Catholic schools in Chicago area

[Anonymous]

As you know if you are around here, Catholic schools are closing left and right.
My own kids school seems to have been surviving by poaching kids from nearby Catholic schools, many of which have subsequently closed. However we still have not met enrollment goals.
I was speaking to a board member and suggested that an untapped market was unhappy public school parents. That we should advertise our very strong English program with essay writing and reading full novels and minimal use of tech, pencil and paper math and so on. I think there is a huge demand for our kind of school.
She said that the archdiocese specifically does not allow our schools to advertise on the basis of academic strength!!! That we can only talk about faith based benefits.
Can anyone shed any light on this?

[Anonymous]

My DD just graduated from a Chicago Catholic school, I wouldn't say they are closing "left and right" but if they are seriously underenrolled they are closing them. However I live by two Catholic elementary schools with graduating classes of less than 20 students and don't think there are plans to close.

Ours talks about academic strengths on its website and in an annual public report where they compare standardized test scores from our school to the two closest CPS schools, CPS overall, the archdiocese overall and overall Illinois. So there is definitely space to talk about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD just graduated from a Chicago Catholic school, I wouldn't say they are closing "left and right" but if they are seriously underenrolled they are closing them. However I live by two Catholic elementary schools with graduating classes of less than 20 students and don't think there are plans to close.

Ours talks about academic strengths on its website and in an annual public report where they compare standardized test scores from our school to the two closest CPS schools, CPS overall, the archdiocese overall and overall Illinois. So there is definitely space to talk about this.

[Anonymous]

How does your catholic school compare scores when public uses two very different tests than catholic schools? Do they just talk about percentage of kids meeting or exceeding standards? Genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does your catholic school compare scores when public uses two very different tests than catholic schools? Do they just talk about percentage of kids meeting or exceeding standards? Genuinely curious.

They do it by above/at/one grade below/2 plus grades below grade level.

[Anonymous]

Which one or which area are you talking about OP? The ones I've looked at in the suburbs do very much advertise their low tech use and focus on the classics, writing curriculum, and they list the novels and works their use in different grades. I've looked at many which are under varied leadership and faith governance (Jesuit, OD, Diocean/parish, etc.) and they all advertise it. They also advertise college outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does your catholic school compare scores when public uses two very different tests than catholic schools? Do they just talk about percentage of kids meeting or exceeding standards? Genuinely curious.

Ours uses Blue Ribbon designation, which I think is 80% meeting standard? Our local public schools are hovering around 60-65%.