4 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana
Vincennes
Continued from page 13
positive attitude persists.
3. Student-teacher ratios
are commendably small. By
virtue of this fact, learning is
a personalized undertaking.
4. Student commitment to
high academic achievement
is marked. Individual acade-
mic growth offers testimony
to such commitment.
5. Student conduct is reas-
suringly commendable. Little
more could be asked of the
students in this regard.
6. Lack of curriculum
guides is noted. Absent pre-
cisely articulated curriculum
guides, evaluative efforts re-
garding student achievement
are both difficult and limited.
7. Persistently low ISTEP
mathematics scores point to a
need for curricular and in-
structional review. The scores
are not in keeping with avail-
able measures of student
ability.
8. Significant numbers of
students scoring in the lower
two quartiles on the ISTEP
Battery points to the need for
curricular and instructional
review.
9. Lack of an extensive
complement of guidance data
is noted. Absent such data,
e.g., interest inventories and
ability profiles, needs assess-
ment and counseling become
limited endeavors.
10. In general, the teaching
staff is over-extended regard-
ing the number of class
preparations. Such over ex-
tension mitigates against the
advantages of small student-
teacher ratios.
11. Library holdings are
both comparatively few in
number and dated. The vital
supplementary role of the li-
brary is thus diminished.
12. It is noted that selected
textbooks are dated, e.g.,
chemistry {1978), physics
(1974). To the degree that
lack of currency of content is
an impediment to student
growth, a shortcoming exists.
13. Technology available
for instructional purposes is
very limited; there are essen-
tially few computers, VCRs,
overheads, etc, in place. Re-
sultant options for instruc-
tional methodology are few;
accommodation of varying
student learning styles is thus
restricted.
14. Staff development ef-
forts are neither extensive nor
systematic when viewed from
an organizational perspective.
Continuous and coordinated
Raft development constitute
maintenance of a professional
edge.
15: The range of co-curricu-
lar opportunities is not exten-
sive when compared.to com-
prehensive secondary
schools. The general mission
of the school might be re-
viewed in this regard.
16. The pattern of course
offerings is not consistent
from year to year. The impact
of such inconsistency as it re-
lates to student need and de-
sire begs consideration.
17. The" mode of gover-
nance for school operation is
reported to be essentially
non-collaborative. It is recom-
mended that mode of gover-
nance be reviewed in light of
the varying functional areas
of administration.
18. A significant range of
field experiences is offered.
As school mission is revised,
field experiences might be re-
visited for interface.
19. Community resources
are utilized. An even fuller
use of such resources is en-
couraged.
20. Homework is an on-
going expectation and exten-
sion of daily class work. Its
clear role relative to individ-
ual student growth might be
better articulated.
Facilities:
Major Conclusions
1. The Flaget Elementary
facility does not meet Indiana
Department of Education fa-
cility standards for media,
physical education, music,
and art. Further, it is evalu-
ated as poor in site size and
condition, guidance space,
health space, and building
expandability.
2. The Flaget facility is cur-
rently being utilized at 64.9%
of its Prime Time capacity
with adequate space for 130
additional students.
3. The general assessment
of the Flaget Facility is "ade-
quate" meaning that the facil-
ity has .twenty plus years of
functional life with normal
maintenance and care.
4. Rivet Junior-Senior High
School does not meet Indiana
Department of Education fa-
cility standards for classroom
square footage, art and cafete-
ria. Further, it is evaluated as
poor in site size and condi-
tion, general condition of ex-
terior and interior of the
building, space for music,
home economics, science, in-
dustrial arts, administration,
guidance, health services,
kitchen, condition of paint,
plaster, floors, drinking foun-
tains, electrical systems, fur-
niture and equipment, re-
strooms, and facility
expandability and flexibility.
5. The total number of ap-
proved pupil stations for the
general purpose classrooms is
175 students per period. They
are currently being utilized at
45.7% of actual capacity.
Classroom utilization of the
general purpose classrooms is
59.2%.
The total number of ap-
proved pupil stations for the
special purpose classrooms is
155 students per period. They
are currently being utilized at
41.81% of actual capacity.
Classroom utilization of the
special purpose classrooms is
57.1%.
The total number of ap-
proved pupil stations for the
general and special purpose
classrooms is 330 students.
The current year enrollment
is 152. Thus, the school is op-
erating at 46.1% of capacity.
6. The general assessment
of the Rivet facility is "inade-
quate -- remodel" meaning
that the facility may be gener-
ally structurally sound, but
contains spaces that are less
than appropriate for educa-
tional programming into the
21st century and shows the
need for attention to several
areas as well as tle need for
immediate attention to major
cosmetic renovation. Its func-
tional capacity after remodel-
ing would provide for effec-
tive and efficient educational
programming.
Finance:
Major Conclusions
The VCS needs to continue
its efforts to retire the debt to
the Evansville Diocese.
The VCS operates at a bud-
get deficit of approximately
$50,000 per year. This deficit
is made up yearly by income
from PTO, Pre-school, Play-
Safe, CEF and others.
The range of the yearly
deficit, budget revenue to ex-
penditure, has been $42,000
to $64,000 over recent years.
Revenue has been found each
year to balance the budget
after the fact.
Major sources of income for
the operation of VCS are as
follows: parish assessments
(34.2%), student tuition
(23.5%), scholarship (3.6%)
CEF (16.8%), and school fees
(5.4%). These revenue
sources account for 83.5% of
total revenue and such per-
centages hold on a year to
year basis.
Minimum dollars are bud-
geted on a yearly basis for fa-
cility maintenance, repair
and remodeling. Thus, needs
are attended to on an emer-
gency or as needed basis with
no long term planning for the
updating of educational
facilities or instructional
technology.
The methods and processes
used for budget preparation
in terms of revenue sources
and expenditure needs as
well as cash flow accounting
is currently disjointed and
not reflective of sound prac-
tice. Thus, much misunder-
standing regarding the fiscal
position of the VCS exists
and is compounded in efforts
ta "make sense" of the fiscal
questions by the various
stakeholders of the school
system.
The per pupil expenditures
for 1991-92 were $2,364 for
elementary students, and
$3,444 for secondary stu-
dents.
Recommendations
The need exists to better
define the organizational
structure of the schools and
the governance structure of
the total VCS. A clearer un-
derstanding of the role and
relationship between the
board of education, adminis-
tration, teachers, and pastors
to support problem solving
and decision making would
ensure improved develop-
ment and implementation of
policy, .accountability, open
and accurate communication,
and follow through on re-
sponsibilities.
It is the consensus of the
committee that if both
schools are maintained into
the 21st Century, program en-
hancements for secondary ed-
ucation must occur. The pri-
mary focus of the secondary
enhancements, building on
the results of this study,
would include but not be lim-
ited to:
A. Improved religious edu-
cation coordination and de-
livery.
B. Improved technology ed-
ucation in terms of both in-
C. Improved g
vices for all students.
D. Improved
depth of curricular
to meet the needs of all
of student ability.
E. Updating of
materials.
F. Updating
services and materials,
G. Improved assi
teacher loads across the!
riculum to bring
preparation for
into balance with
demic delivery.
H. Development
lum content guidelines.
I. Improved o
for staff development
training.
J. Improved of €
ricular activities
It is the consensus
committee that ,,busin0SS
usual" will not serve the
ture of the VCS well.
past several years mor e
more money has been
sary to educate less and
students while at the
time curtailing
grams. A serious
ing of the database
in this study, the
and deliberations of
tee members, the
sions and rec
presented should be
rious consideration by
sion makers as they
struction and equipment, the VCS for the
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