Curriculum News - October 4

Dear Principals,

Thank you for your patience with me and your generous gift of prayer as I needed to be with my family during the Principals’ Retreat. You are each such a great source of strength, inspiration and hope for me. I am truly grateful. Blessings always, Sandy

2010 NCEA DATA COLLECTION: The annual NCEA Data Collection which takes a snapshot of your October 1^st enrollment figures is due to the CSD by Wednesday, October 27,2010. This week, you will be receiving the new 2010 online NCEA Data Collection Tool via your school email address. The NCEA Data Collection Tool has been re-designed to better respond to the local needs and hopes of each school, each deanery, and our ‘communio’ of schools to begin studying patterns, trends and demographics of our geographical regions.

NEW THIS YEAR! The NCEA Data Book is organized into chapters that can be viewed by school leadership and their delegates to study the following topics:



Highlights include:
*This tool no longer requires the school to fill out Excel spreadsheets and return them to the CSD. It has been designed to be an online user-friendly tool and as each school submits information, your school will have the capacity to update your data at any time since is it capturing real “live” data. Our hope is to take a fall and spring enrollment snapshot annually to note the variances that may be occurring within the archdiocese.
*Definitions for specific categories are now embedded within the chapters for clarity.
*The previous data from the 2009-2010 school year is also embedded within the tool as a reference for a quick comparison of prior information.
*Chapter 5: Instructional Materials. In prior years, the CSD has sometimes collected textbook and instructional materials information but has not posted this information. This year, we invite K-12 schools to list all instructional materials being used in each school with a simple feedback mechanism sharing the likes or dislikes regarding the current materials being implemented so all schools can begin networking information effectively with each other.
*Chapter 6: Assessments. In prior years, the CSD has collected only K-8 assessment information. This year, we are expanding to K – 12 to better articulate the formative and summative testing patterns in our schools.
*As we move into the new WCEA/ISL Protocol 2010 Edition, there may be a future need to build additional chapters to gather accurate data that can then be applied to support each school’s accreditation process or local/deanery strategic planning process.
* If you would like a sneak peek at the new NCEA Data Tool, please visit http://www.seecelebrateandlive.org/school-data/viewer.php
***Please contact Nack Athens or Carl Swenson if you have questions about filling out the 2010 NCEA Data Collection Tool. CSD@seattlearch.org Thank you!

FAMILY LIFE: Jim Thomas, from the Office of Catholic Faith Formation, is now the OCFF liaison to the Catholic Schools Department in the area of Family Life/Formation for Love and Chastity. Please refer to the Policies and Procedure Manual for current policy. http://www.seecelebrateandlive.org/s...cedures-Manual
Section 2 Curriculum: 2.2 (A - E) Program for Love and Chastity. As we journey through this school year, Jim will be sharing some new resources that he highly recommends for your consideration to promote faculty/staff professional development reading regarding this area.




There are three new marriage-related resources available from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). These resources can be ordered as brochures by contacting USCCB Publishing: www.usccbpublishing.org.

1. Married Couples and the Challenge of Military Service (Product Code 7-134)
2. The Effects Pornography on Marriage (Product Code 7-135)
3. Divorce and the Church’s Healing Ministry (Product Code 7-133)

Have a great new week! The fall professional development opportunities are starting to be listed for your consideration, so please check the CSD calendar for specific information. Click here for current CSD calendar information.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Barton Smith