There's a lot of Good News when it comes to our schools
Sr. Mary Gehringer, Special to The Michigan Catholic
Published January 26, 2007
Catholic Schools Supplement
The annual Catholic Schools Week celebration takes place Jan. 28 – Feb. 3. The purpose of this week is to focus attention on great accomplishments and contributions of Catholic schools throughout the country. This year's theme draws attention to the Good News in Catholic education.
The "good news" in education isn't hard to define here in the Archdiocese of Detroit. With more than 38,000 students in grades Pre-K-12, and 2,220 administrators and teachers in our 115 schools, good things are happening daily.
Good news:
The elementary students in grades three, five and seven in our Catholic schools performed at least 20 points higher than the national average on the composite scores of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. What is more impressive is that the scores continue to rise as our students remain in a Catholic school. In the last five years, our students have consistently scored at least 20 percentile points above the national average. This is a testimony to the fine, consistent instructional program offered in our schools.
Good news:
In 2005-2006, 20 of our high schools offered advanced placement (AP) courses. A total of 3,052 AP exams were given and 65 percent of the students were eligible to receive AP college credit.
Our Catholic high schools average ACT score composite last year was 23.4. The average state score was 21.5; the average score nationally was 21.1.
Some of our high schools, such as Bishop Foley in Madison Heights, offer students dual enrollment opportunities whereby students can take college level courses on sight at the high school.
Good news:
Our schools are advancing in technology in a variety of ways. Currently four high schools offer online courses through the Michigan Virtual High School. These provide students the opportunity to take advantage of electronic distance learning ranging from AP classes to non-traditional elective classes.
Many of the schools, elementary and secondary, utilize Web-based services such as Edline to better inform parents and students with up-to-date class and school information.
A number of schools such as St. Damian in Westland, St. Pius X in Southgate, Holy Cross in Marine City, and University of Detroit Jesuit Academy and High School in Detroit, make use of Smart boards to enhance classes and advance both student and teacher use of technology.
Good news:
A grant from the Skillman Foundation provides funding for a City Schools Resource Team to work with 10 Catholic elementary schools in Detroit and Loyola High School in Detroit. The team works with the school staffs to promote effective curriculum development, train and assist teachers in curriculum mapping, develop and implement the work of school improvement teams in each school, and act as a resource for teachers and administrators as they work toward attaining the "Good Schools" designation as defined by the Skillman Foundation.
Good news:
Archdiocesan school principals have taken advantage of monthly professional development opportunities provided by the Office for Catholic Schools. Topics this year include the ministerial role of the principal as catechetical leader; learning about class and culture and how each plays an important role in dealing with students; marketing for Catholic schools; and two full-day sessions on K-12 curriculum mapping. Many of the schools have also expanded on this latter topic by taking part in local staff development offerings about curriculum mapping and using assessment to help develop curriculum to best meet student needs.
Good news:
Since the inception of our marketing media campaign in April 2006, more than 21,700 hits from first-time visitors have been tracked on the Archdiocesan Catholic schools Web page. Certainly these figures demonstrate that there is continued interest in the value of a Catholic education. Because of the Archdiocesan campaign, there is a growing awareness and desire among principals and parents about the need to market our Catholic schools on the "ground level," where it is most effective. In August 2006, we began a Parent Marketing Group in the hopes that by getting parents more involved, by teaching them and encouraging them how to share positive stories about their own experience with Catholic schools, they will join with us to spread the "good news."
Good news:
The only school in the state of Michigan to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education this year is St. Paul on the Lake Catholic School, in Grosse Pointe Farms. Of the 50 private schools across the nation to receive the award this year, 43 were Catholic schools.
Good news:
De La Salle High in Warren implements "Link Crew," a freshman transition program using "link leaders" (upperclassmen) who are both good role models and good students to help lead freshmen to have a successful year.
Loyola High helps students offset tuition costs and gain valuable on the job training through their Loyola Work Experience Program. The program gives students the opportunity to use personal and professional skills in a real-world workplace, while helping them assume part of the financial responsibility for their own education.
Good news:
This Thanksgiving season, students from seven Catholic schools in the Monroe Vicariate organized a food drive that resulted in more than 8,000 food items for local pantries.
Good news:
Our Lady of Sorrows school in Farmington raised $6,900 for the Salvation Army's Bed and Bread program hosted by WOMC's Dick Purtan.
Good news:
Students at Gesu School in Detroit planted an urban community garden in northwest Detroit.
Good news:
Third graders at St. Joan of Arc school in St. Clair Shores wrote letters to soldiers in Iraq. In November, students at St. Mary School in St. Clair invited local veterans to share their experiences with them.
Good news:
Renovations, new additions, moving and modernization are part of school communities such as Our Lady of Victory in Northville, St. Edward on the Lake in Lakeport, St. Mary Academy in Port Huron, Ladywood in Livonia, Marian in Bloomfield Hills, Cardinal Mooney in Marine City, Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills and Regina in Harper Woods. Committees have also been diligently working to establish new high schools in Macomb and in the city of Detroit.
Certainly every school in the Archdiocese of Detroit could list items of good news that take place on a regular basis from academic accomplishments to athletic successes, Christian service outreach programs to liturgical and retreat experiences. We are proud of the quality faith-based education our schools provide.
We recognize that this is done through the work of dedicated administrators and staff for whom teaching in a Catholic school is a ministry and fulfillment of their own faith lives. Of course, parents, too, are to be recognized for their belief in the importance of Catholic education as a way to strengthen and affirm what they themselves teach their children about faith. Along with the United States Catholic Bishops we state: "... the time has come to revisit and reaffirm our commitment to Catholic elementary and secondary schools as invaluable instruments in proclaiming the Good News from one generation to the next." ("Renewing our Commitment," July 2005)
Sr. Mary Gehringer, OSM, is the archdiocesan superintendent of Catholic schools.
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