Programs
CCSE tailors its programs to the needs of each client organization. By identifying needs and developing action plans for each client organization, targeted professional development can occur through the following channels:
CCSEONline is a program designed to deliver professional development workshops through an online environment. This unique program will ultimately consist of a series of professional development modules on curriculum design, assessment of learning, and effective teaching strategies. Current modules are focused on differentiated instruction. The benefit of this approach is to provide for the continuing professional development needs of Catholic school teachers in a manner that can be easily integrated into the lives of these teachers. A secondary benefit is to increase professional networking opportunities for these Catholic schools teachers, who sometimes face isolation due to a variety of reason such as the geographic location or the enrollment size of their school.
Principal Investigators: Michael Boyle, Ph.D. mboyle3@luc.edu or Michelle Lia, Ed.D. mlia@luc.edu
Starting in September 2009, the Diocese of Fort Worth, TX began a two-year curriculum process with the Center. Don Mill and Charlene Hymel, superintendent and assistant superintendent respectively, engaged their teachers in a process of adopting the Diocese of Hartford (CT) Standards and adapting them to Fort Worth's needs The Center led the teachers of the Diocese of Fort Worth through the process of understanding Backward Design and its three main components: year-long plan, topic/unit plan, and lesson plans.
The content-area focus for this two-year process was science, although the idea was to extrapolate the use of Backward Design to all subjects. Discussions were sparked over the use of inquiry and 21st century skills through science instruction. Teachers were given time at in-service days to work on year-long plans in science (or their subject area) as well as topic/unit plans with colleagues from other schools who taught the same subject and/or grade level. The Center encouraged teachers to collaborate during this process to make what is taught throughout the Diocese streamlined regardless of what school a child attends.
As the two-year process nears its end (February 2012), the focus has been on the Curriculum Leadership Teams (CLTs) at each school. The CLTs will sustain this process and ensure that the teachers are provided the support needed for it to be sustained.
CCSE Contact: Michelle Lia, Ed.D. mlia@luc.edu
This program is a unique collaboration between Sanata Dharma University (Yogikarta, Indonesia) and Loyola University Chicago. The ISEDP approach is to prepare Indonesian Catholic educators in the area of instructional leadership. In turn, the program participants prepare professional development materials and deliver them to other Indonesian Catholic educators in Indonesia. Using a combination of direct professional development sessions and on-site coaching, the ISEDP participants work in supporting local school improvement efforts. The Center for Catholic School Effectiveness has played an important role in the development and delivery of this program.
CCSE Contact: Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D. mboyle3@luc.edu
JVC Magis is a two/three-year service program for college graduates who are former Jesuit volunteers. Its mission is prepare leaders to advance the apostolic work of the Jesuits and the Catholic Church by serving Catholic and Jesuit apostolates in the Chicago area as well trained professionals.
The essence of JVC MAGIS can be found in its four values: social justice, simple living, community, and spirituality. Participants of JVC MAGIS serve others as dedicated, full-time professionals. They attend graduate classes through a graduate program at Loyola University Chicago. Upon successful completion of the course work, participants earn a master’s degree from Loyola.
JVC MAGIS Contact: Lee Hubbel lhubbel@luc.edu
LU-CHOICE is a post-graduate service-teaching program whose mission is to advance Catholic education by educating, placing, and supporting talented college graduates in elementary classrooms in the Archdiocese of Chicago. LU-CHOICE teachers live out their faith and embody the Jesuit ideal of being men and women for others through service to their schools and dedication to their community.
LU CHOICE Contact: Lee Hubbel lhubbel@luc.eduThe Opening The Door To All (ODTA) is a coordinated program designed to provide targeted professional development and ongoing support to implement various aspects of Response to Intervention (RtI) within a Catholic school setting. The ODTA program is designed and implemented by the Center for Catholic School Effectiveness (CCSE) at Loyola University Chicago. The goal of ODTA is to provide professional development and technical assistance in order to increase the capacity of Chicago Catholic schools to apply early intervening services, aligned with the general education curriculum, to all students. ODTA is a pilot program sponsored by the Big Shoulders Fund. The program was initiated in three additional schools bringing the total to six schools from the Big Shoulders Fund network to build knowledge around the effectiveness of RtI in resource-limited, inner-city Catholic schools.
Response to Intervention (RtI) aims to build schools’ staff capacity to provide high-quality instruction and interventions that match the needs of all students. It is guided by frequent monitoring of students’ progress which facilitates making educational decisions and changes in instruction or goals. When RtI is applied to decisions in general, remedial and special education, it creates a well-integrated system of instruction and intervention that is guided by student outcome data.
CCSE Contact: Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D. mboyle3@luc.edu
CCSE works with schools, dioceses, and networks to address the needs of Catholic and faith-based schools in Chicago and Illinois as well as nation-wide.