Public Policy and Political Action on Behalf of Catholic Schools
The Association’s mission statement and the expectations of its members call NCEA to provide leadership in shaping public policies and encouraging political actions that acknowledge and support the important role of Catholic schools in the United States, that affirm and support the rights of all parents to choose Catholic schools for their children, and advocates for the equitable participation of Catholic school students in federal education programs.
Public Policy Updates
Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students Disaster Assistance FAQs
It is not too late for schools who enrolled students who were displaced by the 2017 hurricane or wildfires to apply for tuition reimbursement for displaced students. Funds can be used, retroactively, only for 2017-2018 school year expenses.
The U.S. Department of Education posted to the Ed.Gov website, new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Emergency Impact Aid (EIA) disaster assistance program. This guidance document addresses many of the questions that may arise as the program is implemented, including those related to displaced non-public school students. It will also assist stakeholders in submitting any revised data on the numbers of displaced students.
Green Ribbon Schools 2018 Announced
Three Catholic schools were among the 46 honored for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education. These schools are St. Columbkille Elementary School, Dubuque, Iowa; St. Louis University High School, St. Louis; and Magnificat High School, Rocky River, Ohio. The will be honored by the U.S. Department of Education at a ceremony in September in Washington, D.C. Schools that may be interested in seeking recognition should consult this website that details the award-winning programs.
National Report Highlights Catholic Schools
A recent study conducted by the Fordham Institute study, Self-Discipline and Catholic Schools: Evidence from Two National Cohorts, demonstrates that Catholic schools in are doing something significant in fostering student behaviors related to self-discipline. The results indicate that Catholic school students exhibit more self-control and self-discipline and are less likely to act out or be disruptive than students in other private or public schools.
Be sure to read NCEA President/CEO Thomas Burnford’s blog post that contextualizes the results of the study in light of the mission of Catholic education.
NCEA Annual Financial Report
Every school should have received an e-mail from CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) regarding the annual financial survey conducted for NCEA. We ask that all schools participate so we may obtain a robust data set with high quality information and resources to share with all of our schools and dioceses to assist with their planning. PLEASE complete the survey as soon as possible so we may prepare the report in a timely manner. If you have any questions, please contact Sr. Dale McDonald.
NCEA Annual Statistical Report
All diocesan offices should have received the report for the data collection for the coming school year. If you have not received the information, please contact Sr. Dale McDonald: [email protected]. Most diocese make use of the electronic submission forms for their schools and for the diocesan report to NCEA. If you haven’t used this method, please consider doing so – details are available on the NCEA website and Margaret Schultz, database manager, is available to assist.
