School of Education Provides Targeted Professional Development in Area Catholic Schools to Support Student Learning

In the past year, through Loyola Marymount University's Promise Program, the LMU School of Education (SOE) has supported area Catholic schools in addressing achievement gaps in math and science.

The program, a partnership between the university and the Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA), was designed to expand college access and success for high-potential students at local Catholic high schools to pursue an LMU education. It guarantees admission to LMU for up to 18 qualifying seniors each year from six participating ADLA high schools.

When these schools identified a need to boost their students' math and science fluency, SOE stepped in to hold professional learning and capacity-building programs for educators. "This project is unique in that it positions teacher expertise as our most valuable resource," said Lauren Casella, interim executive director of the Center for Catholic Education and academic program director for SOE's Catholic School Leadership Academy (CSLA). "We've provided sixteen math and science teachers with a structured roadmap for improvement, giving them the time and tools to iterate their teaching practice in real time. And while teachers focused on addressing student needs specific to their own schools and classrooms, they also engaged in a collaborative exchange, learning which strategies proved most effective for their colleagues in a variety of educational settings."

The first year of the program culminated with a celebratory gathering in which teacher teams presented improvements to instruction and student outcomes and discussed the ways they planned to apply new ideas in their classrooms going forward.

In a similar vein, SOE is has begun providing leadership development for the Pax Christi Academies, a network of five Catholic schools in Orange County. Five aspiring Catholic school leaders will build their leadership capacity by earning a Certificate in Catholic School Administration from SOE and participating in specific leadership mentoring that is aligned to Pax Christi's organizational goals; this work lays a foundation of support for future changes that the schools might identify. The Pax Christi Academies are led by founding president Christina Arellano, M.A. '17, Ed.D. '21.

"These efforts affirm our mission of working alongside K-12 schools and communities to co-develop solutions to their most pressing needs," said Estela Zarate, dean of SOE. "Cultivating a learning culture and applying improvement science in classrooms helps our partner schools foster evidence-based, student-centered change to reduce performance gaps."

If interested in supporting SOE's work with area Catholic schools, or for more information about the LMU Promise Program, please contact Sascha Rosemond, director of development, at [email protected] or 310.338.7332.