2008 Honor Roll Scoring Method
All Catholic high schools in the United States were invited to apply for inclusion in the Honor Roll. In the spring of 2008, nearly 300 schools responded by completing three surveys that measure excellence in the areas of academics, civic education, and Catholic identity. Schools incurred no cost in applying online.
Surveys were developed through a comprehensive process of internal and external consultation, which included the input of a nationally recognized survey expert and the Honor Roll's advisory board, which consists of prominent Catholic college presidents and other Catholic scholars.
Points are awarded for survey answers that indicate commitment to or achievement in each of the areas of focus. Honor Roll research staff compile the survey data and use a scoring algorithm to calculate a school's score for each survey. Each question was graded without reference to a school's name or other responses. In addition, information collected in the free answer sections of the surveys is examined to verify consistency with the data collected in other parts of the surveys.
The overall score is computed by averaging the scores from each of the three sections. Each criterion is weighted equally, meaning that placement on the Honor Roll requires excellence in each area.
Specific notes
Survey 1 (Principal/Headmaster/Administrator)
Standardized test scores provide the dominant input of the academic component, where test scores are weighted according to the percentage of students taking the test. PSAT, SAT, and ACT scores are each measured and a multiplier, derived from national average scores, equalizes ACT and SAT with PSAT scores.
The academic score also considers the amount of course work offered, the graduation rates of recent classes, the continuing education requirement of teachers, the number of AP tests students take, and the percentage of AP test takers who achieved competency scores (3 or higher). For schools that do not offer AP, college credit courses and other similar programs are examined.
Academic scores are modified according to a function that takes into account schools' socio-economic status, based on tuition rates, tuition assistance rates, and selectivity. This means that schools serving a more challenging population are not at an academic disadvantage to other schools.
The second block of questions on this survey is used in the Catholic Identity portion of the scoring. These questions gain statistical information that is more readily available to administrators.
Survey 2 (Theology/Religion Chair)
The Catholic identity component was developed using magisterial sources such as papal encyclicals and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Also considered was Church teaching on Catholic education, including Gravissimum Educationis, To Teach as Jesus Did, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, and documents published by the Congregation for Catholic Education. These sources offer guidance regarding the calling, mission, and purpose of Catholic education and for integrating the Catholic faith into the culture and curriculum of Catholic schools.
Emphasis is especially given to the use of texts that are in accordance with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This consists of those textbooks that appear on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) list of texts in conformity with the Catechism. It also takes account of original source books such as the Summa Theologica, papal encyclicals, Sacred Scripture and the Catechism itself.
The Catholic identity component has a heavy focus on culture and the formation of students in the Catholic faith. This takes into account things like the frequency and presence of the sacraments in a school, as well as additional opportunities for students to grow in their faith. Whether classes begin in or include prayer, as well as the school's promotion of religious vocations is also investigated. The presence of extracurricular student groups involving the faith is studied, as are the requirement and the nature of faith formation opportunities such as retreats. The percentages of Catholic students and faculty are measured, as is the presence of priest(s), religious, and campus ministers. The use of magisterial texts in theology classes and ongoing theology training given to faculty are also considered.
New this year is a consideration of how non-Catholic faculty members are expected to maintain the Catholic identity of the school. The Catholic identity section also examines the offering and requirement of a social outreach, service-hour or works of mercy component for students.
Agree/Disagree questions occupy 25% of the Catholic Identity section. Wording for this section was taken directly from authoritative ecclesial documents (papal encyclicals, Catechism of the Catholic Church). In those cases, agreement with the statement (or disagreement with its contrary) is taken to indicate commitment to the Church's clear and consistent teaching on the subject.
Cross-departmental instruction is also investigated. This examines the appropriate treatment of civics in the Catholic identity of a school, as well as the presence of Theology and Catholic social teaching in non-religion classes.
Survey 3 (Social Studies/Economics Chair)
The civic education component looks at the comprehensive nature in which a school prepares students for vocations in the world. In a Catholic school, sound civic education depends on a proper understanding of the moral, cultural, economic, legal, and theological underpinnings of a social order that reflects the full truth about the human person as revealed in Jesus Christ.
In a Catholic school, Catholicism should not just be present in religion classes, but should permeate all that a school does. Thus formation of the person's civic responsibilities requires preparing students for fruitful vocations in the civic realm, such as business and politics, as well as the capacity to think clearly about social problems, especially when fulfilling one's responsibilities as a citizen.
Civic education is examined because it is of great importance for faithful Catholics to be involved in every facet of the world. This is both to provide examples of holiness and to bring the truth taught by the Catholic Church to bear on one's area of civic, moral, scientific and social expertise.
Points are awarded for offering and requiring civics/government, economics, and business courses. Providing pertinent extracurricular activities and active student participation in these areas are also seriously considered.
Cross-departmental instruction is also very important. This takes into account the presence of Catholic social teaching in civics classes, as well as the appropriate treatment of civics, economics, and business as found in a school's Catholicity.
Agree/Disagree questions occupy 25% of the civic education section. Themes and wording for agree/disagree questions come from basic competence in given civics fields and from authoritative ecclesial documents (i.e. papal encyclicals, Catechism of the Catholic Church) in Catholic social teaching. Points are given based on adherence to the Church's clear and consistent teaching on related social questions.
