| National
Catholic Center for Student Aspirations Established at Assumption
College
Kristin Melley, Associate Director
of the NCCSA at Assumption College. |
January,
2005—On January
25, 2005, Assumption College will officially announce its new initiative
in Catholic education, the National Catholic Center for Student
Aspirations (NCCSA). The NCCSA is dedicated to the significance
and growth of Catholic education by enhancing teaching and learning
environments in order for elementary and secondary school students
to reach their dreams and lifelong aspirations. Drawing from the
tradition of the Catholic faith and the research of the organization,
the NCCSA works with school communities to create inspired and comprehensive
learning environments.
The NCCSA establishes specific conditions that create greater enthusiasm
for learning, constructs a wide foundation for student achievement,
increases professional dialogue among faculty, and boosts parental
involvement. Proven to affect the development of student aspirations,
the program uses Eight Conditions as its framework. These conditions
are: Belonging; Heroes; Sense of Accomplishment; Fun & Excitement;
Curiosity & Creativity; Spirit of Adventure; Leadership &
Responsibility; and Confidence to Take Action. To establish these
conditions in elementary and secondary Catholic schools, the NCCSA
works directly with students, teachers, administrators, parents,
and coaches using materials such as books, self-reflective guides,
essays, workshops, and seminars. To obtain and analyze information
about students’ school experiences, the NCCSA has devised
two surveys—one for grades 3-6 and another for grades 7-12—in
order to measure students’ perceptions about their experience
of school.
The National Catholic Center for Student Aspirations stemmed from
the research and teachings of 1980 Assumption graduate Dr. Russell
Quaglia, a renowned education expert and the executive director
of the Global Institute for Student Aspirations at Endicott College.
Associate Director Kristin Melley, an experienced educator who holds
a Master in Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School,
is spearheading Assumption College’s newest educational venture.
The following is excerpted from a recent interview with Melley.
Q: Why was Assumption College chosen to house and sponsor
this growing national organization?
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KM: The NCCSA originated from the Global Institute of Student
Aspirations, the brainchild of Dr. Russell Quaglia ’80.
Dr. Quaglia wanted to expand his work into Catholic schools, and
he saw the possibility of a partnership with Assumption College—his
alma mater—to expand into this area.
Q: How have the Global Institute’s principles been
“Catholicized” by the NCCSA to be used in Catholic education?
What changes have been made?
KM: The Global Institute for Student Aspirations and the
NCCSA use the same Eight Conditions that affect the development
of student aspirations, but the lens through which the NCCSA sees
these conditions is different. In terms of the NCCSA’s usage,
the Catholic faith certainly represents the Eight Conditions. Our
faith calls us to live these conditions in our daily lives. Although
they are not “intentionally” Catholic, these elements
are so fundamental to our human needs that by living out the Catholic
faith fully, we are actually living out these conditions.
Q: Describe some testimonials from schools with which the
NCCSA has already partnered.
KM: We are currently in the second year of working with
our first “demonstration site,” a K-8 Catholic school
in Waltham, MA. The first year of training is always eye-opening.
We recently did an exercise with some seasoned teachers there, asking
them to reach out to the students that gave them the most trouble.
One teacher was absolutely amazed at the response she received when
she paid extra attention to one student, rather than just disciplining
him. That student is now participating in class activities with
new interest. Another fifth-grade teacher, who was struggling with
disruptive students, asked her class to write daily journals about
their classroom behavior and responsibilities. She was stunned at
how much their conduct improved after they began this exercise,
concluding that the students finally began to take responsibility
for their own actions through this self-analysis. We are also showing
teachers that they can collaborate and share creative ideas and
new developments, bringing together colleagues that might not have
interacted otherwise.
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Q:
Catholic education is traditionally recognized as exemplary. What
will Catholic education—a model in itself—gain from
the introduction of the NCCSA’s system?
KM: Catholic educators typically have special qualities
on their own—compassion, kindness, and a true love for what
they do. They are paid less than public school teachers, so it’s
often reasons besides money that keep them in Catholic education.
The NCCSA takes the best strengths and practices of Catholic educators
and makes them intentional and consistent. We are also planning
to work with these schools to enhance their Catholic identity. The
Eight Conditions provide a meaningful framework to help all educators,
Catholic and non-Catholic, gain a deeper understanding of the Catholic
faith. Statistics show that 85% of Catholic school educators are
laity, a tremendous change in the past 40 years. This is a strong
indication that the faith formation of Catholic school educators
may be in jeopardy. We want to ensure that all educators appreciate
Catholicism, giving them a meaningful outlook to teach within the
Catholic faith. We are confident that this Catholic identity component
will be beneficial to all Catholic school systems.
Q: How do you tailor each of the Eight Conditions to such
a wide range of ages (grades 3-12?)
KM: Much of the tailoring is done by the teachers themselves.
During training, teachers learn about the Eight Conditions month
by month. They are placed into “situations” to experience
the conditions in an up-close and personal manner. Once they are
trained, they then use their knowledge to interpret the conditions
and bring their own version of the experience into their classrooms.
We help create a vision and aim to instill an “internal switch”
in teachers so that the Eight Conditions become automatic and begin
to flow into lesson plans. Through this, we have watched teachers
become as passionate about these elements as we are.
Q: How is this different from a similar educational initiative,
“character education?”
KM: We don’t see ourselves as ‘competing’
with character education, but we believe that our objectives are
deeper and more significant. Character education is valuable, but
it has a more narrow focus and might not be as long-lasting as our
program. With our teachings, students realize what they need to
accomplish their goals, and they develop the confidence to take
action to reach these dreams. This is something that they can take
with them throughout life.
Q: What are the NCCSA’s goals for the coming years?
What are the ultimate outcomes? How can these be measured?
KM: We at the NCCSA want to be the leading source of research
information for elementary and secondary Catholic schools. We want
to improve the experience of Catholic students nationwide; become
a “breath of fresh air” for schools looking for new
and exciting educational initiatives. Eventually, we would like
to be involved with schools in every state. The NCCSA aims to be
financially self-sufficient in the coming years, and also hopes
to make Assumption College more nationally known. We will be hosting
conferences on Assumption’s campus in the next few years for
students, teachers, and administrators involved with NCCSA programs.
Our outcomes can be measured by the number of “demonstration
sites”—schools that have chosen to participate in our
program. The more sites we have, the more opportunities we have
to gain a reputation for being a strong program. Specific outcomes
used to measure program success in schools include: comparison of
attendance and tardy records from before the programming and after;
re-administration of student surveys in the third year of school
reform; analysis of test scores on standardized tests from before
and after; and comparison of discipline records (detentions, suspensions,
and expulsions) given before and after our program.
For
more information about the NCCSA at Assumption College, please visit
the Center’s website: http://www.assumption.edu/nccsa.
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