XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

Focus on Learning

WASC ACCREDITATION

Self-Study Report

Spring, 2012

Board of Members

Board of Directors

Treasurer Ms. Lily

Miguel

Director

Fr. Rich McAuliff, SJ

Chaplain

Fr. Marc Roselli, SJ

Resource

Management and

Development

Spiritual Formation Academic Growth

Curriculum & Instructions

Admissions

Administrative Services

Physical

Personal Formation

Community Engagement

Mental & Physical Health

Operations Officer Ms. Rufina

Defang

Campus Ministry

Team

Sacristans

Choir

Principal

Mr. Martin Carl

Registrar

Teaching Staff

Moderators

CLC Drama

Debate

Engineering Human Rights

Environmental

3 Towers

Yearbook

Information

Technology

Other Services

Librarian

Academic

Advisors

Tutoring WASC

School Nurse

Mrs. Joan Carl Dean of Students

Mr. Hilary Hosia

PE & Coaches

Basketball

Volleyball

Track & Field

SBA

Reps

Task Master

Girls Rep District

Officers

Class Officers

XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

2011-2012

College

Counselling

Student

Infirmarians

Campus Security

Supervisor

Mr. Aru Kaku

M&R Supervisor

Mr. Iowanes Sukion

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TABLE OF CONTENTS page

Organizational Chart …………………………………………..……………......... i

Key Abbreviations .................................................................................................... iii

Mission Statement of Xavier High School. …………………………………...........v

Philosophy of Xavier High School. …………………………………………...........vi

Xavier High School’s ESLRs...………………………………………………...... vii

Significant Developments since 2006………………………….……………....... ix

Preface .......................……………………………………………………............. xvii

Introduction............................................................................................................ 1

Chapter 1: Student/Community Profile and Supporting Data…..………....... 2

Chapter II: ESLRs and their Development……… ………………………….... 32

Chapter III: Progress Report……………………………………….. ……….... 37

Chapter IV: Self-Study Findings……………………………………………...... 86

Category A. Organization for Student Learning

A1. School Purpose Criterion ................................................................ 88

A2. Governance Criterion ..................................................................... 93

A3. School Leadership Criterion .......................................................... 98

A4. Staff Criterion ................................................................................ 102

A5. School Environment Criterion .................................................... 106

A6. Reporting Student Progress Criterion ....................................... 117

A7. School Improvement Process Criterion ..................................... 125

Category B: Curriculum and Instruction

B1. What Students Learn Criterion .................................................. 136

B2. How Students Learn Criterion ................................................... 144

B3. How Assessment is Used Criterion ............................................. 152

Category C: Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth

C1. Student Connectedness Criterion ............................................... 161

C2. Parent/Community Involvement Criterion .............................. 175

Category D: Resource Management and Development

D1. Resources Criterion .................................................................... 183

D2. Resource Planning Criterion ..................................................... 189

Chapter V. Xavier High School’s School-wide Action Plans…………………. 192

Appendices:

Appendix A: School Map.......................................................................... I

Appendix B: School Calendar.................................................................. II

Appendix C: Xavier High School’s Newly Amended and Restated.....

Articles of Incorporation................................................... III

Appendix D: Xavier High School’s Newly Amended and Restated

By-Laws ...............................................................................VIII

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Key Abbreviations:

DAP – Direct Assistance Project – a small grant assistance program of the Australian

government.

FSM – Federated States of Micronesia – the Pacific island nation comprising the four states of

CCSP – Christian Community Service Project -

Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap. Xavier is located in Chuk State.

CLC – Christian Life Community – one of the extra-curricular clubs/activities offered at Xavier.

CM: Campus Ministry

COM:FSM – College of Micronesia, FSM. During the T

FOX – Friends of Xavier – a community of alumni, parents of current students and alumni and

anyone who calls him/herself a ‘friend of Xavier High School’. Begun in Chuuk in 2008,

there are now FOX communities in Chuuk, Palau, Yap, Pohnpei, Marshall Islands,

Hawaii, Saipan, and Mainland USA. There will soon be one in Guam. FOX communities

are the official Xavier Alumni Association.

FSM – Federated States of Micronesia – One of the three Island Nations that make up

Micronesia. It is the island nation where Xavier High School is located.

Grad at Graduation – A JSEA document which describes the desirable qualities of a graduate of

a Jesuit School under the rubric of “Person for Others”, or as a “Vatican II person”, or

simply as a person who can live a mature Christian life at the beginning of the twenty

-first century. The five qualities are: I. Open to Growth, II. Intellectually Competent, III.

Religious, IV: Loving, V. Committed to Doing Justice. All of the characteristics

described are in dynamic interaction.

HAP – Higher Achievement Program

ICU – Intensive Care Unit – A summer school program run each summer since 2007,

specifically designed to help Chuukese students be able to attend Xavier High School. It

began when it was noticed that the number of Chuukese students passing the Xavier

Entrance Exam was severely declining. Since Chuuk is Xavier’s ‘home state’, Xavier

decided to try to increase the number of students from Chuuk

IPP – Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. Ignatian pedagogy is a model that seeks to develop men

and women of competence, conscience, and compassion. Faculty accompany students in

their intellectual, spiritual, and emotional development. They do this by following the

Ignatian pedagogical paradigm. Through the consideration of the context of students’

lives, faculty create an environment where students recollect their past experience and

assimilate information from newly provided experiences. Faculty help students learn the

skills and techniques of reflection, which shapes their consciousness, and they then

challenge students to action in service to others. The evaluation process includes

academic mastery as well as on-going assessments of students’ well-grounded growth as

persons for others.

ISC – Interscholastic Sports Council.

JICA – Japan International Cooperation Agency – The agency that handles and organizes

Japanese volunteers – like a Japanese ‘Peace Corps’.

JSA – Junior Statesman of America

JSEA – Jesuit Secondary Education Association – The association of Jesuit High Schools in the

United States.

Jesuit – A member of the Catholic religious order The Society of Jesus.

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JVI – Jesuit Volunteer Corp – An organization of Jesuit lay volunteers who dedicate two years of

their lives to doing Christian Service somewhere in the world. It is like Peace Corps with

a spiritual dimension.

