Goals and objectives of the program are constant and consistent to enhance the spiritual formation and moral development of all students.  A genuine, personal relationship with God and the response of worship and service are ultimate goals of the catechetical program.
A closer relationship with God through liturgical and personal prayer is an expected outcome of the guidance and catechetical instruction provided.  Ideally, students attend weekly Eucharistic Liturgy and begin each day and each class with prayer.  Prayer is a daily priority.  In particular, students are encouraged to become familiar with the devotions of the Church and to pray one decade of the Rosary with their class each day.
To ensure a broader and deeper command of authentic Church Doctrine, careful planning and programming at all levels is required.  Opportunities for learning doctrine and developing a grasp of the scope and meaning of the “Good News” of salvation form the core of this process.  Therefore, Scripture study selections appropriate for all ages of understanding are included in the curriculum.  
Catechetical Curriculum Guidelines, “Growing in God’s Covenant” are provided for Pre-School through Grade Eight.  A special section entitled “Pittsburgh Remembers” explains the contributions of St. John Neumann, C.Ss.R., St. Katharine Drexel, S.B.S., Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, S.S.N.D., and Blessed Francis Seelos, C.Ss.R to Pittsburgh. The document “Religion Curriculum and Correlation” provides objectives and course guidelines for Grades 9-12.  Curriculum implementation is assessed annually through the use of the Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education (ACRE) for the fifth, eighth, ninth, and twelfth grades.  
Catholic Christian belief expresses itself in service to God and to others within the community.  This service includes the ability to make moral decisions that are right and just, to control personal behavior by faith principles, to show concern for the welfare of others, and to take personal responsibility according to one’s vocation for the continuing mission of the Church in the salvation of all.
Parental involvement in the catechetical instruction of students is planned by school and/or parish personnel following the current directives on administration of the sacraments.
Another area of parental involvement is the Catholic Vision of Love, the Diocesan program on teaching chastity. 
 

We recognize today, more than ever before, that children come to school with a wide range of experience and abilities.  Many children make an easy transition to school and continue to successfully meet or exceed grade level expectations.  Other children, for a variety of reasons, come to school less prepared to learn.  Still others come to school with diagnosed or undiagnosed disabilities that can significantly impact their ability to learn.
It is important for us to understand, however, that a student who has a disability does not always need special education.  Many times, students with mild to moderate disabilities are very successful in regular education classrooms when appropriate supports are in place.   

Diocesan Goal:
·To meet the diverse learning needs of each student enrolled in our schools by implementing the  Diocesan model for providing academic support.

Objectives:
To meet this goal each school will:
· Select an academic support coordinator;
· Develop a Growth Plan for each student in need of support;
· Follow the Growth Plan process;
· Establish an academic support team.                                                                                 
In each school the Principal is responsible for assigning one teacher to assume the role of Academic Support Coordinator.
When students need supports consistently in order to be successful, teachers must document the interventions by developing a Growth Plan.  A Growth Plan enables the teacher to monitor the effectiveness of the interventions in place.
Following the Growth Plan process, i.e., scheduling transition meetings and acquiring parent signatures on the Growth Plan, not only ensures that the supports documented will continue from year to year but also facilitates on-going communication with parent/s.
Additionally, each school will have a working team in place to address issues related to academic support as they surface throughout the school year.  Team members would include the teacher’s involved, the Principal, the academic support coordinator, Title I teacher/s, and other IU staff, if available.  The academic support team should meet regularly so teachers have the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues when developing and monitoring effective interventions for their students.                    
 

The Elementary Language Arts Curriculum Guidelines for the Diocese of Pittsburgh have been developed to enable each student to be introduced to language as a viable form of communication, as an invaluable skill, and an art to be enjoyed.  It provides a comprehensive approach to language arts acquisition and contains all of the components necessary for students to master written and oral communication.  The areas of emphasis include reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language.   

Language as communication enables the student to become more perceptive through the sharpening of the senses of listening, observation and feeling.  Oral and written communication allows the student to clearly express what is perceived.

