Mr. Steven Tortorello, Principal 700 Ashland Avenue Chicago Heights, IL 60411-1699 Document Generated On February 17, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 6
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? (MCHS) was founded in 1958 by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield on the corner of Ashland Avenue and Joe Orr Road in Chicago Heights, Illinois, at the behest of Monsignor Walter E. Croarkin. Croarkin sought to create a central Catholic high school which would serve the families of Chicago Heights as well as Flossmoor, Homewood, Park Forest, Glenwood, Steger, Hazel Crest, and Matteson. In the subsequent 58 years, MCHS has grown significantly in size and scope from a local school to a regionally recognized academic institution. Today, Marian is a diverse community. The student body is comprised of approximately 1,040 students from 70 communities in Illinois and Northwest Indiana, and is racially, ethnically, religiously, and socioeconomically diverse. In 2014-2015, the student body was 43% African- American, 38% white, 10% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 6% multi-racial. The students are 55% Catholic and 45% non-catholic, and hail from various socioeconomic strata. Marian is served by a staff of 88 teachers, administrators, and professional personnel, which is 91% white, 7% African-American, 1% multi-racial, and 1% other. In the last three years, MCHS has experienced several transitions. The principal of ten years, Sr. Kathleen Anne Tait, retired from active school duty, and new principal, Steve Tortorello '04, became the first layperson to serve in the role. In addition to the change in administration, the school has had several long-time faculty members retire in recent years, resulting in the addition of new faculty and staff. In June 2015, Sr. Judine Hilbing announced her departure for the end of the 2015-16 school year, and the Board of Directors has begun the process of seeking the school's next president. In addition, after a few years of decline, the school enrollment has stabilized at 1,039 students. It is the administration's goal to maintain future enrollment at this size. Currently, the primary challenge facing the MCHS school community continues to be providing access to a quality Catholic education for all students, including those with families facing financial hardship. Funded primarily by tuition, with a base of $9,975 per student, Marian offers scholarships to assist students and their families in need of financial assistance. For the 2015-2016 school year, over $1.5 million in scholarships and tuition assistance were granted to qualifying students. 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. Marian Catholic's Mission Statement is as follows: " is a Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory high school within the Dominican tradition of study, prayer, community, and preaching. Marian Catholic students seek truth, exhibit personal responsibility, cultivate their individual talents, and demonstrate ethical leadership and Christian service." As a Catholic school, Marian accepts its Mission to teach as Jesus did, and to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. Specifically modeled after the teachings of St. Dominic, Marian is an institution dedicated to the pursuit of Truth in its spiritual, intellectual, moral, and social dimensions. As a college preparatory institution, Marian Catholic provides an atmosphere in which students can develop relationships based on trust, respect, and appreciation of individual gifts. While recognizing and accepting the difficulties inherent in the transition period of adolescence, teachers and staff guide students to develop decision-making skills, accept responsibility, respect authority, and contribute to a just and dynamic society. As a college preparatory school, MCHS develops in its students those skills essential for post-secondary education. Its rigorous curriculum challenges students to master skills in inductive and deductive reasoning, critical thinking, research principles, and oral and written communication. The school also has a flexible curriculum of liberal, fine, and practical arts which serves students' individual needs and accommodates a variety of talents and interests. These Catholic, coeducational, and college preparatory dimensions create the special community of MCHS students supported by administrators, faculty, staff, and parents. Each member of this faith community is a sacred reality, created by a loving God, and engaged in relationship with others based on Christian love, mutual respect, and trust. As part of the Marian community, members are called to grow in faith and challenged to lead lives of service to God and to others. 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. has made great progress in the last three years to better serve our families within the Dominican tradition of education. Academically, the school has continued to prepare students successfully for college at all levels. For the past three years, the graduation rate has held at 99%, with 98% of graduates attending a two- or four-year college or university. In 2015, the graduating class earned over $19 million in scholarships to colleges and universities, and recent graduates currently attend Harvard, Stanford, Notre Dame, Northwestern, the University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Grinnell, Pomona, Colorado College, and other prestigious universities. One notable achievement of the last three years is the percentage of Marian students earning Advanced Placement credits. Over the past three years, roughly 33% of all students have taken at least one college level class, and each