RMI – Republic of the Marshall Islands

ROP – Republic of Palau

SBA – Student Body Association

SES – Sapuk Elementary School – Xavier’s neighborhood school.

SGS – Small Grant Scheme – A grant of the Australian Government.

S.I. Prep – St. Ignatius Prep High School in San Francisco, California

SIT – School Improvement Team. Unless otherwise noted, this refers to Sapuk Elementary

School, not Xavier.

SJ – Society of Jesus. A Catholic Religious Order.

SSR – Sustained Silent Reading – A course to enhance and encourage students to read

TT – Trust Territory – an abbreviated form of TTPI.

TTPI – Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic

of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau were part of the TTPI until they

became independent nations.

XHS – Xavier High School.

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Xavier High School Mission Statement

The mission of Xavier High School

is to educate students to be competent,

conscientious, and compassionate leaders whose lives are guided by the Christian call of

service.

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Philosophy of Xavier High School Micronesia

Founded in 1952, Xavier High School is a Catholic, Jesuit, four-year, co-ed secondary school serving primarily, but not

exclusively, the three island nations of Micronesia: the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the

Republic of the Marshall Islands.

As a Catholic Institution, Xavier is rooted in the teachings and person of Jesus Christ. Xavier affirms its commitment to

the educational mission of the Roman Catholic Church. This mission is to lead men and women to a deeper appreciation

of the presence of God in the world and to an awareness of the social responsibility which comes from this appreciation.

Xavier encourages dialogue between our Christian faith (indeed, between all faiths) and contemporary thought.

As a Jesuit school, Xavier inherits the 450 year-old tradition of Jesuit education begun in 1548. As such, we believe that

Xavier High School has a unique contribution to make to the young island nations it serves. Jesuit education is a system

based on the principles of discipline, order, the necessity of clear goals and objectives, the importance of self-direction,

and concern for the affective in learning. At the core of the Ignatian vision is Sat. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, which

affirm the ultimate goodness of the world as created, loved, and redeemed by God. From the founding of the first Jesuit

school at Messina, Italy, the Society of Jesus has focused the goal of education on developing the whole person. The

purpose of a Jesuit education, in contemporary language, is to develop leaders who are competent, conscientious, and

compassionate. This includes a religious dimension which is understood to mean that the student has a basic knowledge

of the major doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church and has also examined his or her own religious feelings and

beliefs. It also includes a justice dimension, recognizing that we belong to communities, both local and global, and

therefore we have a responsibility to work for the common good – both locally, and globally.

Inspired by the Ignatian vision, we believe that God is active in all creation and in all human history. Therefore, Xavier

High School’s educational program seeks to promote a dialogue between faith and culture. We encourage our students

to experience and come to know a variety of faiths, cultures and peoples, both inside and outside of Micronesia, using a

creatively critical eye to look at and examine the contributions and deficiencies of each in order to develop a genuine

appreciation of God’s presence and action within the entire human family.

The Xavier community seeks to produce young men and women of action and to instill in them the wisdom, which

discerns between freedom of individual rights and privileges and the obligation to the common good. It strives to create

an informed conscience and an informed intellect which can discern and speak with an opinion based on fact and

experience. Xavier is committed to develop men and women who will put their beliefs and attitudes into practice

throughout their entire lives, and respect the beliefs and cultures of others. As first articulated by Father Pedro Arrupe,

S.J., the former Jesuit Superior General, in a speech to alumni of Jesuit Schools in 1974, Xavier intends to educate “men

and women for others” who will take their place as leaders and agents of positive change in the local, national, and

international civic and ecclesial communities. The Xavier community expects these young men and women to apply

these lessons in ways that guide them as individuals, help them to contribute to the development of their communities,

and encourages them to provide the leadership necessary for their home islands to navigate the shoals of change that

challenge all Pacific nations. In St. Ignatius’ words, we expect our students to “Go forth, and set the world on fire.”

Finally, at its absolute core, Xavier High School will engage its students in asking – and answering the question –

“What does it mean to be human?” Pope Benedict XVI sums up well the goal and philosophy of Xavier High School

when he says: “What is the human being? This question is posed to every generation and to each human being, for in

contrast to the animals our life is not simply laid out for us in advance. What it means for us to be human beings is for

each and every one of us a task and an appeal to our freedom. We must each search into our human-being-ness afresh,

and decide who or what we want to be as humans. In our own lives each of us must answer, whether he or she wants to

or not, the question about being human.”1 As a Catholic and Jesit School, Xavier High School believes that the human

person is God’s project ultimately. And it is Xavier’s task to help our students answer the question “What does it mean

to be human?” in a new and creative way that God expects from each of us.

1 From the Book ‘In the Beginning...’ A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall. Pope Benedict

XVI. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, Michigan. p. 42.

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Expected School-wide Learning Results

Xavier High School Students, Upon Graduation, Will Be:

1. Competent A graduate of Xavier High School exhibits competency of a four-year college preparatory

curriculum and has developed intellectual skills that go beyond intellectual competency and

requirement for college entrance by integrating Gospel values and our Ignatian heritage. The

graduate has become aware of and begun to practice the basic skills facilitating leadership and

collaboration. By the time of their graduation,

Xavier students will:

learn to communicate effectively through comprehending, speaking, reading and writing

English;

begin to grow in an awareness of historical and current social issues both in Micronesia

and in the world and have begun to realize the implications of these issues on various

communities;

develop the ability to think logically and critically, to recognize patterns and to apply

mathematical concepts to everyday situations;

integrate Gospel values in the decisions and actions of their daily lives.

develop proficiency in conducting scientific investigations and in analyzing and

reporting results.

begin to understand the impact of technology on the future and gained skills to utilize

new resources.

have the opportunity to develop competence in co-curricular areas, including student

governance, athletics and creative arts.

become qualified applicants to be considered by competitive colleges and universities.

demonstrate an understanding of the Catholic Church’s teaching about Jesus and his

mission as well as the sacramental expressions of that mission.