Language, as a skill, provides the student with the important tools to speak fluently, to read and comprehend, to compose, to write legibly and to spell correctly.  The guidelines include a strong emphasis on reading texts with increasing levels of complexity and a continuous development of academic and domain-specific vocabulary.  An appreciation of both literature and informational texts enriches the student through experiences with skillful authors who vicariously open new worlds of adventure that envelop far-off places, times long past, and modern tales and events.  A love for reading will overflow into the students’ personal oral and written expression. 

Although the guidelines are divided into reading, writing, listening/speaking, and language strands the skills should be integrated as much as possible for instruction and learning.  

The Diocesan Language Arts Curriculum Guidelines include the belief that instruction in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language be a shared responsibility within the school.  The guidelines include expectations, not only for reading/language arts teachers, but also for teachers of other subject areas as well since all teachers have a role in the literacy development of students.  

For the teacher, the ELA guidelines are intended to be a guide and help in the task of teaching language arts in the Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  The guidelines, coupled with the guidance of the teacher, will enable each student to progress continuously towards learning the life-long skills of literacy.   
 

Significant changes have occurred in the practice of mathematics.  Not only have many new mathematics concepts been discovered, but the types and variety of problems to which mathematics is applied have grown at an unprecedented rate.  The changes in mathematics brought about by technology are so profound they require adjustment in the content and approach to virtually every topic in school mathematics.  Also, changes in our understanding of how students learn must be reflected in the way mathematics is taught.  If learning is one of the most important outcomes of what happens in schools, then teaching is the Principal means by which this learning is brought about.  And teaching - what teachers do, how they teach - is shaped primarily by what they believe about learning and about learners.  All learners need to achieve real success on a regular basis and their success should be highlighted and celebrated.  We need to ensure that there are opportunities for learners to use and develop all their abilities, playing to their strengths and developing the areas which are weak.

It is our mission to enable all students to learn the skills, acquire the knowledge, and develop the attitudes in mathematics and technology necessary for them to reach their full potential as morally and socially responsible citizens who can meet the challenges of a changing global society.  The challenge for today's teachers is to meet the demands of this new era of technology by preparing students with strong moral principles, inquisitive spirits and probing minds.  The challenge is to excite students to move forward on their own, to develop proof for answers, to learn from one another, and to seek verification from other members of the class as well as society.  The challenge for the teacher is to plan a course of action within the mathematics class that will lead to new learning, and that will weave mathematics into other areas of their lives.  To aid the teacher in this challenge a regular, ongoing program of professional development is an essential part of the mathematics program.  These programs should address the needs of both the teachers and students and contain procedures for assessment of the impact they have in the teaching and learning situation.

The mathematics curriculum presents numerous opportunities for the integration of faith, culture and life by developing an awareness of the Gospel values which should permeate real-life problem-solving situations.  These values of cooperation, honesty, fairness, justice, compassion, courage, integrity, diligence, order, respect for persons and property and an awesome respect for the wonders of God's creation and the order in the universe can and should be an integral part of the teaching/learning process in the mathematics class.

Any book that meets the requirements may serve as a resource for classroom teaching.  However, teachers of mathematics need to promote problem solving skills and an exploratory inquisitiveness in all students to assure each one the necessary critical thinking skills for life.  To this end, cooperative learning in the classroom is essential to heighten student awareness in the value of cooperation in group situations, to strengthen communication skills in mathematics, and to promote a mathematically literate society. 
 

In addition to meeting all the requirements of the Department of Education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Social Studies class in the Catholic school provides many opportunities for teachers to help students understand, appreciate and learn how to live Christian social values.

The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. The Social Studies teacher has a unique opportunity to focus on the Church's call for a preferential option for the poor, especially in lessons that focus on developing countries.

