumental in the creation or transformation of 60 high schools across Indiana with an additional 22 schools in the planning stages.  With nearly all these schools open within the next three years, more than 15,000 students will be attending innovative new schools in Indiana that did not exist prior to CELL’s inception. 


• Two innovative school models addressing the need for improved graduation rates and college access are Early College and New Technology High Schools.  CELL leads statewide networks for these school designs and hosts events and site visits to promote these unique high school options. Early College allows students to earn both a high school diploma and up to two years of credit toward a college degree. Indiana now is home to 20 Early College High Schools. New Technology High School focuses on technology access and project-based learning.  The state’s first three New Technology High Schools opened in August 2007, with an additional three schools opening in August 2008. An additional 22 schools are looking to open in 2009 and beyond.


• Faculty from the University of Indianapolis are actively involved in all these initiatives and “lessons learned” are integrated into the School of Education’s nationally recognized teacher and principal preparation programs.

Resulting from CELL’s multi-pronged approach to changing the education landscape of Indiana, several community-based teams from across the state are actively investigating and/or implementing cutting-edge, innovative school reform. The University of Indianapolis through CELL and its partners, continually works to be a resource for awareness, exploration and in-depth, innovative school transformation by remaining focused on educational excellence and achievement for all students.