All students no matter what their need or gift, that is,
should be given a chance to have Catholic formation – in a school or parish program.
All children are special and all children have needs.
We need to develop opportunities for all children, youth and adults to learn. We no longer can wait for a child to fail before we help them meet academic and religious standards.
Pastors, principals, teachers and catechetical staff develop curriculum and instructional programs where all children are given opportunities to learn. It is through analysis and incorporation of ideas that parishes will develop models of education and faith formation that will provide for individual needs.
Parishes need to ensure that children, youth and adults are given an opportunity to learn and participate in the faith. It is the mission of the Church to offer opportunities in education and faith to as many children, youth and adults as we can.
15% of students in the schools have some form of specialized need or service. Parishes have a growing number of students that need specialized care or attention. Because of this, the teachers, children and youth in our programs need support to carry out their ministry. Teachers need assistance in moving from the discrepancy model of teaching, where we wait for a child/youth to faith, to a response to intervention model where we provide every opportunity for a child/youth to succeed.
The Diocese will aim to provide:
Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D., author of Response to Intervention: A Blueprint for Catholic Schools – for meeting with us to give us insight and encouragement.