Diocesan Web site offers detailed data on schools
By Chris Donahue
Staff Writer
Gone are the days when all that parents sending their children to Catholic school needed to know were what is the dress code and bus route.
To help parents decide which school is the best choice, the Diocese of Metuchen created the Schools Profile Web site, which can be accessed in the schools section of the diocesan homepage. The site contains detailed information about the categories: Catholic identity, student academic performance indicators, student information, academic programs, technology, finances, staff information, support services and school environment.
Carol Woodburn, principal, St. John Vianney School, Colonia, said Schools Profile is so valuable that there is a link to it on her school’s Web site.
“It’s fabulous because it’s a great advertising tool and source of information for our own parents, let alone someone who may be moving in from another state,” Woodburn said. “It showcases everything that is going on in the diocese and the way it is formatted and broken down is excellent.”
Meeting needs
Creation of the Web site was spearheaded by Clare M. Giangreco, diocesan associate director, Office of Development, who worked with administrators from the schools and finance departments on the project.
“Parents want data to help them to decide which is the best school and the best education for their child,” Giangreco said. “They want to know how this school compares with another school and how test scores compare with the local public school. They want to know about the academic programs, enrollment, class sizes, teacher-student ratio and technology.”
The Web site shows why choosing a Catholic school is a good decision based on factors such as the uniqueness of combining faith and academics; strength and excellence in academic programs; student performance; class size; excellence of teachers and administration; and the availability of extra-curricular and support services.
The Web site is the result of the diocese’s effort to determine the key
measurements that would provide the information that parents wanted to know, according to Giangreco.
“Test scores show that students in our schools score higher than state and national averages. Our schools have a proven track record of academic excellence and we need to get that story out there,” she said.
“The Web site also shows what makes our Catholic schools ‘Catholic’,” Giangreco said, adding that there are many misperceptions about Catholic schools. “Some parents think we are not as technologically current or that our teachers are not as qualified because they aren’t paid as much as public school teachers. To the contrary, our teachers
are certified and for them teaching is a ministry, not just a career. The Web site is a way to put our success story in the public domain.”
The diocese is also piloting School Profile Web sites for three schools; these sites provide more specific information about the individual schools. Eventually, there will be a School Profile Web site for all Catholic schools in the diocese.
Wealth of information
Visitors to the Schools Profile Web site can find information, for example, in the category of Catholic identity about how elementary school students receive daily religion instruction and formation in how to live the faith. Generally, students receive 150 minutes of religious instruction per week.
Also, each of the high schools in the diocese has a campus ministry. A sampling of the service projects that students have participated in include:
- Organizing retreats and prayer services throughout the year
- Serving at a Ronald McDonald House
- Visiting nursing homes
- Food, blanket and clothing drives
- Charitable walks
- Christmas parties for the needy, Christmas gifts for children
- Working in soup kitchens
- Food shopping for seniors
In the category of student academic performance indicators, information is available on topics such as SAT scores and post graduation plans for high schools in the diocese and Terra Nova Assessments for elementary schools.
The site also reports that Catholic schools in the diocese have a dropout rate of less that 1 percent and an acceptance rate of 97 percent for those entering institutions of higher learning.
In the technology category, data is available regarding student/computer ratio, computer instruction time, percent of schools with Web sites, Internet connectivity, Internet security policy and Powerschool.
In the extended care services category, parents can get information about bus transportation, nursing services, sports programs and extended care services. For example, before- and after-school care is provided for students at most Catholic elementary schools.
The New Jersey Catholic Schools’ Marketing Council is planning to create a statewide version of the Schools Profile Web site with key measurement data for all Catholic schools in the state, Giangreco said.
Schools Profile can be found online.
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law