In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, January 27 through February 2, the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Department of Catholic Schools has released the latest performance data for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, including:
- Elementary/middle school students consistently score in the top third in the nation on standardized tests
- High School Graduation Rate: 99%
- College Entrance Rate: 98%
- College Scholarship Awards: $234 million, Class of 2012
- Average SAT score: 1580
Catholic schools have celebrated the week with Masses, open houses and visits from Archbishop William E. Lori and Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Dr. Barbara Edmondson. They will conclude the week with a visit to St. Ursula School in Parkville on Thursday, January 31 at 9:30 a.m. The two previously visited Mount De Sales Academy, The John Carroll School and St. Margaret School earlier this week.
“The weeklong celebration gives us a moment to pause and reflect on the mission of Catholic education to provide a Christ-centered education that is academically excellent and emphasizes the formation of the whole person … mind, body, and spirit.” said Dr. Barbara McGraw Edmondson.
Conducted annually since 1974, Catholic Schools Week includes national, diocesan, and school-wide activities to promote the value of Catholic education. The 2013 theme is “Catholic Schools Raise the Standards” which highlights the recent launch of national best practices to ensure the sustainability of Catholic schools and the consistent student achievement as a result of high academic standards and an emphasis on spiritual formation. The “National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools” was developed through a broad collaboration with partners in higher education, elementary and secondary schools, and parishes.
There are 49 Catholic elementary/middle schools and 20 Catholic high schools serving 27,118 students in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which consists of Baltimore city and the following counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, and Washington.
To learn more about an Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic school, call 1-800-5-CATHOLIC or visit www.archbalt.org/schools.