Variation and change in grouping techniques dependent upon the task to be accomplished, can be helpful in developing the self-esteem of the child and in providing necessary opportunities for growth in Christian socialization skills.  In setting up small groups for a specific project, teachers should plan for students to work on critical thinking skills as well as map/graph, reference and writing skills.  More than ever before, technology skills are imperative and help children to appreciate our world, both past and present, despite differences in beliefs and culture.
It is impossible to understand adequately any one branch of the social sciences if taught as an entity independent of the other branches.  The whole scope of social science includes elements of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology with emphasis on global awareness and social psychology.  Therefore, focus is placed on an integrated interdisciplinary approach in teaching which helps students to develop a sense of relationship among the various social studies disciplines.  A clear understanding of current events helps students to integrate the past with the present and prepares them for the future

It is recommended that all teachers interject state history as it correlates with social studies on every level.  However, so that students will develop a more in-depth knowledge and love of our state, Pennsylvania History is stressed as part of the required curriculum in years 4, 7 and 8.  In conjunction with state requirements, Pennsylvania History is taught for at least nine weeks in the fourth grade.  It is to be correlated with the teaching of United States History in grades 7 and 8.

To accomplish the goals of the Social Studies Curriculum in the Catholic school, it is essential that classes be taught in a creative and motivational manner.  Textbooks are to be chosen that are consistent the Diocesan Curriculum Guidelines.  Reading directly from the textbook is discouraged.  Social Studies is a subject that readily lends itself to projects, role-playing, debate, parliamentary procedure, use of research and technology.  Effective teachers will go beyond the text to make their classes vibrant and interesting experiences for students. 
 

The science curriculum in the elementary school focuses on an inquiry-based process and fosters collaborative learning.  The teacher of science in the Catholic school has the awesome task of leading the student to discover the wonders of creation given by a Provident God and to refocus the direction of life on this earth through respectful investigation, research and application of scientific information.  All science should lead to an appreciation of the wisdom of God and calls for the cooperative effort of all humanity in the work of creation for the glory of God and the benefit of future generations.

A sound, basic education in science will enable students to use scientific principles and processes in making personal decisions and in being pro-active in the solution of scientific problems that affect society.  A solid education in science strengthens life skills such as creative problem solving, critical thinking, team cooperation, use of technology, and the value of life-long learning.  Good teachers of science create environments where teachers and students work together as active learners.  The teaching of science must never be for the purpose of delivering information through text and teacher-centered instruction.  A respect for the sacredness of all life, the pursuit of peace and order in the world, an awareness of the responsibility to be co-creators of life-giving designs and protectors of the environment are primary goals of the teaching of science in the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Faith and reason, religion and science, are not opposed.  Catholic tradition holds that there is one truth available through reason and revelation.  No teaching in science class may contradict Catholic faith.   
 

Health education which leads to the total well-being of each student is the goal of the diocesan “Health for Success” program.  The “Health for Success” program is a complete comprehensive approach to developing our students physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially.  It is achieved by teaching from ten content areas: 
· Consumer Health 
· Environmental Health
·  Family Life
· Mental and Emotional Health
·  Injury and Prevention
·  Nutrition 
· Personal Health and Safety 
· Prevention and Control of Disease 
· Substance Use and Abuse
· Community Health

“Health for Success” is best achieved by presenting the materials one class period a week using the Totally Awesome Health binders and materials prepared for teachers.  Students in grades K8 should have 30-36 lessons per school year.  This can also be achieved in the elementary grades by teaching the content areas as part of the science curriculum, physical education curriculum, religion curriculum, and the Catholic Vision of Love curriculum.
To ensure that students learn healthy living habits, the teachings of the 10 content areas should be modeled throughout the school in the school’s lunch program, healthy care program, guidance program, modeling of healthy behaviors by all teachers and staff members, and in a safe and clean atmosphere in which to learn. 
 

Physical Education and Health are essential component of the curriculum in the schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  Recognizing the value of teaching students to stay physically active and to develop skills needed for present and future leisure, the Department for Catholic Schools has adopted the curriculum guidelines entitled Fit for Life.

