Making a Difference: The Promise of Catholic School Standards

The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS) were published in 2012 to serve as both a guide and assessment tool for PK-12 Catholic school effectiveness and sustainability; they include research-based general school effectiveness criteria, as well as criteria unique to Catholic school mission and identity. The NSBECS rests on the conviction that adhering to these standards and benchmarks with fidelity will result in highly effective Catholic schools. This Catholic Schools Standards Study Phase 1 began the work of examining the validity of the NSBECS through two national surveys: Survey 1 (2015) focused on the scope of NSBECS implementation: who has been adopting/implementing the NSBECS and why. Survey 2 (2016) sought to better understand circumstances of implementation: how stakeholders are adopting/implementing NSBECS and with what success. Researchers used built-in logic sequences for both surveys and a mixed methods approach for Survey 2, allowing participants to describe in their own words steps taken, stakeholders involved, strategies used, and success experienced.