year, about 25% of the graduating class earns the title of AP Scholar, having taken and passed three or more AP exams. In addition, over the last three years, teachers and staff have fully outlined the curriculum using the Understanding by Design model. This model ensures that state standards are met within comprehensive units that develop student skills and foster the retention and transfer of student knowledge. Teachers have produced authentic assessments to maximize progress in the areas of critical reading and problem solving. Additionally, Marian continues to ensure that students are prepared for the ever-changing technological reality of our world. In 2014, the school implemented a 1:1 ipad program. All students and teachers own ipads, and use electronic books, apps, and programs to enrich classroom learning. In order to prepare for this initiative, all faculty were given ipads at least one year before the launch. The technical team increased the bandwith and scope of our wireless infrastructure and trained faculty to utilize electronic devices in their classrooms. In 2014-2015, faculty met weekly in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to learn new apps and programs for educational use. Furthermore, the school has worked to enrich student life beyond the classroom, beginning by offering a wider array of religious services, including rosary recitation, Eucharistic adoration, Taize prayer services, and additional liturgical celebrations. A renewed sense of focus on the Dominican vision has yielded continuity between prayer experiences and communal life. Likewise, the school has continued to provide opportunities for students to excel in the arts and athletics, as well to grow as leaders in our four-year leadership formation program. In the next three years, teachers and staff will work toward complete and relevant integration of technology into the classroom. Year one of a three-year process of following the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) Model to integrate technology has been completed, and a Learning Management System, Schoology, is currently being implemented. In the 2016-2017 school year, administrators and technology staff will aid teachers in using 21st century skills to augment, enhance, and redefine lessons and teaching strategies. Another goal for the next three years is the development of a stronger curriculum. The first step is improvement in curricular alignment, beginning with support for teacher collaboration. Over the next several years, departments will work to solidify the vertical and horizontal Page 4
alignment of courses through common final exams and unit assessments. Additionally, the school will offer new courses to replicate a college setting, including electives and additional AP classes. Finally, MCHS will work to improve its Mission Integration. While the school has made great strides in the previous decade toward making the Dominican identity more apparent and understood in the community, we will take concrete steps to refocus all staff and students on the Mission of the school. These efforts will include a greater focus on service throughout each student's high school career. Page 5
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. In addition to day-to-day operations of the school, Marian has also experienced great successes in extracurricular programs and in school advancement. The Fine Arts programs have shined in the past few years. The band program remains one of the most nationally renowned high school music programs, having captured the Illinois State Championship for marching bands for 35 straight years in their class and 14 times overall state champions. The marching band also made its 31st consecutive appearance in the Bands of America Grand National Championship Final Round this year. The speech team has placed in the top four in state in three of the last five years, and eight Marian students have captured individual state titles in that time. Competitive theater performance teams such as Group Interpretation and Performance in the Round have captured two State championships and four top-five finishes in the last five years, while the choir program competed at a national competition at Disney World in 2013 and ventured to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2014. In 2015, the school introduced a new Musical Variety Show to allow students the opportunity to develop and display their singing and dancing talents. Many athletic teams have also found great success in the last few years, with the Women's Basketball team capturing a state championship in 2013, third place in state in 2014, and both conference and regional championships in 2015. Men's Basketball captured sectional championships in 2013 and 2014, and the baseball team earned a regional championship in 2015. Academic extracurricular activities have also thrived in recent years. Participation in Model UN has been strong, and 2015 saw the launch of Marian's Science Olympiad team. The team ventured to Champaign to compete in regional competition, and nine of twelve team members earned a medal in individual or team competition. These extracurricular activities, and many more like them, provide the chance for students and faculty members to bond over common interests and passions and to help make Marian Catholic a welcoming community. The community of Marian extends to include a broad and deep base of alumni and friends of the school. The generosity of these individuals is visible in the many endowed scholarships that Marian is able to offer its students. With 48 endowed scholarships available for students, these awards make a MCHS education possible for future generations of Spartans. Page 6