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The Office of Catholic Schools issues a report annually to provide accountability and transparency for its educational programs to stakeholders.
In addition to graduation rates, educator credentials, scholarship awards and other data, the following testing programs are detailed: the Terra Nova by grade level, the Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education (ACRE) for grades 5, 8 and 11 and the ACT.
The results of these assessments are used by the Diocese and individual schools to identify areas of strength and areas in which improvement is needed. These results are especially critical to each school as it cycles through continuous improvement process. The most important information the schools gather from these assessments is how to target student learning goals.The Terra Nova is a standardized test that assesses Reading, Language, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. The tests are used nationally by public, private, and parochial schools, and Diocesan students are compared to students across the nation. In the Diocese of Columbus, the tests are given to students in Grades 3 through 8 in all schools, Grade 2 at Holy Trinity, Notre Dame Elementary, SS Peter and Paul, St. Francis DeSales Elementary, St. John, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Mary, German Village, St. Michael, St. Patrick, St. Pius X, and St. Vincent de Paul, and Kindergarten at Our Lady of Bethlehem.
The ACRE is a standardized test that assesses knowledge of the Catholic faith according to the Six Tasks of Catechesis. The Diocesan Religious Education Course of Study is based on these six tasks and therefore, informs us about our curriculum and instruction. Diocesan students are compared to Catholic school students around the nation who took the ACRE in Grades 5, 8 and 11.
The ACT is a nationally standardized test used for high school achievement and college admissions and is administered to all students in the Diocese. It is one, good indicator of college and career readiness of our students.