The following article was contributed by Susan Rinaldi, Director of Expanded Services at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. 18 months ago, Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va. began offering inclusive educational services to students with intellectual or cognitive disabilities. Beginning in 2015 with two freshmen and adding four freshmen in 2016, the […]
Category: Learn
Our Journey to Build Curriculum Infused with Catholic Identity
The following article was contributed by Terry Nugent, Associate Superintendent, Diocese of Kalamazoo. Three years ago, our curriculum committee knew that teaching and learning may never be the same again for our diocese. Throughout the first year of aligning our curriculum process to the Understanding by Design model, we challenged teachers to think differently about […]
Special Education Programs K-12: Models and Possibilities for Special Needs Students
The following article was contributed by Maggie Hubbard, Ed.D., Director for Special Education at the Archdiocese of Washington and Doreen Engel, Theology teacher and Benilde Director at St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket Rhode Island. It is that time of year again when parents come to visit schools in order to find that “best fit” Catholic school for […]
STREAM Lessons – Fun Learning in Action
The following article was contributed by Patricia O’Donnell, M.Ed., M.S., principal at St. Patrick School in Malvern, PA. When I was a young child I used to love to play with Legos, Lincoln Logs, and building blocks. The thrill and challenge of making something new and exciting was very attractive to me. That love of building […]
Catholic School Inclusion: An Education Beyond the Textbook
The following article was contributed by Katie Carden. principal of The School of Saints Faith, Hope and Charity in Winnetka, IL. After making his entrance into the world, my youngest son received a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. I was reassured by the great possibilities children like Ryan would have and how far society has come in […]
Mindset Matters: How Improved Self-Talk Can Propel Your School to the Next Level
The following article was provided by NCEA’s Corporate Partner, The Pacific Institute. We self-regulate at the level of our beliefs, not at the level of our potential. Believe it or not, we talk to ourselves all the time. This conversation we have with ourselves is known as “self-talk” – it’s the dialogue we have internally 24/7/365. […]
Problem Solving to Support Student Success in Catholic Schools
The following article was contributed by Karen Kroh, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent for Student Services in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. As educators we’ve all had a student who is struggling, either academically or behaviorally. We meet to discuss the student and everyone starts asking, “have you tried…?” The problem solving process is a systematic, […]
Bridging the Gap: Faith Formation for Special Needs
This article was contributed by Linda Khirallah Porter, MTS, Director Office of Faith Formation in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. My grandson, Jordan, was diagnosed at the age of 2 with autism. He was diagnosed with pervasive development disorder (PDD). I think they were still trying to figure out all the spectrum disorders back in 1997 when he […]
Bearing Witness: A Teacher’s Reflection
This article was contributed by Stephanie Smith for the winter 2017 edition of Momentum. During the summer of 2014, I had the distinct privilege of participating in the Eileen Ludwig Greenland National Bearing Witness Summer Institute, an experience that has forever changed my teaching. When I applied to the program, I was just finishing my first […]
ESSA Overview: Getting the Most Out of the Every Student Succeeds Act
This article was contributed by Pam Bernards Ed.D., NCEA Director of Professional Development. A new addition to the annual NCEA Catholic Leadership Summit (CLS) was a shoulder day training sponsored by Catapult Learning on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Michelle Doyle, Michelle Doyle Educational Consulting, and Sr. Dale McDonald, NCEA Director of Public Policy, […]