Notre Dame staff and faculty from Dublin, London, Kylemore and campus, together with other leaders, willgather at“Contemporary Issues Facing Catholic 91Ƶs: Lessons from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States.”Organized in collaboration with the London Global Gateway, this conferenceaims to deepen international, research-based dialogue by providing a platform to compare Catholic education institutions across the three countries and to strengthen the systems in each.
With 14 scheduled presenters and 45 attendees, including several bishops and University faculty, the conference is meant to spur important dialogue about the best approach to ensuring the vitality of Catholic schools internationally.
“This conference provides a unique opportunity for us to share the challenges that Catholic schools face in each of our countries,” said John Staud, the acting director of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives. “We believe that this dialogue will lead to thoughtful ways we can work together to strengthen Catholic education.”
Along with the Institute for Educational Initiatives, the conference is sponsored by the , the , the and the .
, director for Catholic initiatives and a faculty member at the London Global Gateway, has been instrumental in the organization of this conference and will offer a welcome address on behalf of Notre Dame President
"The reach of Notre Dame's Catholic and educational mission has been deepened and broadened when scholars and practitioners have come together from all over the world at the University's Global Gateways,” said Father Lies. “Through itsefforts, IEI has been instrumental in enhancing the international conversation around Catholic education."
Following Father Lies’ welcome address, Bishop Jose Arturo Cepeda of Detroit, Bishop Thomas Deenihan of Meath in Irelandand Bishop John Wilson of Westminster will outlinethe most challenging issues facing Catholic education in their countries.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Cardinal Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London) will preside and preach at the opening Mass at the Westminster Cathedral.Bishop Arturo Cepedaof Detroit,Bishop Thomas Deenihanof Meath in Ireland, andBishop John Wilsonof Westminster will then outline the most challenging issues facing Catholic education in their countries.
The remainder of the conference will feature four discussions, each featuring several panelists representing the three countries. The first panel will home in on the mission of Catholic education within the context of modern-day secularization and how to best counter growing religious disengagement.
The second panel will explore the relationship between education policy, Catholic school institutions and the freedom and autonomy of choice, including the degree of parental freedom in school choice, the freedom of schools to sculpt and pursue individual missions and school accountability as mandated by the government.
The third panel will discuss effective teacher and leader formation as panelists describe the most strategic approaches to building “missionary disciples” within Catholic education institutions.
The fourth panel will center on faith and character formation, particularly how to best engage students with the Gospel in a way that resonates beyond the classroom.
The London conference is the fourth in a series of international gatherings sponsored by the Institute for Educational Initiatives and the Kellogg Institute to provide a research-based context for global Catholic education. While enrollment in U.S. Catholic schools has declined since peaking in the mid-20th century, enrollment worldwide has soared, particularly in the Global South. Notre Dame researchers are interested in what can be learned from Catholic schools internationally and applied to schools in the United States and around the world.
Originally published by at on March 11.
]]>Arndt teaches AP Calculus AB, algebra, precalculus and eighth-grade math, in addition to overseeing a math lab. He is a member of the (AP-TIP IN), which prepares Indiana students for college by increasing enrollment in AP math, science and English courses and providing student support and teacher training to boost students’ success.
“It’s truly an honor to be named teacher of the year,” Arndt said. “I want to thank AP-TIP IN, which gave me the skills and confidence to improve my teaching, and I want to thank my students. They’re the reason I won this award.”
“Jonathan is dedicated to the Argos community and his colleagues, and he is passionately supportive of his students,” said , the program director of AP-TIP IN. “Working at a small school can be a challenge for any AP teacher. Jonathan stands out because his effort has impacted a significant number of students at a small school.”
Argos is a small school about 30 miles south of South Bend that serves about 220 students. When Arndt first taught AP Calculus AB in 2015-16, just a handful of Argos students enrolled and earned qualifying scores — defined as scoring a three or above on the end-of-year AP exam.
Arndt joined AP-TIP IN in 2016-17 and participated in more than 50 hours of professional development workshops and curriculum. AP-TIP IN primarily focuses on teacher development and providing support and resources such as a fall conference, a mock exam reading, regional teacher meetings and an AP Summer Institute.
Following the first year of Arndt’s AP-TIP IN support, nearly 20 Argos students enrolled in his AP Calculus AB course, and more than half earned qualifying scores. These qualifying scores accounted for half of all the school’s passing AP scores, and more than half of Arndt’s AP students earned a four or five on the AP exam.
“Jonathan is the most professional teacher I’ve worked with,” said Argos Principal Nick Medich. “Every student who takes his AP course expects to pass it. He’s established a culture where they expect to do well and pass the AP exam.”
“Jonathan has an intimate knowledge of his students as learners, and this helps him identify their needs and elevate their success,” Morris said. “His students recognize this — they describe him as always willing to help and be positive.”
Arndt was selected by a College Board committee that included representatives from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin. He is the first AP-TIP IN participant to be named a regional AP teacher of the year.
Contact: Erin Blasko, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu