6 January 28, 2016 CELEBRATING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS The Record Newspaper

By Dr. Mary Beth Bowling Whom do we serve? How can we bridge gaps in student learning? How can we support teachers and parents in bridging that gap? These are ques- tions that administrators, teachers, and support staff in our school communities explore every day. We are given opportunities to work with stu- dents as they learn and grow throughout their edu- cational careers. Some of our students begin their educational careers with us in a Catholic preschool program and continue their careers through high school. It is predictable that students will experi- ence some struggles along the way, some more than others, some even diagnosed along the way with a learning difference. How do we serve these students in ways that honor the ministry of Catholic teaching which calls us to embrace diversity, accept challenges, take risks, and seek God's image in self and others? How do we maximize a student's potential working in a collaborative partnership where the school and home come together to support the child? Some- times bridging the gap for students will require different teaching strategies and methods that can bring about student success. Is this left to chance, school by school? How do archdiocesan schools respond? The Archdiocese of Louisville has a clear proto- col for working with students who are experiencing difficulties in their learning. The "intervention proto- col," as it is called, implemented at the local school level, forms the foundation for seeking out best practices as it relates to a particular child's needs that utilize the resources the school has available. All elementary schools and high schools have a staff member, called a learning specialist, whose role is to implement this process. Depending on the size of the school, there may be more than one person who serves in this role. The process requires the gathering of data, analyzing the data and strategizing with teachers, resource special- ists and parents to identify supportive practices, both inside and outside of the classroom, to sup- port the learning issue. The result is a plan that is implemented and monitored for success. It can be revised eventually as the success of the strategies dictate. The more important take away is that the child now has a network of support in place to help bridge the gap in learning. Dr. Todd Rose, Harvard University professor and lecturer, published an article related to learning dif- ferences entitled, "Beyond Average." In this article, Rose makes this statement, "...there isn't one size student or one way to learn. Every student has a jagged learning profile." He goes on to challenge the whole meaning of the word "average," as it relates to education and stu- dent learning. He challenges educators to manipu- late the environmental factors in the classroom to fit the child so that learning environments are flexible and students learn, but perhaps in ways that extend beyond traditional ways of teaching. He boldly pro- claims that this fit is the birthright of every person. The process we call the "intervention protocol" helps guide our work with students who are ex- periencing "jaggedness" in their learning. In real- ity, our Catholic school teachers work to prepare all students for their futures by working every day to help students be successful in the classroom. However, coupled with new technology interven- tions and better understanding of the teaching and learning process, we can help students in ways that did not exist before. The WHAS Crusade for Children grant award, which we have received yearly for some years, helps support these efforts and those of our teach- ers and school communities. By continuing our ef- forts to address the complexities of learning and to maximize the strengths of our students, we con- tinue the mission of Catholic education by helping every student come to love God and the church in the context of an excellent academic education. Dr. Mary Beth Bowling is the Archdiocese of Louisville's assistant superintendent of schools.

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Creating Opportunities for Student Success

The professionals who teach your children are well prepared to provide a rigorous and comprehensive education. Catholic school teachers are certified, and three out of four have advanced degrees. In addition, teachers regularly participate in continuing education opportunities to keep current with innovations in education and religious instruction. The programs in our schools exceed state requirements and are measured through regular testing. These tests show that Catholic school students in the Archdiocese of Louisville score significantly higher than state and national averages.

Inspiring Achievement

Catholic schools remain accessible by offering a wide range of tuition assistance options. Tuition assistance is available from: Archdiocese of Louisville Catholic Education Foundation Catholic High Schools Parishes Last year more than $10.8 million in tuition as- sistance was given to Catholic school students. Overall tuition assistance has increased due to the Catholic school elementary plan, which in- cludes a new Archdiocesan Voucher Fund and a discount for families whose income is below 200% of the poverty level. For more information, see www.archlou.org/tuitionassist. All tuition assistance, applications, and pro- cedures are handled through the Private School Aid Service (PSAS) with one form that is obtained through your school. Even if you have students in more than one Catholic school, you can ap- ply for all of your children on one PSAS form. The deadline for submitting the PSAS form for the 2016-2017 school year is Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The Private School Aid Service is an indepen- dent, third-party service that provides reasonable assessments of the ability of families to pay tuition at private and parochial schools. For more infor- mation about PSAS, go to psas.org. Copies of the PSAS analysis and forms are shared only with the contracting parish, school, or agency; no one else will receive this informa- tion. Final decisions about tuition assistance will be communicated to you by the Catholic Educa- tion Foundation. Parish membership is not required in order to receive tuition assistance.

Tuition Assistance Availability

- Archdiocese of Louisville Catholic Schools Selection Guide 2014-15