The Catholic School Advantage

QUESTIONS: Why choose a Catholic school? Why pay for education from a Catholic Schhol when you can get it for free?

ANSWER: The Catholic School advantage.

With the economy still in the dumps, there must be some benefit in order for it to be worthwhile. The benefit must go beyond the inclusion of a religion class throughout the course of the day; students can attend faith formation classes for free on the weekends. It must go beyond having the ability to accept and deny students based on academics and behavior (and in turn have fewer problems and higher achieving students).

"And so, now as in the past, the Catholic school must be able to speak for itself effectively and convincingly. It is not merely a question of adaptation, but of missionary thrust, the fundamental duty to evangelize, to go towards men and women wherever they are, so that they may receive the gift of salvation" (The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, n. 3).

The Catholic School must have at its foundation an obligation to evangelize. It must charge itself with producing lifelong believers and future citizens of heaven.

"Its (the Catholic School's) task is fundamentally a synthesis of culture and faith, and a synthesis of faith and life: the first is reached by integrating all the different aspects of human knowledge through the subjects taught, in the light of the Gospel; the second in the growth of the virtues characteristic of the Christian" (The Catholic School, n. 37).

The Catholic School must weave Jesus into all aspects of the curriculum and school culture. It must put the subjects and concepts taught in the light of the Gospel, and ensure that students are not just made smarter, but that they are also made better.

In a sense, the Catholic School must be able to produce productive citizens- people who can and do contribute in a positive way to their society. Ancient theologians argued that a good Christian made for a good citizen. Current research corroborates this:

A Harvard University study conducted in 2000 (Campbell, p. 25) reported that Catholic School students performed better than other students on the three basic objectives of civic education: the capacity for civic engagement (e.g. voluntary community service), political knowledge (e.g. learning and using civic skills), and political tolerance (e.g. respect for opinions different from their own).

The longer that students spend in Catholic school's the greater the spiritual and academic benefits:

Catholic Schools are still the most effective means of forming adult Catholics that are active in their parish. 43% of those who had more than 8 years of Catholic School attended Mass every week (Greeley, p. 250).

If a student spends 8 years or more in a Catholic School, the advantage is higher math, reading and vocabulary scores (Sander, p. 545).

Catholic School students are happier than their public school counterparts. They are healthier. They have a more benign view of their fellow humans. They are more accepting of people of different viewpoints. They are more generous in giving back to the Church, donating over $750 million dollars annually (Greeley, p. 260 - 261).
Even here in our own state, a 2009-10 analysis of students who qualify for Step Up for Students, Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program, shows that students in Catholic schools outperform their public school peers that they left behind. Catholic Schools can educate students better and for less than ½ of the money that it costs public schools to educate students.

Put simply, there isn't just a Catholic School advantage, there are Catholic School advantages.

Any questions?


Works Cited

Campbell, David. “Making Democratic Education Work: Schools, Social Capital, and Civic Education” (paper presented at the Conference on Charter Schools, Vouchers, and Public Education, March 2000), 25ff.

Congregation for Catholic Education. “The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium.” Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry & Practice, Vol. 2, No. 1: 4 – 14.

Greeley, Andrew. 1989. “My Research on Catholic Schools.” Chicago Studies, Vol. 28, No. 3: 245 – 263.

Sander, William. 1996. “Catholic Grade Schools and Academic Achievement.” The Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Summer, 1996): 540 – 548.

Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School (Washington, DC: USCC, 1977).

Kick the Tires

Incarnation Catholic School (and probably many schools across the Diocese of St. Petersburg and even the United States) just finished the first quarter of its 2011 - 12 school year. The ending of one quarter and the pending beginning of the next is a good time to reevaluate a teacher's or school's policies, procedures, expectations, and even philosophy. It is a good time to tighten anything that grew loose over the past 9 weeks. It is a good time to "kick the tires".

A month ago, I wouldn't have been able to use this phrase. For anyone unsure of its meaning, it will be revealed in a few moments. For now, let me relate how I came upon this expression.

At a recent in-service a vendor who was pitching a product (and sponsoring lunch!) said that since his company's product boasts customer service, in Spanish, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, he makes a point to wake up on Christmas morning, call the help line, and utter "Feliz Navidad" to the unwitting operator answering his call. He said it's his way to "kick the tires", as a way to ensure that his company is living up to the ideals it professes.

