MIND, HEART AND SOUL

FALL 2019

TEACHING MOMENT(UM)

THE 2018–2019 SCHOOL YEAR WAS FILLED WITH POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS in the Catholic Schools  of the Archdiocese of New York. For the fourth consecutive year, students’ state test scores outpaced those of public schools in both English language arts and math. Enhancements to after-school programs, special education services and use of technology all helped to drive improvements to the academic and social experience of our children.
 

ROBOTS ROLL ON

The Fall 2018 introduction of Dash and Dot, the little blue programmable robots that kindergarteners use to develop problem-solving, calculation and basic coding skills, was a big hit in the schools where it rolled out. “It’s so exciting to see the robot being used in classrooms around the archdiocese,” says Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Susan Miller. “Our number one request is more robots. At St. Barnabas in the Bronx, they use theirs so much that they borrowed one of our trainer sets so that they could do it in more classrooms!”

Further expansion of the Dash and Dot program is targeted for Fall 2020. “Our goal is, first, to expand the number of robots per classroom, and the year after, to bring programming to first grade classes as well,” Miller says. “Specifics will depend on funding.”
 

DATA DRIVEN 

The Northwest Evaluation Association’s MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments, now in their third year of use in archdiocesan schools, enable teachers and principals to pinpoint specific areas of need in individual students. Teachers can then help students review or relearn material or skills not mastered in previous grades. It’s part of a discipline known as data-driven instruction, which helps schools tailor their teaching to individuals.

MAP gets a good reception because teachers and even students understand its purpose and benefits. Nick Green, principal of Incarnation School in Washington Heights and one of 15 educators from the Archdiocese of New York to attend the Summer 2019 Fusion conference on effective use of MAP data, describes how students actively use the results to understand their own educational needs and set personal goals. “You could come into our building,” he says, “and talk to just about any student about MAP testing and hear common themes of individualized learning, et cetera. They really have begun to take ownership of their own growth.”
 

CREDIT WHERE DUE

In March, the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New York received accreditation by Cognia, formerly known as AdvancED, the world’s leading accreditation service for K-12 educational institutions. This followed a rigorous process carried out by a team of outside professionals, with extensive review of documents and performance data, site visits, and interviews of teachers, administrators and community members. The accreditation recognizes the system for the quality of its teaching and care for students; the process also helps schools identify areas where they can improve.

Alongside the archdiocese’s own Pathways to Excellence II program, the Cognia report will help to drive further improvements in the schools for years to come.    

For more information on Catholic schools in the archdiocese, call 646-794-2885 or go to catholicschoolsny.org.