Diocese of Baton Rouge Ms. Paula K Fabre, Principal 1150 S 12th St Baton Rouge, LA 70802-4905 Document Generated On December 18, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5
Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Founded in 1920 by the Sisters of the Holy Family, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School is located at 1150 S. Twelfth Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school currently serves 214 students in grades kindergarten to eighth grade. St. Francis is an historically African-American school within the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The school currently has 23 employees. It enjoys community support through such groups as the Black and Indian Missions, The Friends of St. Francis, parishioners of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, and the Diocese of Baton Rouge. St. Francis Xavier Catholic School has outstanding accomplishments in the Youth Legislature of Boys and Girls Club of Baton for the years of 2010-2015. The campus of St. Francis Xavier is composed of several buildings: the main instructional building, the church, administration building, and an auditorium/ cafeteria. In addition, there are a primary-grades playground and vacant land set aside for expansion. The instructional building's first floor includes classrooms for Kindergarten through fourth grades, a Title I classroom, a computer lab, library, and bathrooms. The second floor of the building includes classrooms for middle school instruction, an art classroom, and a science lab. The cafeteria is located on the first floor of a second building, with the second floor housing an auditorium. Finally, the first floor of the administrative building is comprised of the teacher's lounge, storage room, and offices for administrators and the administrative assistant on the first floor. The second floor of the building is the convent for the Sisters of the Holy Family. The school has seen upgrades to the facilities in the remodeling of bathrooms, computer lab, science lab, and playground. Furthermore, the school has upgraded the classrooms' projectors, window fittings, and air conditioning. During the past few years, St. Francis Xavier has faced challenges. In 2012, the school, due to declining enrollment, was faced with the possibility of closure at the end of the school year. Thankfully, through the assistance of the parishioners of St. Francis Catholic Church, the Friends of St. Francis, and the Louisiana Scholarship Program, the school is again viable. Crime is a constant threat to the South Baton Rouge community, which includes St. Francis Xavier Catholic School. The parishioners under the leadership of our pastor have purchased and demolished a known crime house near the school. The city has expanded its BRAVE crime prevention program to the area. Another major improvement is the renovation of a nearby park which included a basketball court and a walking trail. Even though located in a high crime area, the school has not experienced crime issues. Page 2
School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Founded in 1920, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School strives to create a holistic Catholic environment in an historically African American school. Our mission is to encourage students to develop their unique talents and skills to achieve academic excellence through effective technology utilization, innovative programs, data driven instruction, and active parental and community involvement. Through our purpose of fostering and strengthening our Catholic faith, we proclaim the message of the Gospel to our students. We provide multiple opportunities for all students to learn and apply problem solving, critical thinking, and higher level concepts and skills in real life situations. We work to guide our students to become leaders and contributing citizens. Our school is committed to providing for the spiritual, academic, social, physical, and emotional growth and development of the whole child. Page 3
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. St. Francis Xavier School prides itself on being a small school with a family atmosphere. In the past four years, with the implementation of the Louisiana Scholarship Program, our school has increased its enrollment from 80 to 214 students. This increase also reflects an increase in the number of traditional, parent-funded students, many of whom are Catholic. The school has assessed its improvement needs, and a tour of the campus reflects not only more technology, but a sharper focus on instruction within the last four years. There is greater evidence of rigor and maximized instructional opportunities. An afterschool program sponsored by Big Buddy, an active basketball team, cheerleaders, a Gospel Choir, special events such as Spirit Week, and work on providing for the material needs of families are evident. We are striving to continue to improve instruction through job-embedded professional development and increase and improvement in delivery of instruction through technology. We embrace our strengths and continue to work to be the best. Page 4
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Our school is designed to be a source of hope to all families, not only those who are high poverty, but to all students and families. We work to assure that both students and parents have opportunities to network with other caring adults and each other. The administration and faculty strive to keep parents informed through the handbook, newsletters, email, meetings, and one-on-one contact as parents bring students to and from school. Family events are coordinated with the Home and School Association to provide opportunities for donation of time and talent to our school. The parishioners provide monthly support as well as special events such as the Lenten Fish Fry and other activities and donations. Our pastor is a source of great strength, support, and encouragement. His encouraging and informative weekly Masses help to bring knowledge of the gospel to many students who would not otherwise experience church. Page 5