His presentation and the lunch his company sponsored were equally impressive. He was a good salesman; but not that good. Despite not purchasing his company's product, this phrase stuck with me. First, I love the imagery. I picture a beat up car on a dusty road and I can almost feel my foot bouncing off the front driver's side tire. Not that I know anything about cars, but I imagine this being a final step (after filling the tank, checking the oil and doing other such car maintenance tasks) before climbing back into the vehicle to continue on my travels.

Second, much like the first time my Uncle Dave asked me if I was "feeling froggy" and if so told me to "go ahead and leap", I was amused by this expression and intrigued by the fact that I had never heard this figurative expression used before. Contextually, I understood the way he included it in his presentation. But to be sure, I googled it: Doing research before making an investment and To make a quick, superficial inspection of something, were two of the definitions upon which I stumbled. Then, I found the etymology: since tires on early automobiles were often made with cheap and/or thin rubber, "kicking the tires" was an easy way to test not only the thickness but also the tire's ability to hold and retain air. "Kicking the tires" would quickly reveal an inferior product.

Third, I respected this gentleman for putting his own product to the test. We could fill volumes with the number of companies that promised one thing and then produced something very contradictory. Few business or organizations or even people behave in such a way that they consistently do what they say they'll do.

Of course, no company or person is perfect. But rare are those who follow through with what they say they'll do with some regularity. No organization entirely lives its mission, no person holds onto his/her convictions without stumbling. Unfortunately, though, few even try or care that they fall short.

Jesus called such people Pharisees. Today we label them hypocrites. We are all of us guilty of being less than perfect. We can, though, continually improve.

We can "kick the tires" and discover chinks in our armor. Doing so exposes our weaknesses and challenges us to make changes. Neither of these is pleasant. Both are essential as both people and Catholic Schools.

Kick your tires. Ask someone else to kick them for you and with you. Don't kick somebody else's unless you've been asked in turn. Worry about the plank in your own tire and not the splinter in another's.

Ask the questions, "Why do we do that?" or, "Why do we do that in that way?" Put behaviors, policies, procedures, actions in terms of your mission and scrutinize whether or not they help you to fulfill it. Analyze areas where you are saying one thing but doing something that sends an entirely different message (educators know this as the null curriculum).

Never accept "we've always done it that way" or "I've always done it that way" as sufficient enough reason to continue to do something.

Take the biggest obstacle keeping you from being the person or institution God has created you to be and throw it out the window. Then ask yourself, "Now what?" Maybe that obstacle wasn't the thing keeping you from being your best self. Maybe you and your reluctance to change are.

Check your ego at the door and start allowing God's spirit to mold you and shape you into what He wills. Invite God to give you and/or your school a tune-up. Allow Him to fill you with air if you're flat, patch you if you've been punctured or make a change if you need a new part. Let Him do it now so that when He calls at a time like Christmas morning to kick His tires (us!), we can answer, say "Feliz Navidad", and pass Inspection.    

Differentiated

Earlier this week, Emily and Elizabeth visited our public library for story time. While I have not had the opportunity to attend, it has been described to me as songs, stories, and a free sharing of and playing with toys. At this most recent visit, Elizabeth climbed onto the lap of another mother who was holding her 10 month old daughter (Elizabeth is 11 months old). Seeing Elizabeth infringe upon her territory, this little girl quipped, "Uh oh!"

As Emily related to me this episode as well as other words spoken by this prodigy, I responded like any parent- why can't my daughter, 30 days this girl's elder, talk with clarity? What are we not doing? Reading to her enough? Speaking to her and not just about her? Doing things for her instead of teaching her and/or letting her figure it out herself? Luckily, my feelings of concern quickly fleeted. The educator in me rationalized with my inner-parent: every child progresses at different paces.

This story time-mate can use interjection in appropriate contexts but may not yet be able to stand, wave or make a complete mess of her bedroom by unshelving and opening every book she owns. Everyone is inherently different. Thank God for that! All created in His image and likeness, we were also created as unique and special persons. As such, we all have varying gifts, talents, weaknesses and shortcomings. Thank God for that, too!

With this in mind, the dynamics of having 20-30 individuals, each with their own unique gifts and talents, in the same classroom presents various challenges to meeting the needs of all of those individuals within that classroom. Known in education as differentiated instruction, teachers are charged with meeting each student where they are and helping them to progress. It starts by shifting to a student-centered classroom (as opposed to the traditional teacher-centered ones). From there, delivering the content so that it makes sense to and has meaning for students trumps teaching in the method, style or pace most suited for the teacher. Covering material is out the window in differentiated instruction. Sitting in its place is student learning. Student learning, not teacher teaching, should be the focus of any classroom trying to do more than just educate those students in the middle of the ability spectrum within a classroom.