2. Conscientious By the time of their graduation, Xavier students have begun to learn how to make moral judgments

informed by Christian doctrine and traditions and have developed confidence in their ability to

make the right decisions. The graduate has had opportunities to exercise leadership in the academic,

extra-curricular and campus ministry domains. By the time of their graduation

Xavier students will:

learn how to discern what is right, good and true; they take initiative to act on the results

of a discernment process.

learn to open themselves to new experiences and have gained confidence in their ability

to integrate these new discoveries into their own cultural backgrounds and value sets.

developed a realistic familiarity with and acceptance of themselves. They appreciate

their gifts and strive to develop their talents to the fullest, while also remaining

conscious of and trying to improve upon their weaknesses.

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experience the benefits of self-discipline in creating a sense of order and efficiency in

their lives and learned to be faithful in fulfilling responsibilities.

develop a sense of individual spirituality through prayer, retreats and participation in the

Sacraments.

display an understanding of the relationship between faith in Jesus and being a “person

for and with others,” which manifests itself in action based on the Church’s teaching on

social justice;.

begun to see the importance of their influence on public policy by critiquing laws

already in effect, by modeling the policy-making process in their student government

and, for older students, by voting.

3. Compassionate By the time of their graduation, Xavier students have learned to respond to others as Jesus did -

by placing their talents, skills and knowledge at the service of their family, local community, the

Church and their country. Xavier graduates walk with others of diverse cultural and ethnic

backgrounds, in friendship and in empathy, to empower them. These attitudes have been

informed by students’ experiences living in the Xavier community, learning in the classrooms,

community service projects on their home islands, and by working with and for the local Sapuk

and Chuuk communities. By the time they graduate

Xavier students will:

develop the habit of putting themselves in the place of others.

form friendships with those of different cultural backgrounds and contributed to

developing a spirit of Micronesian unity.

begin to understand some of the demands of community building at a local, national, and

global level.

been prepared to enter the broader community as influential leaders and agents of

positive social change.

Act as a person “for and with others” by serving people in need.

demonstrate a loving attitude by overcoming personal prejudices and stereotypes.

understand the connection between personal faith and the need for commitment to a just society,

and in that commitment, recognize the needs of the disadvantaged;

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SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS AT XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

SINCE 2006

May – 2008 New Xavier Chapel:

After many years of holding liturgies in the main chapel that was

deteriorating, and many more years of holding liturgies in a classroom in the

main building after it was no longer possible to use the main chapel, the

Madonna De La Strata Chapel was dedicated and opened the week before

graduation in May, 2008. The new chapel provides a very nice space for

worship and prayer, and sends a strong signal that Xavier’s education is

concerned with the growth of the whole human person.

June August, 2008 Renovation to the main building:

In 1938, the Japanese Government chose this location for a bombproof radio

and communications station and commissioned the Mabuchi Construction

Company to erect the building. (Since that time the people of Chuuk have

referred to the site as "Mabuchi"). They built a strong massive structure of

reinforced concrete. Heavy steel windows were added protection against

attack, which came in 1944 when U.S. Navy planes bombed and strafed the

building during Operation Hail Storm. This building is still central to the

school, housing the administration offices, the teachers’ offices, the faculty

and student dining rooms, the computer and media rooms, a gym and storage

and office space for the maintenance and repair department. In 2008, the

Mabuchi construction Company was looking to do a “humanitarian project”

in celebration of their 100th anniversary as a company. As one of the

Mabuchi engineers read an article about Xavier High School in a Japanese

newspaper, he noticed that our main building was one that they had

constructed before World War II. Mabuchi company sent 5 engineers to

Xavier in the spring of 2008, and agreed to plaster and paint the building, and

waterproof the roof.

During the months of June – August, 2008, engineers and workers from

Mabuchi company plastered, painted and waterproofed the roof of Xavier

High School, and taught our local maintenance department how to maintain

the building. The monetary contribution of Mabuchi’s humanitarian project is

estimated to be between $300,000US and $500,000US. (Mabuchi refuses to

release any specific details of costs, because they do not want competitors to

know how much they spend to do the work they do.)

June, 2008 Under new leadership:

Fr. Rich McAullif, S.J. took over as Director in the summer of 2008. His

predecessor, Fr. Arthur Leger, S.J. had served as Director for four years. Fr.

Rich had previously taught at Xavier when he was a scholastic from 1985-

1988. He had served as pastor of Assumption Parish and Schools in the

Marshall Islands up until June 2008. Fr. Rich was part of the WASC

accreditation processes at Assumption Elementary and High School while

serving as pastor there.

Ellen Derby took over as Principal in the summer of 2008. Her

predecessor, Anne Traynor, had been at the school for five years and was

Principal for three. Ms. Derby had served as a Jesuit Volunteer for the past

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two years at Xavier before becoming Principal. Martin Carl was hired as

Vice Principal at the beginning of SY 08-09. He had previously been Vice

Principal and Dean of Students at Midzenty High School in Palau for ten

years. The intention is for Mr. Carl took over as Principal beginning SY

2009-10. Hiring Mr. Carl, a native Micronesian, is part of the intentional,

long term vision of retaining qualified staff at Xavier High School.

September, 2008 FOX Communities:

In September, 2008, the Xavier director began working with the Chuuk

Alumni, in an effort to get them more involved in Xavier High School. An

important aspect of the first meeting was the recognition that the alumni

association should be broader than just alumni. The reasoning was that there

were many who started at Xavier but did not graduate, but who nonetheless

felt themselves to be connected to Xavier. Many other people – relatives and

friends of Xavier alumni felt a connection to Xavier, and should be included

under the Xavier umbrella. Within two months the Xavier Chuuk alumni

reconstituted themselves as FOX-C – Friends of Xavier – Chuuk. By the end

of SY 2008-09, there were 5 FOX communities up and running – in the

Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Palau. during SY 2009, these

communities donated $30,000 to Xavier High School. Today, there are 9

FOX communities up and running (some more actively than others). In

addition to the ones mentioned above there are now FOX communities in

Saipan, the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, and most recently in Guam.

