"The entire effort of the Catholic teacher is oriented toward an integral formation of each student."

      ~ Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982, #28

Evaluation

Formal and informal student evaluation is a central aspect of the school setting. At St. Thomas More School, we understand that our mission is to impart knowledge and teach skills that will support students as they move toward self-actualization. To measure the effectiveness of our efforts, we continually evaluate and access the role of the teachers and administration, and test the validity of our curriculum. Measures of formal student evaluation include testing, reporting, projects, and presentations. These measures are quantitative and reported in regular intervals to the parents and students. In addition standardized tests are given each year with reports presented to parents and the Diocesan schools’ office. Permanent records of student progress and test scores are kept in the school office.

Faculty evaluations are completed by the principal through observation followed by a written report. These reports are compiled at year end and included in the faculty member’s professional file. The principal is evaluated by the Diocesan schools office and by the pastor of St. Thomas More School. Principal evaluations are kept in the schools office and in the principal’s professional file.

Since 1996, textbooks and curriculum are evaluated on a four-year rotation cycle of: review, evaluation, decision and pilot. The rotation is staggered so that textbooks and curricular areas are examined and up-dated every four years. St. Thomas More School also adheres to the curriculum guidelines established by the State of Pennsylvania. Formal teacher in-service meetings are held monthly and informal” lunch” department meetings are held weekly. The issues that arise at these meeting are reviewed with the administration with feedback returned to the staff. Standardized test scores are reviewed each year with an eye to identifying program strengths and weaknesses. The Catholic formative area of our curriculum is evaluated and structured using the Visions and Values in the Catholic Schools program as presented by the National Catholic Education Association. In addition, students in grades 5 and 8 take and annual formal and standardized religion test, ACRE.

Our school Advisory Board is also an on-going part of our evaluation process. Through this Board, parents and parishioners are encouraged to provide feedback and input to the approval of our annual fiscal budget and the general school program.