As one would imagine, differentiating instruction successfully is extremely difficult. Most teachers aim for the middle of the famous "bell curve", figuring this strategy and pacing will allow them to educate a good percentage of students. This is hardly blameworthy. A majority of students get a best fit education. Meteorologists cannot boast a higher success rate. Major League Baseball players make millions of dollars if they can be productive at a much lower rate.

But, when it comes to education, specifically Catholic education, a majority isn't good enough. The top tiered students will become bored. The lower end frustrated. Both extremes disillusioned.

Bottom line: unacceptable.

Catholic social teaching promotes the dignity of all persons. As Catholics we respect and honor human life from conception to its natural end. Jesus challenges us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal those who are hurting. Go and make disciples of all the nations. Jesus even gives us the parable about the vineyard workers getting hired at different times but receiving the same wage (Mt. 20:1-16a). Fair doesn't mean equal. Every student in our classrooms deserves our time, attention, talent and love.

A staple in special education classrooms, differentiated instruction involves open ended assignments, tailoring instruction to meet the specific needs of all students, allowing different groups of students within the same classroom to be at slightly different stages, and even activating multiple intelligences. Luckily, general and even Catholic education classrooms have taken to this approach. Educators have come to realize that this is just good teaching because it promotes good learning. The student becomes the focus and the center of the educational effort. The teacher employs different strategies to reach each student. Instead of students adapting to a teacher's style, teachers differentiate to meet the varying needs of each and every student.

Good teachers will get a majority of the students in their classroom to succeed. Outstanding teachers will design ways to engage the highest and lowest performing students as well.

The difference is something that makes a world of difference, especially to the kids on either end of the spectrum: differentiated instruction.

Resilience

For the past three months, I have waged war on the ants living around, on, and unfortunately in my house. Figuring I could win this battle without the help of trained professionals (by no means is the problem an infestation- we'd find a stray ant inside the house here or there- but lots outside working like mad to find breaches in our house's security), I sprayed these pests on a weekly basis. I even went so far as to plug up tiny cracks and holes in the house's joints and corners with new caulk. Despite my onslaught of chemicals and my attempts to reinforce my house's barriers, the ants always seemed to come back.

As such, Emily had an exterminator on the premises this past week. Even though my bug fighting and killing experience and repertoire of strategies pales in comparison to this expert, I'm starting to think that the ants are just too resilient to be defeated.

Or maybe just too numerous- ants are everywhere. Their army seems to have an unlimited supply of troops. I hope that our extreme measure proves to be successful; the grittiness of my lilliputian nemeses, though, is impressive enough to instill doubt. After all, ants can carry more than five times their body weight. I would be lucky to still be able to lift 1.5 times my own. And, even though we called for reinforcements, my team is greatly outnumbered.

In brainstorming possible ways to hold the line, I started to develop a rivalry-esque respect for my six legged opponents. Their unwavering determination and will astounded me. The more I tried to keep them at bay, the faster and more numerous they seemed to grow. I can just imagine them clenching their mouths, rolling up their sleeves, digging their heels into the ground, maybe even spitting once or twice and yelling to each other, "Is this the worst this guy has to offer? Bring it!"

In personifying these insects and identifying a soft spot in my heart for them, I also reflected on the importance of this character trait in not only students but also teachers. Resiliency, determination, grit. Our pampered, fast-food, instant gratification lifestyles have massaged any toughness right out of us. For those who have faced difficulty, there's likely a law, diagnosis (and corresponding medication), talk show, or watered down educational/accountability system that can offer these "victims" easy relief. Not a way out of the difficulty, just a way to make it not as rough.

Without pressure and heat, there would be no such things as a diamond. Iron is made into steel by removing impurities through extreme heat. Sometimes a plant must be pruned back before it can fully blossom.

One of the most important lessons we can teach our students and one of the most important character traits we should foster and develop is resiliency. How to weather a storm. How to work hard to overcome a difficulty. How to roll up their sleeves and say to a classmate, "Is this the worst this guy has to offer? Bring it!"

To build resiliency in students we push them. Challenge them. We hold them accountable for academics and behavior. We deal with them in fair and consistent ways. Most importantly, we model it. We follow through on everything. We mean what we say and say what we mean. We push ourselves to overcome challenges and difficulties. We ensure our preparedness and professionalism. We believe that every student can be reached, taught and improved.

Timothy Daly of the New Teacher Project puts it in these terms, "At the end of day it's the mindset that teachers need- a kind of relentless approach to the problem," This approach can, under any set of circumstances, ensure student success.