January, 2009 New Student Center:

In, August, 2008, Fr. Rich McAuliff, asked two Xavier alumnae what

should be done with the old Callaghan Chapel that had not been used as a

chapel for many years and which was, at the time, just an empty shell with no

windows, and was being used, weather permitting, as an indoor volleyball

court. They responded that since there was no place on campus for students

to congregate and do student work together, we should convert it into a

student center. In January, 2009, Xavier High School received a Japanese

Grassroots Grant for $89,000 to convert the old Xavier Callaghan Chapel into

the Callaghan Student Center, with an assembly Hall with multiple computer

stations, bookstore, Student Body Association Office, and a tutoring center.

The tutoring center is utilized by Xavier students, as well as students from

Sapuk Elementary, with whom Xavier has developed a mentoring program.

August, 2009, Uniforms:

Since it opened in 1952, Xavier High School has never had an official

school uniform. When the new director arrived in June, 2008, he was

concerned that the lack of a school uniform was distracting the students from

student learning, as the students seemed more interested in “making style”

than in student learning. When the director shared this concern with the

Midterm Visiting Committee in April, 2009, the team asked if the director

would like them to say something about uniforms in their report? As a result,

one of the WASC recommendations from our Midterm Visiting team stated:

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“The Visiting Team (VT) noticed that (even) public school students are

in uniform, Xavier students are not. Why not? Uniforms—neat,

lightweight, attractive—appear to the VT to give meaning to ‘the unum’

in ut omnes unum sint. The students could design them.” Xavier

responded to this recommendation, and introduced school uniforms for the

School Year 2009-2010. Although originally reluctant, the students

acknowledge that being in uniform has helped them focus on student

learning.

April, 2010 Gates Millennium Scholarship Winners:

Out of a class of 29 graduating seniors, two members of the senior class of

2010 received Gates Millennium Scholarships. Apart from its significance for

the two students, it is significant for Xavier High School, in that the publicity

it generated has been a catalyst in promoting Xavier’s focus on student

learning.

August, 2010 Number of Jesuits at Xavier Double:

In June, 2010, The New York Province of the Society of Jesus assigned a

second Jesuit to Xavier High School, this in spite of the many needs for Jesuit

man-power in our Jesuit Schools in New York. This doubled the number of

Jesuits now assigned to Xavier. Fr. Marc Roselli, SJ, has joined the Xavier

faculty and staff as School chaplain and teacher of Latin and religion.

August, 2010 Xavier Website Updated: The Xavier website, which began in 2004, had

not been attended to or updated since 2006. In 2010, Fr. Rich McAuliff

invited Vidilino Raatior to come to Xavier and help restart the Xavier

Website in a more user friendly mode. Vidilino worked with a recent

alumnus of Xavier, and the new Xavier website has been up and running,

with frequent updates ever since.

November, 2010 School on the Hill:

Floyd Takeuchi, a writer-photographer who specializes in the Pacific Islands

spent a total of one month at Xavier High School, living on campus, to do

“School on the Hill: Micronesia’s Remarkable Xavier High School, a Photo

Essay Book describing life at Xavier High School. In addition to giving

Xavier High School exposure outside of Micronesia, Xavier has used it as a

tool for promoting student learning.

2006 - Present “WET” (Water, Electricity and Transportation):

These are three basic necessities, without which you can’t even begin to

think about student learning. In the U.S. all three of these would be taken for

granted. In Micronesia, and especially in Chuuk State, all three of these are

precious and hard to come by. In July, 2008 we had no water in our million

gallon water tank, we had 8 hours of island power per week, our own

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generator was failing and costing $17/hour to operate, and our buses and

pick-up trucks were failing due to the poor road conditions. At the time of

this writing, however, thanks to some significant grants and donations (that

will be explained more fully in other parts of our Self Study Report,

particularly our Progress Report (Ch. III), Self-Study Findings (Ch. IV)

D1. Resources) Xavier now has 700,000 gallons of water in our million

gallon tank, we have a new, efficient generator that costs less to run than

using Island Power, and we have four U.S. made Bluebird school buses, a 4-

wheel drive van for picking up female students in areas inaccessible to the

buses, and a large flatbed truck for delivering sufficient supplies of diesel

fuel and gasoline for our generator and vehicles.

2006 - Present Increased Funding:

Another necessity before student learning can take place is adequate

resources for delivering the materials needed for our students growth – with

all that this entails at a boarding school. It is significant to note that, although

Xavier continues to struggle financially, Xavier has made great gains in

finding additional funding to care for our students and needs, and this in spite

of a worldwide economic crisis since 2008. The annual budget has increased

from $385,050 in SY 2008-09 to $515,838 in SY 2011-12, and increase of

34%. At the same time donations from Foundations, Grants, and Benefactors

have risen from $179,468 between SY 2000-01 – SY 2005-06, to $574,692

between SY 2006-07 – SY 2011-12. (See graph below.) This will be

explained in more detail in Chapter III: Progress Report, and Chapter IV:

Self-Study Findings, D1. Resources.

-

50,000.00

100,000.00

150,000.00

200,000.00

250,000.00

300,000.00

350,000.00

400,000.00

450,000.00

Foundations &Grants Benefactors

2001-2006

xiii

2006 - Present Computer literacy:

Computer literacy has increased significantly over the past six years.

Teachers have made it a point to integrate technology into their classes. More

computers have been added in the Student Computer Lab. The freshmen take

a Computer Skills class during their first semester. Teachers and students

have also used Claroline software to store their assignments. There are now

computers in the student center, and 5 computers dedicated to the college

counseling center, allowing seniors to apply to colleges, work on Gates

Millennium Scholarships, apply for scholarships and fill out FAFSA

applications., Given the slow Internet connection (the whole school shares a

single T-1 line) and erratic government power, the school has made significant

improvements.

2008 - Present College Counseling:

Xavier’s 2005-06 Self-study report read, in part: “Because most students

have little experience completing standardized tests, junior and senior

students participate in test preparation classes. Some junior students take the

ACT examination in the spring semester. Most seniors sit for the SAT

Reasoning Test and TOEFL in January. Most students also take the College of

Micronesia Entrance Exam in March of their senior year.” Since at least

2008, there has been a very strong emphasis on preparing our students for

college. Our college counselors have doubled from 1 to 2, for an average

Senior class size of 33 students. Beginning in SY 2011-12, Xavier has added

a college counseling class for juniors that meets once a cycle.

