ACROSS FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Thursday, November 15, 2007 - To be named a "Blue
Ribbon School" is the most coveted education award in the United States. This
year, nine of the 33 Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport
are candidates for this U.S. Department of Education award in 2008, having passed
a crucial hurdle by qualifying for nomination status.
Only
the top 10 percent of all schools - public and private - in the U.S. achieve this
status.
Congratulations
to the following Catholic Schools in Fairfield County:
CAPTION:
Principals of "Blue Ribbon" nominated Catholic Schools celebrate their
achievement with their Pastors. (Photo by Pat Hennessy)
Highest
Achievement
"These
nine schools attained the highest level of academic achievement in reading and
mathematics comparatively across the country," explains John Cook, deputy
superintendent of schools for the diocese. "Several schools actually scored more
than ten points higher than the cut-off. This award represents the outstanding
collaborative work of principals, teachers, students, and parents."
"In
these times when we read about so many failing schools, this is good news indeed!"
writes Bishop William E. Lori in his current Fairfield County Catholic
column: click here.
No
Child Left Behind Program
The
"No
Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program" was created by the
U.S. Department of Education to recognize elementary and secondary schools whose
students achieve at very high levels. Test data is collected from national achievement
tests, including the Iowa Test administered by the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Having
reached this level, the schools will now participate in the final selection process,
which takes a full school year. Award winners will be announced in September 2008.
"We're positively
thrilled by this news," says Dr. Margaret Dames, superintendent of schools.
"Not only have we achieved excellence in approximately one-third of our schools
but, in fact, students in all of our Catholic schools read at or above grade level."
Teamwork
Principals
at all the schools are quick to share credit for their achievement with parents,
teachers, and the students themselves. Saint Rose of Lima's scores were
so outstanding that every single student in grades 3-8 placed in the top 10 percent
on the Iowa Test.
"I
think it's due to our cohesive faculty," says Principal Mary Maloney. "We have
high expectations of ourselves."
Teachers
frequently come in to work one-on-one with students who need extra help, and Saint
Rose offers after-school tutoring and a homework club. Beyond that, cross-curriculum
work and monthly meeting for professional development have produced a close-knit
team.
"We can
redesign our programs as needed," Maloney explains. "We follow the diocesan curriculum
map. If we see a math class coming in with students who can benefit from advanced
math, we'll follow the eighth-grade curriculum map. We always look at the needs
of the students."
Linda
Dunn, principal of Saint Jude School, also praised her dedicated faculty.
"My teachers are constantly striving to improve themselves professionally, and
I have a community of parents who work with the teachers to help students achieve
their potential," she says.
Dunn
points out that, at Saint Jude, excellence starts in the pre-K and kindergarten
classes, long before students get to the level of the Iowa Test.
"We
have instituted individual academic plans, including teachers, parents, and the
students themselves," she explains. "The goals are measurable, specific, attainable,
and timely."
(For
more information on the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Bridgeport,
click here.)
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