Angela Lee Duckworth, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, argues, "Those who initially scored high for 'grit'- defined as perseverance and a passion for long-term goals, and measured using a short multiple choice test-- were 31% more likely than their less gritty peers to spur academic growth in their students" (www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001/good-teaching).

So, then the question becomes, "How do you create resilient teachers?" Unfortunately, it's harder to do with adults than children. The approach is the same, though. Push, challenge, follow through, hold them accountable, be fair, be consistent, model it.

Teachers, like ants, are impressively strong creatures. Able to do so much more than carry five times their "body weight", a resilient teacher will guarantee that all students thrive. A resilient teacher will develop resilient students. Resilient students will be able to do...just about anything.

Heroic

In the fall of 2010, Subaru launched a clever ad campaign tauting the 2011 "Mediocrity". The Mission Statement of this understated way of getting people's attention includes:

"Each and every day, we strive for predictability, unoriginality and no frills utilitarianism for all of your transportation needs. The 2011 Mediocrity will get you from A to B without anybody ever noticing, and that's a good thing" (for more, click here: Mediocrity).

One of their non-commercials states, "Instead of breaking the mold, we went down and found those pieces from that mold, and we put it back together."

Of course, Subaru is playing with us. No one would actually want a car like that- so we are intrigued enough to go in search of one of their models. Average? Ordinary? Middle of the road? Commonplace? Good enough?

How many of us woke up this morning and thought, "I want to be an average _____________ today. I don't really want to make a difference or be noticed"? Fill in the blank with husband, son, principal, father, student, brother, mother, janitor, banker, chef, whatever. No one would actually hope to be mediocre.

Similarly, there isn't a student sitting in their seats this school year thinking, "I hope that in June I have all C's!" Hopefully, there isn't also a teacher standing in the front of a classroom musing, "If I can just reach the students in the middle this year, that would be a success!" The dawn of a new year yields an optimism and positivity that this year will be different. The promise of a new teacher, perhaps a new schedule, even a new school, or a new roster of students (or at the very least a new set of school supplies!) also gives us a new confidence that this will be the year that we do all of our homework or study for multiple nights before a test/quiz, complete our lesson plans before they are due to be checked, make the tough phone calls, and the positive ones, too.

This may last until around September or even through the first round of tests or possibly the end of the first quarter. And as the monotony of the daily grind replaces the life-giving hope of the first few days and weeks, we start to give in to this spirit of mediocrity. We start to settle for good enough. We start to believe that a C is about the best I'll get anyways. We buy into the trap that some students are lazy or too far behind for me to help. We become afraid.

This fear keeps us a long way from reaching our heavenly call. St. Paul tells Timothy, "God did not give you a spirit of fear, but one of POWER, LOVE and SELF-CONTROL" (2 Timothy 1:7). Even the Psalmist writes, "I praise you because I am WONDERFULLY made" (Psalm 139:14). Jesus Himself tells us, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). A far cry from average, ordinary or even mediocre.

We were made in God's image and likeness and if we are to believe our God is all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, than we, too, must tap into this royalty. We were made for so much more than middle of the road. We were made for heaven.

So, this year, instead of just being good enough, why not be heroic? If anything stirs inside of you as you read this, it is the Spirit tugging at your heart the same why He did when you were young (or younger). It is God awakening your passion for Him within your heart. If your breath is getting faster, or heart beating more quickly or if you find yourself becoming energized (which is rather presumptuous of me!), go with it. Be the parent you once were and always wanted to be. Be the teacher you set out to be when you first stood in front of a group of students. Be the student who takes ownership of his/her learning and make this the year that puts you back on the path to becoming who God created you to be.

Powerful.

Loving.

Disciplined.

Wonderful.

Heroic.

His.

It's a Mold that can't be broken.

Relevance

One of my favorite bands of all-time is (or was, as I don't think they're still together) Hootie and the Blowfish. Hootie's was the first rock concert I ever attended. I have all of their albums. I even have Darius Rucker's solo rhythm and blues attempt, which was solo in another way, too- it was his only one.

But, to remain relevant, Darius Rucker evolved. Taking a risk, Darius launched a country music career in 2008. For those of you who don't know, Darius Rucker is African-American. Furthermore, very few African-Americans have vertured into the world of country music; even fewer have found success there. Prior to Darius reaching #1 on the country charts in September of 2008, the last African-American to accomplish this feat was Charley Pride in 1983, 25 years before. Growing up in South Carolina, Darius was no stranger to country music. A singer with a soulful voice, his evolution into country music was not as far of a leap as some may think. But, it was definitely a leap, and one that enabled Darius Rucker to remain "bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand" (from Dictionary.com). Hootie and the Blowfish is no longer relevant. Darius Rucker is.