The college counselors have worked aggressively to secure fee-waivers for

the SAT, ACT, and PSAT, and have secured half-fee waivers for the TOEFL

exam. Today, all Xavier students take the pre-PSAT exam in September of

their junior year, the PSAT in October of their Junior year, the ACT in

February of their Junior Year, the SAT in May of their Junior year, and the

SAT and the TOEFL exam in November of their Senior year.

In addition, all of our Seniors take the COM-FSM entrance exam, and all

of our seniors apply to Chaminade University in Honolulu. All seniors have an

opportunity to apply to St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. These

two universities, along with the University of San Francisco, Loyola

University in Baltimore, and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles

have agreed to waive the admissions fee for any Xavier student applying to

their universities. Our college counselors have also secured application

waivers so that in addition to the 5 aforementioned Universities, our Seniors

can apply to four additional colleges or universities of their choice.

In addition to our new emphasis on college counseling, Xavier has

consciously focused on the Gates Millennium Scholarship with our student

population. At the freshman orientation at the beginning of SY 2011-12, the

first question the director asked the freshmen during his opening remarks was,

“Where do you want to go to college?” He used this as an opening for them to

focus on student learning early, and not to wait till senior year to begin

thinking of college. Since it began in the year 2,000, six Xavier Seniors have

been recipients of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, This SY 2011-2012year,

9 of our seniors are applying.

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2008 – Present St. Ignatius Riverview Cultural Immersion:

For the past four years, Xavier High School has developed a deepening

relationship with another Jesuit High School, St. Ignatius High School in

Sydney, Australia. Beginning in October, 2008, St. Ignatius has sent a group

of ten students and two faculty to Micronesia for a “cultural immersion”. Four

of those days each year are spent at Xavier High School, where St. Ignatius

students are teamed up with one to one partners from Xavier’s Junior class.

The St. Ignatius students go to classes, sleep in the dorm, eat in the student

cafeteria, do afternoon fitness and work with the students. While at one level

there are many differences in culture and lifestyles (St. Ignatius tuition and

room and board for one year is $34,000 – Xavier’s tuition and room and board

for one year is $1,300), students come to realize that in another sense, they

speak the same language – the language of St. Ignatius. Xavier students, who

are quite isolated in Micronesia, realize that they are part of a very large

network of Jesuit schools throughout the world – all speaking about being men

and women for others, about being competent, conscientious, and

compassionate leaders, about the ‘magis’. In addition, St. Ignatius faculty

members who accompany the students, take time to visit Xavier classes and

do faculty development and teaching strategy workshops while they are at

Xavier – affording Xavier a resource we could not otherwise afford.

2008 – Present Outreach to the local Sapuk Community:

Finally, Xavier’s outreach to its local Sapuk community – the

municipality composing four villages, in which Xavier is located, rises to the

level of “Significant” developments since our last accreditation. Although

there has always been a relationship between Xavier and the Sapuk

community, it hasn’t always been a positive relationship. Oftentimes, the local

community viewed Xavier as a “foreign entity” located in their midst, and

didn’t have much to do with Xavier. Xavier often became the victim of

vandalism and theft by local teenagers who were either drunk, or were looking

for money so they could get drunk.

In August, 2008, When the new director, Fr. Rich noticed that Sapuk

Elementary School seemed more like an abandoned school than an actual

functioning public elementary school, and then asked students why they

weren’t going to school, the answer was, “Why bother walking a mile to

school when the teachers don’t show up.” As a result of that conversation, and

using its Mission Statement as rationale, Xavier challenged the local Sapuk

community to do something to get their teachers to show up for school, and to

improve their school. As an incentive to show that Xavier would support the

effort, Xavier offered up to 5 scholarships a year to students from Sapuk

Elementary School who could pass the Xavier Entrance Exam (In the 57 years

of Xavier’s existence at that time, not a single student from Sapuk Elementary

School had ever passed the Xavier Entrance Exam). Xavier also resurrected

during SY 2008-09, the Xavier Christian Life Community, an extra-curricular

activity that had been active in the 1980s and 90s, which had not been

functioning for several years, and asked the CLC members to go down to

Sapuk Elementary School each day during Xavier’s morning study period, and

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tutor Sapuk Elementary School students. Students began coming back to

school knowing that there would be Xavier students there to teach them during

their 1st period.

During SY 2008-09, the Chuuk State Department of Education announced

that no school in Chuuk State would be allowed open in SY 2009-10, without

functioning bathroom facilities. (Because Xavier had a good reputation with

the government of Australia, and a reputation for fiscal responsibility that

Sapuk Elementary School didn’t have), Xavier worked with the government of

Australia and obtained an SGS (Small Grant Scheme) grant to build flush

toilet bathrooms for Sapuk Elementary School. The grant was fiscally

managed by Xavier High School, and upon completion, Sapuk Elementary

School became the 1st public elementary school in Chuuk State to have flush

toilets in their bathrooms.

An even closer relationship with Sapuk Elementary School began during

SY 2009-10, when Xavier offered one of its Australian volunteers to SES as a

full-time teacher. For over 10 years graduates of St. Aloysius Jesuit High

School in Sydney, Australia, have done a GAP year at Xavier. (a GAP year is

a year of voluntary service after graduation from high school and before

beginning university studies. Since these GAP students only have a high

school diploma, they are restricted in what they can do at Xavier, for example

correct Xavier entrance exams, tutor at risk Xavier students, coach sports

teams, and monitor study hall. Teaching at Sapuk Elementary School still

allows them time for these activities, but allows them to be of great benefit to

SES at the same time. Tom Randall, the 1st Australian volunteer began

offering instruction for the students after lunch, and the parents supported it

very well, packing lunches for their children, or sending them back to school

after lunch.

