Catholic schools show how to put the pieces together

Published: November 8, 2008

By Vernell Bowen
Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Vernell Bowen

For the past few years I have had the opportunity to visit schools of other denominations. One such visit was to a school that is offering the classical education curriculum. At the end of the day as I was doing an exit interview, the administrator stated, "You know we have built our curriculum on what the Catholic schools have been doing forever." He pulled out books they had used as references for the development of their curriculum that were written by Catholic theologians and educators.

It is true that many private schools look at the success that Catholic schools have had over the past 100 years in the United States and sometimes try to emulate the best practices. Catholic schools are very successful in weaving the pieces of faith, knowledge, service and values into the core curriculum.

Unique to the Catholic schools is the opportunity to nurture spiritual and moral values within the students. This occurs and is constantly reinforced not only in classes of religious instruction but throughout the curriculum and extra curriculars. The Gospel's message is taught in classrooms everyday. Catholic school students enjoy the benefit of a broad selection of extra-curricular activities and sports that help to develop community commitment, social skills and physical fitness. Authentic learning experiences enable students to have a deeper understanding of their faith, promote tolerance, value the environment and see their role in the world as Christians.

Catholic schools are renowned for academic excellence. Students in Catholic schools consistently score in the top one-third on nationally standardized tests. High school graduation rate is 98 percent. In Catholic schools, students are encouraged to further his or her education. The total number of Catholic high graduates who continue their education is approximately 97 percent.

Students in Catholic schools participate in community service projects. This exemplifies the importance of living the message of the Gospels by helping others. Students in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Little Rock at both the elementary and high school level participate in many service projects throughout the year to benefit the local community, world missions and non-profit agencies across the state and nation.

Parental involvement, support from the Catholic community, and commitment from dedicated teachers will ensure that the pieces remain intact to provide for the continued quality education that so many desire for their children.

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