Sustaining Catholic Education in and for the Black Community
By Lois J. Carson, Sr. Roberta Fulton, S.S.M.N., Dorothy Gupton, Veronica Morgan-Lee, Freida D. McCray, Mary Crowley McDonald, Kathleen A. Merritt, Sr. Jamie T. Phelps, O.P., Ph.D., Brother Gary Sawyer, ECSA, Deacon Marvin Threatt, PhD.
(Article:
Page 21 of 35)
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Expectations
Finally, Catholic schools must be goal-oriented toward higher education at all levels. Students must know when they enter preschool that they are preparing for kindergarten; kindergarten students must know that they are preparing for elementary school; and so on. Catholic high school students must come to see education as an open-ended road to growth and opportunities.
It is vitally important that the expectation of higher education be stressed, promoted, and nurtured during the late elementary and middle school years. National data show that Black students do well on standard school and state assessments in early elementary school, but around fourth grade, a decline begins to occur, especially for males. As a result, many students enter high school ill prepared and with little vision of higher education, and after one or two years in high school, become discouraged and abandon all educational pursuits. While Catholic schools have higher rates of Black student retention, the need to promote higher education remains.
Parents and teachers must instill in students that better performance in elementary school will lead to better performance in middle and high school, which increases their chances of going on to post secondary education at the college or university level. Students must be prepared and encouraged to be life-long learners.
Catholic schools have done an excellent job in promoting ongoing education. Essentially, the Catholic school system can provide for students from preschool to post-graduate school. Catholic education has been a great benefit to many Black students, as well as a contributing factor to their stature as successful men and women today.
To maintain effective Catholic education, particularly within the Black community, periodic assessment and evaluation of the educational program, mission statement, philosophy, identity, and school climate be must be undertaken by the entire community. All academic curricula must be re-evaluated and revised yearly to ensure that competencies align with state and national guidelines. Schools should examine whether students are acquiring the knowledge and skills required to compete in an expanding world.
Although standardized testing may not be required in Catholic schools, it can be an effective tool in evaluating the curriculum and student competence levels. The ability to demonstrate learned competencies on a formal assessment is critical, especially at the high school level. Assessments also can reveal potential weaknesses in an academic program, providing opportunities for adjustment and improvement.
Another method of evaluating a Catholic school's curriculum at the high school level might be to align the curriculum with the entrance requirements of a state, college, or university system. In California, the Catholic secondary school curricula are aligned with the state university system. Therefore, these Catholic schools prepare students to meet the entrance requirements of the state system. Catholic schools in the Black community could use this technique by aligning their curricula with Catholic schools such as Loyola Marymount University or Xavier University.
Xavier University, the only African American Catholic University in the United States and one of the top Black colleges in the nation, is highly regarded for its Catholicity and academic excellence. Therefore, Catholic elementary and high schools would do well to consider articulation with Xavier in developing a long term growth and achievement plan for African American students in Catholic schools. Examples of collaborative efforts are featured in the following list.
Vobril, Bob. (2003, February/March). Becoming Rooted in the Stewardship Way of Life.
Momentum, 14-16.
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