Because it worked so well, in SY 2010-11, with the blessing of SES

administrators and parents, and the Chuuk State Department of Education,

Xavier added its 2nd Australian GAP year volunteer as a full-time faculty

member at SES. Because of their example, other teachers also began to hold

afternoon classes at SES. In addition to teaching 7th and 8th grade, Mr. James

Ross and Mr. Tom Muller invited SES students up to Xavier, first to use our

sports facilities – our basketball court and baseball field (this was during hours

of classroom instruction for Xavier students, so it did not impact negatively on

Xavier. Then James and Tom began “Saturday School”, in the Student Center

Xavier. This time was used for math and English tutoring. At the end of the

tutoring sessions, they would take the students to the Xavier computer lab, and

teach them the beginnings of how to use the computer.

We believe that the outreach to Sapuk Elementary School rises to the level

of “Significant changes” at Xavier for 3 reasons: 1) It has been said that since

Sapuk Elementary School opened (at least as far back as anyone can

remember), SES has been ranked last – 44th out of 44 public elementary

schools in Chuuk State. For SY 2010-11, Sapkuk elementary School rose to

number 15, and for SY 2011-12, the first student from SES has been accepted

to Xavier High School. The change in attitude toward their school in Sapuk

has changed so dramatically that at a PTA meeting in November, 2011, 90

parents showed up for the meeting. SES now has a “School Improvement

Team”, of which the director of Xavier is a member. 2) As a result of Xavier’s

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commitment to helping SES, Xavier has never had a better relationship with

the local community than it does now. This is evident in the decline of

“negative incidents” such as stealing, drunks coming on campus, or threats to

our students who are off-campus. Indeed, it is not unusual to hear people in

the community proclaim “Xavier is part of Sapuk. Xavier is part of Sapuk

now.” And from time to time, a local landowner will bring local food up to

Xavier as a gift - a sign of thanks for our outreach. 3) Xavier’s outreach to

SES has been a great witness to our own students, of living out our

Philosophy, Mission and ESLRs, and the changes and progress at SES have

helped students understand that their being educated to be competent,

conscientious and compassionate leaders whose lives are guided by the

Christian call to service can and do have real, concrete, positive consequences

for a community.

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Preface

The following is an article on sailing and navigation that appeared in the Wall Street

Journal:

….Fascinated by tales of Polynesians who voyaged thousands of miles without benefit

of compass, charts or instruments, Mr. Thomas determined

to learn their art. He traveled to the Caroline Island of Satawal to apprentice himself

to a palu, or master navigator, one Piailug.

There, Piailug taught him paafu, the compass based on the rising and setting of

stars. Mr. Thomas learned to “read” the current in ripples raised by even the smallest

zephyr. He memorized the time and place in a voyage for sighting the birds that fly out

from islands. He learned about epar, birds and fish placed by the gods at fixed

positions in the ocean to guide navigators ‘only when we are lost.’

Anthropologists believe Piailug’s ancestors had this all worked out well before

Erasosthenes.

In Micronesia, the chiefs inherit their power. The palu, like Piailug, attains the

wealth and respect that come with his calling by years of hard study. On land, the

chiefs rule. But in a canoe, the palu commands. “The knowledge of navigation”, Piailug

told Mr. Thomas, “brings fierceness, strength and wisdom….a palu is a man.”

Withal, Piailug bore a sorrow. Western technology was coming to his islands.

The young no longer learned navigation. They left for high school on Ulithi. They

returned rowdy, rootless, un-socialized, disinclined to work or heed their elders.

Piailug feared he was ‘the last navigator’. His skill would be lost. The culture that had

passed it between generations for millennia would die, too.2

We include this article in the Preface of our Self-Study Report, because it says what is felt (but

often unable to be articulated) by many here in Micronesia, that Western technology and Western

formal education are hurting, some would say destroying, traditional Micronesian culture. People

have mixed ideas about education in Micronesia. On the one hand, almost all Micronesians want

their children to learn English and Math, and to get a diploma. At the same time, it’s not uncommon

to hear adults complain that their children are becoming “Micro-Americans”, white minds wrapped

in brown skins. Many adults seem to want their children to get an education, but not to change.

They want their children to know the skills necessary for getting a job in an economy where jobs

are scarce, yet at the same time parents want the school to take on the role of teaching society’s

traditional values and customs, because nobody else, it seems, is doing it.3

Yet, western education is by its nature, western. Things that are accepted as basic to education in a

western sense, for example punctuality, is still a foreign idea in Micronesia, where 8:55am is still

thought of as “eight o’clock”. One Xavier student from the outer islands of Yap complained to me

one day, “Do you know what I don’t like about Xavier – Schedules. I like ‘To Do’ lists, but I don’t

like schedules”. When I asked him to explain, he remarked, “On my island we have “To Do lists”.

2 Wall Street Journal. Thursday, December 15, 1988. pg. A16.

3 Cf. Hezel, Francis

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The chief might tell us, ‘Today, we have three tasks, fishing, thatching the roof to the men’s house,

and cutting coconut toddy’, but he doesn’t say, we fish at 8:00am, we thatch at 1:00pm, and we cut

toddy at 4:00pm.’ We just have three things to do on our ‘To Do’ list for that day. Schedules are too

time conscious.”

A Western approach to education not only affects “To do” lists, it affects other traditional customs

as well, such as funerals, which require that students (and local faculty and staff) take time off from

school, at times up to one or two weeks, depending on the island they come from. The traditional

value of not standing out, and not looking as if you are above others, makes it very difficult for

students to raise their hand and answer questions, and to speak in English, because these actions

make it seem like a student is “showing off”. These kinds of traditional values can make it very

difficult for teachers in the classroom. In a culture where ‘initiative’ is breaking the custom of

respectfully waiting until the chief asks you to do something, it is a real challenge to promote it as

an important part of education and the formation of the whole human person.

Even Xavier’s mascot/nickname “Navigators” reflects the tension between western and traditional

values. The idea of the navigator (like Pialug mentioned above) as someone steeped in wisdom and

skills, willing to navigate out of the safe waters of the lagoon to explore distant lands across the vast

expanse of unknown oceans, is an appealing image of what Xavier is trying to instill in its students.

