Throughout my two decades as an educator in Catholic schools, the question that I have been asked most frequently is, “What is the Catholic school difference?” I must confess that my response to this inquiry has evolved over the years, given my various roles within Catholic education. However, one constant in my answer remains unchanged: […]
Category: Mission & Catholic Identity
Teaching Faith Across the Grade 6-12 Curriculum and Programs (1 of 6)
Written by Father Tom Simonds, S.J., NCEA Director of Secondary Engagement [email protected] Teaching the Catholic faith is everyone’s job in a Catholic school. Father Tom Simonds, S.J., will be writing a series of blog posts over the coming weeks to provide examples of how to do that. How can faculty develop lesson plans across the […]
Why Dual Language Catholic Education?
Written by Elena Sada, Pd.D., Boston College, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Roche Center for Catholic Education I have spent the past twenty years interacting closely with dual language educators, both in the public and Catholic school setting, and the answer is always the same: “Dual language has so many academic, cognitive, sociocultural […]
Nurturing New Teachers: Fostering Mission-Driven Mentoring in a Catholic School
Written by Dr. Josh Packard, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations, NCEA, [email protected] Mentoring new teachers in a Catholic school is a rewarding responsibility that requires a thoughtful approach. It’s also one of the most important things we can do in an environment that is increasingly competitive for top teaching talent. As school administrators, […]
Soar Like An Eagle: To Our Teachers
Written by Laura MacDonald, Director of Professional Learning, NCEA, [email protected] Mom would put me to bed earlier than usual on the first day back to school after the summer break; I could barely sleep the night before school. I stepped onto campus hesitantly in my clean white sneakers, armed with a backpack filled with new […]
Astonished and Amazed in God’s plan
Written by Karen Barreras, Director of Leadership Engagement, NCEA, [email protected] Like many people involved in Catholic school education, one of our first steps may have been when we attended Catholic school ourselves or when we enrolled a child or children in Catholic school. For me, the latter was the case. I married in the Catholic […]
Lingering Pandemic Learning Loss? Try Catholic Schools
Written by John Galvan, Director of Assessments, NCEA. On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization declared that the COVID-19 pandemic “no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.” For those of us who work in the educational sector, that years-long stretch was a heavy lift. We all needed to see that […]
Fostering Creativity and Collaboration in Catholic Education: Six Ways to Nurture the Whole Student Through Faith and Learning
John Galvan, Vice President of Assessments, NCEA, [email protected] Catholic schools are renowned for their dedication to nurturing the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. In the 21st century, the demand for creative and collaborative problem solvers is more important than ever. How can we incorporate the teachings of the Catholic faith to promote creativity […]
Students, Families and Evangelization in Catholic Schools
by Joseph D. White, Ph.D., Associate Publisher, Catechetical Resources, [email protected] Evangelization is a primary function of Catholic schools. Although they provide quality education in a variety of subject areas, as agents of the Church, they share the larger mission of the Church – forming disciples of Jesus Christ. Catholic schools should, and must, be more […]
What School Leaders Need to Know About the Changing Affiliations of Latinos in the U.S.
Content contributed by Megan Bissell, Research Project Manager, [email protected] A recent Pew Research Center survey on the religious affiliation of Hispanic adults in the United States has significant implications for Catholic schools. While Catholicism remains the largest religious group among Latinos, its share among Latino adults has steadily declined over the past decade. In 2010, […]
