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Renewal of the Haitian Education System

on Thursday, 10 November 2011.

The University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), alongside international partners including Catholic Relief Services and the Congregation of Holy Cross, is playing a leading role in the renewal of the Haitian educational system.

ACE Consulting is supporting the rebuilding, revitalization and improved quality of primary and secondary Catholic schools throughout Haiti.

  • Renewal of Catholic education in Haiti. Under the leadership of Haiti’s Catholic bishops, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, and with support and partnership from Catholic Relief Services, ACE is coordinating a major Catholic Education Renewal Project. The project aims to improve the quality of and access to Catholic schools across the country.  ACE and CRS are facilitating a comprehensive assessment of the country’s estimated 2,400 Catholic schools. This diagnostic portrait will inform the development of action plans for raising quality, rebuilding schools, increasing access, strengthening governance, and expanding student services.
  • Teacher formation. ACE is supporting the Congregation of Holy Cross in developing a model teacher certification program that would provide rigorous formation for Haitian secondary school teachers utilizing international best practices and leveraging technology. A pilot program in cooperation with six Holy Cross schools is planned to launch in the coming months.
  • Rebuilding. Notre Dame and ACE have also supported the rebuilding of a major Holy Cross high school in Port-au-Prince, Basil Moreau School. Significant structural repairs have been completed on the primary school building, and construction is set to begin on a new secondary school complex.

To see more of ACE Consulting's collaboration with leaders in Haiti, please go to the Haiti photo gallery.

2012 On Campus Summer Programs

on Wednesday, 09 November 2011.

Join us on the campus of the University of Notre Dame this summer for excellent
professional development opportunities.

The third annual Principals Academy, offering a focus on STEM leadership, will be held
 June 25-29, 2012. More details to come in January 2012.

The Superintendents Conference will begin June 24 and conclude on June 27.

A new offering, the Equitable Services Institute, will welcome school leaders beginning
July 8 through July 12.

Unified vision in Cincinnati

on Thursday, 21 July 2011.

ACE Consulting is working with the leadership of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to envision and plan for a bright future in the Archdiocesan schools.

“It is very important to begin building this vision and plan,” said Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr. “Our schools are a vital ministry of the Catholic Church.” “Catholic school education has changed through the decades in the Archdiocese,” noted Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dr. Jim Rigg. “Our schools have a long-standing and well deserved reputation for excellence. Our new vision and plan will allow our schools to preserve their quality, enhance their viability, and move thoughtfully through the twenty-first century.”

As initial steps toward developing a unifying vision for archdiocesan Catholic schools and a strategic plan for the Catholic Schools Office, the Archdiocese has:

  • created a 12-member Vision Steering Committee composed of educators, parents and clergy;
  • retained the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Consulting, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame, to conduct an assessment and facilitate a visioning and planning process;
  • begun collecting key qualitative and quantitative data on the spiritual and academic programs of the Catholic schools, as well as data related to finances, demographics, and marketing;
  • planned 12 visioning sessions throughout the Archdiocese to solicit the ideas of pastors, principals, parents and parishioners, beginning in early May of 2011;
  • initiated a restructuring of the Catholic Schools Office to facilitate the creation of this vision and plan;
  • announced the absorption of the Catholic Educational Collaborative (CEC) in Dayton by the Catholic Schools Office, effective July 1, 2011.

The restructuring of the Catholic Schools Office will include employing regional school “directors” who will focus on the spiritual, academic, and operational quality of the schools much more intimately. Additionally, the office will employ specialists in the areas of strategic planning and financial planning/development to better support the schools.

The Catholic Schools Office will carry on the best of the services offered by the CEC and ensure that these services continue without interruption. The vision and strategic planning effort, entitled “Lighting the Way”, is already in progress. A series of initial conclusions will be released to pastors and educational leaders in the early fall of 2011. The complete plan should be fully formed by the fall of 2012.

“We are blessed with some of the best schools in the country in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” said Dr. Rigg. “I am convinced that, with prayerful and purposeful planning, we will ensure that our schools continue to provide authentic, faith-based programs, top-notch academic offerings, and warm family-centered communities. The future is bright for Catholic education in Southwest Ohio!”

Although the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 38th largest Catholic diocese in the country, it ranks eighth in the number of students enrolled – over 43,000 students in 112 Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Excellence in Wisconsin

on Thursday, 21 July 2011.

  ACE Consulting partnered with the administration of St. Joseph School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to move the school in new directions.  Through the assessment process, ACE Consulting examined facilities, finances, demographic trends and asked local stakeholders for their input as well. 

St. Joseph is now in the process of a robust strategic planning process.  Bob Freund, the Academy's founding president, offered this insight, "The mood has always been about survival. Now, the feeling can be described as confidence. We're excelling. We're moving forward."

The full story of the work of St. Joseph can be found here.

To download a pdf of the article, click here stjoekenosha.pdf.

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