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2018 - 2019 Back to School MessageDr. Melanie B. Verges, Superintendent
Greetings from the Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge! Unless you have an educator in the family, you may not realize that summer is a busy time for school personnel. While there may be some time to relax and reconnect with family and friends, educators have been working this summer on various tasks and initiatives on their individual campuses and in conjunction with the Catholic Schools Office. Included in our “What We Did This Summer” essay would be analysis of test scores, participation in professional development, and preparation for the new school year.
During the summer, data from standardized test scores are analyzed by administrators and teachers in order to assess student growth, as compared with students from across the country. Catholic identity continues to be strong in the Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic schools, as measured through the Assessment of Catechesis and Religious Education (ACRE), which indicated again this year that students in the Diocese of Baton Rouge score above national norm in all domains and all grades tested. During this past spring a survey of defining characteristics was conducted with parents, students, and faculty. Results for the diocese indicate agreement that schools in our diocese reflect the desired characteristics for Catholic schools, and the summer has been a time that individual schools worked with their scores to identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth.
Teachers attended the 2018 Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Schools Summer Institute, which consisted of professional development sessions for language arts, math, curriculum mapping, and student engagement. School administrators spent part of their summer in Point Clear, Alabama for three days of leadership development aimed at school improvement and student growth. Traveling to Orlando, more than 60 teachers and administrators from our diocese attended the 2018 Model Schools Conference to increase their knowledge of the Rigor & Relevance Framework. In addition, they enjoyed a special visit exclusively for our diocese by Dr. Bill Daggett, who is the founder of the center. What a tremendous experience that was!
The Catholic Schools Office has been busy this summer preparing for the annual gathering and board retreat. Marking the end of summer, the 2018 Catholic Educators Gathering of approximately 1,000 educators will provide a keynote by Dr. Tim Hogan on the cultural shifts in the family and our call to ministry. For advisory board members throughout the diocese, the Twilight Retreat on August 27 will feature a workshop by Sr. Carol Cimino, who is a nationally recognized author and presenter.
It is clear that all stakeholders are important in the ministry of Catholic education, and we are grateful to administrators, staff, and board members for commitment to the ministry throughout the year. Likewise, we are grateful for the leadership of clergy and especially thank Bishop Robert W. Muench, who has actively supported and celebrated the work of the schools during his service for the past 16 years in our diocese. We extend a warm welcome to Bishop Michael G. Duca as he begins his service in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. With our reliance on the Holy Spirit, great things will continue in the ministry, giving us cause to reflect and refresh as we prepare for another outstanding year for Catholic schools in focusing on the vision of Evangelizing Hearts, Educating Minds, Encouraging Talent and Embracing the Future.