Fourth “R”
Assessed by NCEA’s ACRE Test
(Kansas
City,
MO/ November 29, 2007) Catholic
school students in the Diocese of Kansas City~ St. Joseph not only take
standardized tests that track mastery of reading, math and science, but
also measure their knowledge of the Catholic faith. An analysis of
outcomes from the 2006-07 testing confirms that local Catholic school
students outperformed peers in Catholic schools across the nation. (See results).
“As
we know, the moral and spiritual formation of our young people is the
mission of our Catholic schools,” said interim Superintendent of Schools
Sister
Patricia Clune, CSJ. “Through the
accreditation process, all schools in the diocese began administering the
Assessment of Catechesis / Religious Education (ACRE) in 2004, and our
office continually reviews and revises curricula.
ACRE
provides a way to measure our progress in religious education,” she
said.
A
diocesan curriculum committee for religious education undertook the task
of aligning what is taught with the carefully-crafted blueprint in the Catechism
of the Catholic Church, published in 1994. All diocesan schools use
religion texts that are in conformity with the Catechism and approved by
the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Ad Hoc Committee to
Oversee the Use of the Catechism. The
ACRE
test is a means to evaluate the faith knowledge of students and to make
adjustments in teaching practice. As a multilevel tool, the diocese
administers
ACRE
to students in the fifth and eighth grades.
Associate
Superintendent of Schools
David Woolwine
said, “
ACRE
is not meant to measure the success or failure of a particular student. In
our research of the test and in talking with other dioceses, we know that
the test provides concrete information about what we teach and how groups
of students are growing in their understanding of the faith,” he said.
Like
other standardized tests, principals track scores from the
ACRE
test from year to year. The outcomes suggest how students learn and apply
the information being taught in the classroom. By grouping questions and
answers around particular themes, the faculty can assess how well the
curriculum addresses the standards.
“The
role of the catechist for elementary school students is to plant seeds,” said Associate Superintendent Pat Burbach. “ACRE
is one way that we can be accountable to parents, to stress the importance
of religious education in our schools, and to continually evaluate the
curriculum, methods and programs employed to teach children the beauty of
the Catholic faith,” she said.
 |
What
ACRE
Tests
The
ACRE
test is built on the Four Pillars of the Faith outlined in the
Catechism.
Profession of Faith
Liturgy and Sacraments
Morality
Prayer
In
age-appropriate lessons, each pillar addresses eight domains.
God – to know and understand the teachings about God as Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.
Church – to reflect on
the origin, mission, structure, community and membership of the
church.
Liturgy and Sacraments –
to be aware of the church’s liturgical life, including feasts,
seasons, symbols, practices, rites, as well as to recognize the
sacraments as signs of salvation.
Scripture – to recognize
Scripture as God’s inspired words, to teach familiarity with the
Bible, and people in Biblical history.
Life in Christ – to lay a foundation in Christian morality and
social teaching, students relate the teachings of Christ and the
church.
Church History – to grasp the central stories, key events and
major figures that have shaped the history and continuation of the
church.
Prayer and Religious Practice – to engage students in Catholic
forms of personal prayer and the care of the spiritual life.
Faith Literacy – to know Catholic religious terms. |
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