Area Catholic high school students excel in academics
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Back to School, A Special Supplement Published August 24, 2007
Detroit – Students in Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit do considerably better, on average, in several key academic subjects than do students statewide or nationally, says Alex Gajewski, associate superintendent (high schools) with the archdiocesan Office for Catholic Schools.
This is borne out by an analysis of the results of the 2,387 students from the 22 Catholic high schools in the archdiocese who took the American College Test last year, says Tamra Hull, director of marketing for local Catholic schools.
Hull explains that the organization behind the ACT monitors what high school teachers teach and what instructors of entry-level college courses expect, and uses that information to measure test-takers' readiness for college-level coursework.
Catholic high schools
Here are 2006-07 school year figures for Catholic high schools in the United States and in the Archdiocese of Detroit, based on information from the National Catholic Educational Association and the archdiocesan Office for Catholic Schools.
Number of Catholic secondary schools:
• Nationwide 1,210
• Detroit Archdiocese 22
Enrollment, grades 9-12:
• Nationwide 623,527
• Detroit Archdiocese 10,397
Ethnic backgrounds:
• Nationally, 69 percent white; 6.5 percent African-American; 24.5 percent Hispanic/Asian/multiracial
• Locally 82 percent white; 8 percent African-American; 10 percent Hispanic/Asian/multiracial
Students’ religious affiliation*
• 82.2 percent Catholic; 17.8 percent non-Catholic
• 83 percent Catholic; 17 percent non-Catholic |
Based on ACT figures, the percentage of college-ready local Catholic high school students for four key subjects was:
• English composition, 17 percent higher than Michigan high school students in general, and 18 percent higher than U.S. students nationwide.
• Algebra, 12 percent higher than Michigan students overall, 15 percent higher than national.
• Social science, 16 percent higher than Michigan students overall, 19 percent higher than national.
• Biology, 9 percent higher than Michigan students overall, 14 percent higher than national.
The ACT is developing a "Quality Core" instructional improvement program designed to help high schools improve college readiness, and Gajewski says "our Catholic high schools focus on this same common goal of preparing our students for college, work and their future."
"The feedback from our Catholic high school alumni often presents us with strong and positive indicator of the value of a Catholic high school education as our graduates proceed into their future education, careers and lives," adds Gajewski, who was principal of Bishop Foley High School in Madison Heights before taking his current post.
Gajewski says he hears from many graduates of Catholic high schools, and parents, who tell him "what a great investment Catholic education was for them."
Hulls points to some figures concerning the Class of 2007 from local Catholic high schools: "Of the 174 students in the graduating class at De La Salle Collegiate, 100 percent of them will go to college. And they received $6.5 million in scholarships."
The all-boys high school in Warren is sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers.
But it is not just at high schools sponsored by religious orders where students do well. Hull notes that 99 percent of the 106 students in the 2007 graduating class at Bishop Foley will go on to college, and they have $3 million in scholarships.
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