Legacy for Our Mission:

For Our Children and the Future

Project EXCEED Being Expanded and Replicated Throughout Archdiocese

In 2002, Project EXCEED (EXcellence in Catholic Expectations for EDucation) was launched as an

effort to help students in the Catholic schools of Marion County. The project was made possible by a substantial grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. that was matched by generous foundation, corporate and individual donors. Today, the program is so successful that its leaders are expanding and replicating key elements of it in each of the 69 schools in the archdiocese.

“We’re implementing those initiatives that have made the biggest difference in the 33 Catholic schools of Marion County,” said Ron Costello, superintendent of Catholic schools and director of the Project EXCEED program for the archdiocese. Project EXCEED is a comprehensive, measurable and sustainable school improvement initiative that gives children—regardless of ability levels, learning challenges, socio-economic circumstances, and religious or cultural backgrounds—access to the skills they need to succeed.

Project EXCEED will receive a portion of the Legacy for Our Mission campaign proceeds to continue and expand the important work of education for all 23,300 archdiocesan school students, some of whom face signifi cant social and economic obstacles.

The objectives of Project EXCEED focus on a new set of “Three R’s” for Catholic education: Recruit, retain, reward and develop the best teachers and administrators; Raise student performance with the best professional development available and report their progress; and Reach out to special groups, such as those with special learning needs or the growing Hispanic populations.

While the expansion will not offi cially begin until fall of 2007, some programs already have been introduced. “Early on, we expanded and replicated the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in some schools,” said G. Joseph Peters, associate executive director of Catholic

education for the archdiocese. “Performance-based compensation is one of the required components of this program, which incorporates accountability for improved student achievement growth.” Another element, already implemented in most archdiocesan schools, involves taking school accreditation to a higher level, from merely reporting on teaching programs to accounting for student achievement and documenting it, Costello said. Most of the schools—57—now have online data management systems linked to the archdiocese, he added. Some of the elements of Project EXCEED which will be introduced to a wider audience in coming months include REACH special needs programs and Hispanic outreach programs.

Project EXCEED has made a great difference at St. Barnabas School on the south side of Indianapolis. “Through the TAP program, we were able to look at student achievement and effective teaching methods, then see how the two are linked,” said Principal Debbie Perkins. “The TAP program has allowed teachers to assume different leadership roles and learn new teaching strategies during weekly collaborative meetings. They also have the opportunity to live up to higher expectations

and, as a result, receive merit-based payouts.” Last June, these payouts totaled $230,000 for eight TAP schools.

“It is crucially important to cement the gains already made through Project EXCEED and move them into schools throughout the archdiocese,” Peters said. “We are now poised to do that through the Legacy for Our Mission.”

Legacy for Our Mission, the archdiocesan capital campaign, is guided by the principles of Christian stewardship and addresses the needs of archdiocesan ministries such as Catholic education. By contributing to the Legacy for Our Mission campaign through your local parish, a portion of your gift will be allocated to expand and replicate Project EXCEED in Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese.

Please visit the new online home for the Legacy for Our Mission campaign. Our new campaign Web site is http://www.archindy.org/legacy.

What Has Been the Impact of Project EXCEED?The Project EXCEED track record is truly impressive:• ISTEP+ results continue to improve, demonstrating

positive gains in the number of students passing the test and overall student growth. More than 4,220 staff members have participated in 314 professional development activities since Project EXCEED began and this has resulted in a large cadre of internal experts able to share knowledge with other schools. Four schools received performance pay awards for 120 teachers in 2004-05 and eight schools for 214 teachers in 2005-06. The TAP model of master and mentor teachers has given many teachers a “career ladder” to climb without leaving teaching. More than 2,697 students with special needs are being served, which is a 20-percent increase since Project EXCEED began.

•

•

•

•

CAP 6 00eeCriterion11_17.indd 1CAP 6 00eeCriterion11_17.indd 1 11/9/06 11:28:31 AM11/9/06 11:28:31 AM