CELL’s Major Milestones

20 Years of Education Transformation

Progress. Initiatives. Impact.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote: “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” To “CELLebrate” 20 years of transforming education in Indiana, we are revisiting 20 key milestones in our history. This retrospective highlights CELL’s progress, initiatives, and impact throughout the years. Revisiting our work from the last two decades sets the stage for the next 20 years to come. We are proud of our achievements and even more excited about the work that comes next.

Check back to read more milestones as they are added. 

Research shows learning that extends beyond textbooks and the classroom stays with students. Connecting curriculum to the real world makes lessons more meaningful and engaging. Experiential learning broadens students’ horizons. However, data shows field trips and other extended learning experiences are in decline.

The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) celebrates 20 years of forging partnerships that improve the quality of education throughout Indiana this year. The most enduring of those partnerships is with the School of Education at the University of Indianapolis. CELL partners with many institutions and organizations, but the connection to UIndy’s School of Education has deep historical roots.

The idea began as a “leadership development conference” with one key objective: create a statewide sense of urgency around the necessity for education reform. The event would initiate CELL’s expansion outside Marion County, Indiana, and be its first to go beyond school walls. The theme thoughtfully connected education redesign with 21st‐century workforce and economic development. That meant bringing diverse groups to the table including business leaders, community organizers, policymakers, and higher education faculty working alongside K‐12 school administrators and teachers. Nearly 500 people chose to sit at that table on November 17, 2005, for the opening of CELL’s first Indiana’s Future conference.
In the early 2000’s, Indiana had a push to “Mind the Gap,” an initiative addressing the state’s brain drain when it came to Hoosier graduates pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In response, CELL introduced the New Tech High School (NTHS) model to Indiana’s life science community in October 2004.

At the start of the 2004‐05 academic year, a new school opened its doors for the first time. Not only was the school one of the first charter high schools authorized through the Office of the Indianapolis Mayor, but it launched using a new model introduced to Indiana by CELL: Early College High School.

CELL, in partnership with the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office, announced the award of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to transform the city’s educational landscape. The $11.3 million grant funded the creation of 10 new small high schools and the conversion of five traditional large high schools into smaller, more effective learning communities. The resulting Network of Effective Small Schools in Indianapolis (NESSI) worked to help close the achievement gap and boost the number of disadvantaged students prepared for higher education and careers.

In 2001, Indiana’s Charter School Law granted authority to the Mayor of Indianapolis to issue a “charter” for opening a new public school—a first for the nation. Mayor Bart Peterson capitalized on this unique power. The legislation intended to create new, high-quality public schools for students and families. However, ensuring these new schools measured up required a strong, independent accountability system for evaluating school performance. With states across the nation waiting and watching, the job of developing and executing critical pieces of this evaluation protocol went to the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL).

Through a nearly $15 million Lilly Endowment grant, UIndy announced the creation of the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL). The Center was designed to serve as a pioneer in providing students, educators, and community leaders with the skills, support, and resources needed to reshape K-12 education in Indiana.

Review the original press release about CELL

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