Update from the 2018- 2019 Annual Report

How much progress did we make in these areas?

In August of 2019, our annual report oulined four priorities for the 2019-2020 school year. They were:

Increase the number of students meeting the ACT Readiness Benchmark in all four subject areas. Better utilize differentiated instruction in each classroom to help all students meet his/her individual potential. Strengthen relationships with and knowledge of the Catholic faith with all stakeholders. Better demonstrate and communicate the contributions of Catholic Schools to the communities of Mississippi.

As everyone is aware, the outbreak of COVID-19 shifted almost everyone’s priorities. To ensure transparency and continued communication, we wanted to give an honest update on where we landed with the priorities outlined above.

First, due to the closure of our schools, students were unable to take the ACT Aspire standardized tests. Because we do not have the data, we cannot determine if we adequately improved in this area. Many schools did administer smaller interim ACT Aspire tests throughout the year, and data was promising. Members of the OCE staff also conducted in-depth data dives into the ACT Aspire summative and interim results with some of our middle school teachers to help them better address the needs of students.

Our priority to better differentiate our instruction is the one where we gained the most traction and saw the best results. According to survey data, elementary, middle, and high school students all saw favorable increases in response to the survey items relating to completing assignments that meet their individual learning needs. We also saw an increase in positive responses to survey questions related to making connections from content to real-world experiences. Making these connections was one strategy that our teachers focused on to make learning unique and applicable to all of our students’ individual experiences.

We also set out to strengthen relationships with and knowledge of the Catholic faith with all of our stakeholders. Our Catholic identity was one area that was praised by our visiting accreditation team. Conscious efforts were made to strengthen the sense of Catholic identity with staff members, and all of the curriculum standards that were implemented this year highlighted opportunities for the integration of the Catholic faith into core content areas.

Our final improvement priority related to marketing and communication. While we did make some efforts in marketing in promoting our accreditation efforts and highlighting the works of our schools in the Mississippi Catholic Newspaper, this is one improvement priority that will need our continued attention moving forward.

As we all know, the 2020-2021 school year has started unlike any before. With new guidelines to address the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools may look different, but our mission remains the same. We are excited about the new opportunities and challenges that await us. Based on the events of the last school year, the findings from our accreditation report, and many conversations with teachers, students, and parents, we have outlined four new priorities for the 2020-2021 school year. With a focus on these areas, we hope to meet immediate needs while also laying the groundwork for even more growth in the future.

2020-2021 Improvement Priorities

Continued transparent communication regarding our COVID-19 response

Targeted and personalized professional development delivered directly to teachers

Integration of technology to support in-person and distance learning programs Continued focus on fostering a strong sense of Catholic Identity, particularly in virtual environments