On the other hand, in traditional Micronesian society, knowledge is power, and is carefully guarded.

A traditional master navigator in Micronesia, like Pialug, would never share his knowledge with

everyone. Instead, he would carefully pick and choose his own ‘disciples’ to whom he would impart

his knowledge, not share it with everyone, as is done everywhere in western educational systems.

Finding the balance between running a first-class school based on western ideas and values, while at

the same time trying to promote and be respectful of traditional Micronesian culture and values is a

tension and a challenge that we face at Xavier High School. Because it’s a challenge that much of

the time lies below the surface, it’s not always something that our foreign volunteer faculty are

aware of, and is not something that one can easily point to, so it does not fit clearly into any

particular part of our self-study report. But trying to find the balance and respecting both

Micronesian customs and traditions and providing the skills necessary to succeed in a “western”

high school, certainly affects who we are, and what we do, and how we do it, at Xavier High

School. So we state it here in the Preface, so that as you read this report, you can be aware of this

tension, and keep it in mind.

Process This is Xavier High School’s 4th accreditation, and its third accreditation under the Focus on

Learning standards. Because of the small student population and faculty and staff at Xavier, the

distances from which our students come, and remoteness of Xavier not only in the Pacific but even

on the island of Weno itself, the self-study process at Xavier always has to be adapted to our

specific context. In addition further adaptions had to be made for the current self-study

accreditation, as the Director of Xavier, Fr. Rich McAuliff, SJ, who is the only one at Xavier who

has had accreditation experience, was on sabbatical for all of SY 2010-2011. Fr. Rich did leave

some suggestions for things to do in preparation for accreditation which could be done in his

absence. So, in spite of the drawbacks, preparation for the current accreditation did take place

during SY 2010-2011.

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October, 2009 – May, 2011:

The Board of directors of Xavier High School review of the Articles of Incorporation and

Board By-Law Review, approving the Newly Amended and Restated Articles of

Incorporation and the Newly Amended and Restated Xavier By-Laws by email vote in May,

2011.

August – December, 2010:

The principal introduced the WASC FOL accreditation process to different stakeholders

faculty, students, parents, and sponsor families;

February, 2011:

XHS administrators began a more focused introduction to the WASC FOL Self-study

process. Faculty were given the Xavier Mission Statement and ESLRs for review and

comment.

Faculty were given the Xavier Mid-Term Report and the recommendation given by Dr. John

Collins and Ms. Tanya King, to familiarize themselves with the findings.

SBA members were tasked to review the Mission Statement and ESLRs, with small working

groups assigned to evaluate whether the Mission Statement and ESLRs are aligned.

March, 2011:

Small working groups were again tasked to read and reflect again on the Mission Statement

and ESLRs, to notice if significant changes to either the ESLRs or Mission Statement

needed to be made.

All Faculty members asked to know and understand the Mission Statement of Xavier High

School.

SBA small working groups report on their reflections of the Mission Statement and ESLRs.

April, 2011:

SBA announced at morning assembly that all student must know and understand the Xavier

Mission Statement.

SBA tasked the Island District Representatives to require their district members to know

and understand the Mission Statement.

SBA officers begin to ask Faculty members and students to recite the Mission Statement at

morning assemblies.

Faculty members are introduced to the Xavier intrusion plan.

March – May, 2011:

Students and faculty members recite the Mission Statement at morning assemblies.

Faculty are asked to collect student work (projects, journals, reflections, art work, essays,

debate topics, etc. for data compilation and evidence of student learning.

January – June, 2011:

The director, while on sabbatical uses time for developing a new Philosophy of Xavier High

School, based on our Mission Statement, ESLRs, the Grad at Graduation, a review of the

philosophies of other California Jesuit High Schools, and the IPP. In June, after offering the

Philosophy to various stakeholders for their review and input, Fr. Rich presented the

xx

Philosophy of Xavier High School to the Board of Members for their review and approval at

their September, 2011 meeting in Guam.

Fr. Rich Reviewed the ESLRs using as a guide, the Grad at Graduation, a document of the

Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA), which describes the desirable qualities of a

graduate of a Jesuit School - I. Open to Growth, II. Intellectually Competent, III. Religious,

IV: Loving, and V. Committed to Doing Justice. Apart from a few changes in bullet points,

Fr. Rich came to the same conclusion as other stakeholders at Xavier, that the current

ESLRs are still very relevant at Xavier. Fr. Rich introduced the ESLRs with their minor

changes at the Faculty Development days in August.

August, 2011:

At Faculty staff Orientation, Fr. Rich gave a 3 day workshop on the FOL Process and the

WASC Self-Study, establishing the leadership team, going over timelines, explaining the

various chapters and how they fit together, ending with an Action plan based on the areas for

growth that emerged from our self-study findings, and explaining the “whys” of

accreditation, since most of our faculty are new volunteer teachers.

September, 2011:

The senior class is brought much more deeply into the WASC self-study. Small groups of

faculty and seniors work in “home groups” to look once more at the ESLRs in light of the

Mission Statement and newly adopted Philosophy of Xavier High School to reflect on how

well aligned the ESLRs are with the Mission Statement and Philosophy, and to reflect on

whether and how they have grown from freshman year to senior year in the various areas of

Competence, Conscientiousness, and Compassion.

September – October, 2011:

Faculty and seniors formed new Home Groups to work on the various criteria of Chapter 4:

Self-Study findings.

September – December, 2011:

Mr. Carl, Mr. Jay, and Ms. Anne Traynor develop Chapter I: Community Profile and

Supporting Data.

October, 2011:

Chapter II: ESLRs are submitted to the Xavier Board for approval at their December,

2011meeting.

October -November, 2011:

Mr. Carl and Fr. Rich complete rough draft of Chapter III: Progress Report.

September, 2011 – January, 2012:

Chapter IV: Self-Study Findings rough draft is compiled and completed.

January, 2012:

Chapter II: Progress Report final copy is completed.

Chapter IV: Self-Study Findings final copy is completed.

Chapter V: School-wide Action Plan is completed.