As Catholic Educators, are we connected with the matter in hand? Do we have direct bearing upon what is pertinent, important, timely? Have we appropriately evolved? Or, do we still teach, solely, from behind a podium? Do we punish entire classes for the misdeeds of a small few? Are we autocratic or authoritative? Are we educating students for success in our world or theirs? Is our educational approach relevant?

As Catholic Educators, the beauty of the message of the Gospel is that it is timeless. It is always relevant, always pertinent. Our Catholic Church is a wonderful example of staying relevant while still maintaining a rich tradition. Its roots continue to get deeper so that its branches can continue to grow taller. The Vatican has a YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican. The Pope even has a Twitter account, "tweeting" on February 8: "I invite Christians, with an informed & responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible" (from http://twitter.com/#!/PopeBenedictXIV). On November 27, the American Church will put to use the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, harkening to a more direct translation between the prayers used during the Celebration of the Eucharist and the Scripture upon which they are based. The Catholic Church is staying relevant while maintaining its firm foundation. 

As Catholic Schools we must use our creativity to stay relevant. We must enlist the help of our parents, corporations and businesses. We must find ways to use state and federal money to our advantage. We must capitalize on scholarship money and grants. We must seek out the most up to date research on planning, instruction and assessment and weave it into our style of teaching. We must market. We must plan. We must teach in such a way that the Catholic Church remains relevant for another 2,000 years. We must be better than the educational offerings at public, private or even other denominational schools. We must evangelize. 

Every aspect of our schools must show the relevance between the subject matters we teach and the only Subject that really matters- Jesus.

Every aspect including our blogs... 

Proof

Elizabeth can stand. Not quite cruising yet (which, for all of my readers who are not parents, means that a child walks with the support of his/her hands on objects such as a couch or coffee table), Elizabeth is able to pull herself up on just about anything a few inches off the ground; she can also crawl at the speed of some small animals. This, in turn, has caused me and Emily to do a bit of "baby-proofing" around our house. Shoes have to be put in the closet. Food and sharp utensils cannot be kept even with body-length/reach. The TV is kept off between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Doors of rooms "off-limits" are permanently closed. In a lot of ways, the house is more "adult-proof" than "baby-proof".

My heightened sense of anxiety because of Elizabeth's heightened abilities of mobility has perpetuated a reflection on the word "proof".

It has multiple meanings. A noun, verb and adjective, the word means everything from evidence, to a trial copy, to resistant and the activation of yeast.

Proofing was mentioned in last week's Gospel: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened” (Matthew 13: 32 - 33). Part of Jesus' long list of parables, proofing - or the activation of yeast - is a concept that recurs throughout the Bible, but mostly in a negative way. But, as Jesus often does, he reverses the commonly held perception of yeast and gives it lasting power. We think of proofing dough and its connotation to how we should view the Kingdom of God in a positive way. Bread that doesn't rise or expand, even in our carb conscious culture, is typically not a good thing (especially if it is supposed to). Prior to Jesus's use of the concept, yeast was seen as something that would take over dough, similar to the way that sin can take over every aspect of our lives. Expanding and rising in intensity, even a little sin can lead us into a downward spiral.

Jesus's use of the idea is proof that we are called to rise and expand. We are to become activated, quickened, elevated, and in being so enlivened - leavened - we should be able to do the same for others.

Educators within Catholic Schools should be this key ingredient in the recipe for our students' learning. Inspiring the pursuit of greater and deeper knowledge should be coupled with an equally intense search for spiritual development. The two of these combined should leaven us out of our school doors to make the world a better place. We shouldn't just be bread for the world, we must also be the yeast that makes the bread possible.

So, we must provide a different type of proof as well. We must be the proof, or evidence, that the Kingdom of God truly exists. Called to establish His Kingdom here on Earth in the hopes of inheriting a piece of it in eternity, we must behave in such a way that our very lives cause others to consider the fact that there is not only a benevolent God, but that this God passionately desires an intimate relationship with us. We must be the proof (n.):

1. The evidence or argument that compels the mind to accept an assertion as true
2. The convincing or persuasive demonstration
3. The determination of the quality of something by testing (definitions via: The Free Dictionary)

of such a God.

How do we offer up such proof? With the same ingredient that proves we are Christians and that mom's cooking really is the best: love.