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In all of this effort, we the stakeholders and participants of this self-study process have been

both encouraged and challenged. We’ve come to realize in a deeper way the many good things we

are doing to make Xavier High School an institution that all, Administration, faculty, staff, students,

parents, alumni, Chuuk State, and the wider communities of the FSM, The Republic of the Marshall

Islands, and the Republic of Palau are proud of. At the same time, we’ve become more deeply

aware of the areas where we need to be more committed in order to more fully realize the

achievement of our challenging ESLRs at Xavier High School. Ultimately, however, we are both

proud, and grateful of the stakeholders who, not only during the self-study process, but on a regular

basis throughout the school year, have dedicated themselves to overcoming the many obstacles,

both culturally and in the way of limited resources, to insure that our students have the opportunity

to learn. We can say, in all honesty, that at Xavier High School, we do the best we can with the

limited resources we have to work with. Perhaps one person’s observation of Xavier is most

appropriate, when she said: “Xavier is an oasis of hope in the midst of a desert of desolation.”

The people that worked together in groups to address different areas of the self-study are as

follows:

Chapter 1: Student/Community Profile & Supporting Data

Mr. Carl, Mr. Jay Hinner, Ms. Anne Traynor

Chapter 2: Expected School-wide Learning Results

Fr. Rich McAuliff, Xavier community, Leadership Team, Faculty/Senior Home

groups, Xavier Board,

.

Chapter 3: Progress Report:

Fr. Rich McAuliff, SJ and Mr. Martin Carl.

Chapter 4: Self-Study Findings:

A1 –School Purpose: Self-Study Findings home group #1:

Mr. Carl, Frater Okta, Mr. James Ross, Mr. Aaron Mekkar, Melissa Mulalap, Hide

Mori, Kerina Eria, Jean malolo Jon-Tyrone Celestine, Fabrice Nimea, Joyful Noket,

David Lelet.

A2 –Governance: Fr. Rich McAuliff, SJ

A3 – School Leadership: Self-Study Findings home group #1: Organization for

Student Learning: Mr. Carl, Frater Okta, Mr. James Ross, Mr. Aaron Mekkar,

Melissa Mulalap, Hide Mori, Kerina Eria, Jean malolo Jon-Tyrone Celestine, Fabrice

Nimea, Joyful Noket, David Lelet.

A4 –Staff: Self-Study Findings home group #1: Organization for Student

Learning: Mr. Carl, Frater Okta, Mr. James Ross, Mr. Aaron Mekkar, Melissa

Mulalap, Hide Mori, Kerina Eria, Jean malolo Jon-Tyrone Celestine, Fabrice Nimea,

Joyful Noket, David Lelet.

xxii

.

A5 – School Environment: Self-Study Findings home group #2: Organization

for Student Learning: Fr. Marc Roselli, SJ, Mr. Jeff Pouzar, Mrs. Joan Carl,

Eleanor Titiml, Tyrone Rodrigues, Sanchez Hallers, Skylynn Ifelbuuch, V-Ann

Nakamura, Andy Sakaio, Lyra Narruhn, Anfernee Malarme.

A6 – Reporting Student Progress: Self-Study Findings home group #2:

Organization for Student Learning: Fr. Marc Roselli, SJ, Mr. Jeff Pouzar, Mrs.

Joan Carl, Eleanor Titiml, Tyrone Rodrigues, Sanchez Hallers, Skylynn Ifelbuuch,

V-Ann Nakamura, Andy Sakaio, Lyra Narruhn, Anfernee Malarme.

A7 – School Improvement Progress: Self-Study Findings home group #2:

Organization for Student Learning: Fr. Marc Roselli, SJ, Mr. Jeff Pouzar, Mrs.

Joan Carl, Eleanor Titiml, Tyrone Rodrigues, Sanchez Hallers, Skylynn Ifelbuuch,

V-Ann Nakamura, Andy Sakaio, Lyra Narruhn, Anfernee Malarme.

B1 – What Students Learn: Self-Study Group #3: Curriculum, Instruction, and

Assessment: Sir Rey Dahilan, Mr. Jay Hinner, Ms. Dela Paz, Take Sensei, Ms. Anne

Traynor, Mr. Martin Carl.. .

B2 – How Students Learn: Self-Study Group #3: Curriculum, Instruction, and

Assessment: Sir Rey Dahilan, Mr. Jay Hinner, Ms. Dela Paz, Ms. Anne Traynor,

Mr. Martin Carl.

B3 – How Assessment is Used: Self-Study Group #3: Curriculum, Instruction,

and Assessment: Sir Rey Dahilan, Mr. Jay Hinner, Ms. Dela Paz, Ms. Anne

Traynor, Mr. Martin Carl.

C1 – Student Connectedness: Self-Study Findings Home Group #4 - Support for

Student Personal and Academic Growth: Dean Hosia, Ms. Emily Ferron, Mr. Bo

Chamberlain, Ms. Yumiko Lomongo, Erika Diones, Lerina Nena, Jasmine Lambert,

Alex Capelle, DJ Malon, Aikman Beouch, Jocelyn Panuel, Laura Korwan.

C2 – Parent/Community Involvement: Self-Study Findings Home Group #4 -

Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth: Dean Hosia, Ms. Emily

Ferron, Mr. Bo Chamberlain, Ms. Yumiko Lomongo, Erika Diones, Lerina Nena,

Jasmine Lambert, Alex Capelle, DJ Malon, Aikman Beouch, Jocelyn Panuel, Laura

Korwan.

D1 – Resources: Self-Study Findings Home Group #5 – Resource Management

and Development: Ms. Lily Miguel, Mr. Tom , Mr. Gabe Rossi, Martin Moore,

Pearl Asugar, Lyma Nero,

Judina Korok, Beverly Ilemangilis, Malcom Tom, Brandon Taiwermal, Naiomy

Lohn, Redeemer Sappa.

xxiii

D2 –Resources Planning: – Resource Management and Development: Fr. Rich

McAuliff, SJ

Chapter V: School-wide Action Plan: Leadership Team

In addition, both parent and alumni groups were brought into the process through website

interaction, letters, and meetings with Fr. Rich during his visits to the different districts.