The Fit for Life Curriculum is a quality program which allows students to use their ability to achieve success.  This program assists students in identifying their strengths and weaknesses and encourages students to build on their strengths to achieve personal goals.  Students learn to follow rules and to respect the rights of others through games and physical activity.  Learning to channel energies constructively will help students to perform successfully in life.
Properly conducted physical education and health education classes provide psychological benefits which contributes to a sense of self-respect.  This leads to a positive self-image which is important in the curriculum of a Catholic school.  Health educators and physical education teachers can coordinate their work so students receive more integrated information and performance skills.

The goal of Health Education is to present information at each level of development that will help the student make wise, moral decisions out of respect for the God given Gift of life.  The health curriculum places holistic emphasis on wellness, fitness, behaviors, and skills for healthy, active living.  Education and health for children are inextricably intertwined.  Students then have the benefit of sustained learning for reducing health-risk behaviors and enhancing health--promoting behaviors.

Therefore, health educators and physical education teachers must work collaboratively toward establishing healthy, active living as a vital part of the school curriculum. 
 

Human sexuality is valued by the Catholic Church as a profound good, a great gift by God to human beings as part of creation.  Human sexuality embraces the entire person.  As embodied persons we experience physical, intellectual, emotional, social, aesthetical and spiritual needs for intimate communion throughout life's stages.  The realities of original sin and grace remind us that we sometimes experience the brokenness of sin as well as the healing of God's love.  We cannot experience either without the involvement of the entire person.  Sexuality expresses God's intention that we find our authentic humanness in love-giving, life-giving relationships.  Sexuality propels us in the mission of discovering and developing our potential.  Interpersonally, sexuality calls each of us to reach out to others, with whom full authentic humanness can only be achieved.  In our relationship with God, sexuality expresses our response to the gift of God's presence and life in us.

The Catholic Church recognizes parents, or adults who fulfill the parental role, as the primary educators of their children.  Parents have the right and the duty to communicate in words and actions the Church's teaching concerning human sexuality.  As in any kind of development, parents must first initiate formation in themselves before they can pass on the Catholic teaching and way of living.  The role of the school is to supplement that of the parent.  For these reasons, there is a need for parents and other significant adults to continually grow in understanding their own sexuality in roles such as wife/husband, mother/father, religious, priest, teacher, catechist, administrator, etc.
Therefore, when adults respond to their sexuality in a love-giving manner they will, in turn, enable their children and students to integrate the Church's teaching concerning human sexuality into their own lives.

The following goals form the guidelines of each and every program established in the Diocese of Pittsburgh to educate in HUMAN SEXUALITY.  The Catholic Vision of Love is the Diocesan mandated Sexuality Program.  No other program may be used in conjunction with The Catholic Vision of Love without the written permission of the Secretary for Evangelization and Catholic Education. 

GOALS OF EDUCATION IN HUMAN SEXUALITY

Major Goal: TO MOTIVATE THE PERSON TO RESPOND TO THE GOSPEL    IMPERATIVE TO LOVE GOD, SELF AND OTHERS
· To enable the person to recognize, value and respect oneself as capable of revealing God's presence in human life and history.
· To provide opportunity for clearer understanding of and deeper appreciation for self and others as unique persons, formed and loved by God, responsible and worthy of respect.
· To lead the person toward an understanding and acceptance of the dimensions of human health, growth and development: spiritual, moral, psychological, physical, emotional, sexual, intellectual and social.
· To help the person grow toward an understanding and acceptance of a multi-dimensional God-given gift of human sexuality which affects the total person.
· To guide the person toward an understanding of Catholic values especially in the teaching on sexual morality and the formation of conscience, which gives direction to Christian living.
· To increase the person's social competence skills for the purpose of leading him/her toward self-esteem, self-fulfillment and acceptability according to Christian and social standards.
· To educate the person in all areas of affective-sexuality for the purpose of preventing victimization and exploitation.
· To motivate and challenge the person to follow Jesus' example and respond to his call to love God, self and others and to demonstrate respect for all forms of life by living out the Commandments, Beatitudes and Works of Mercy.  
 

The Department for Catholic Schools views technology as a way to foster communication, analysis, research and understanding – to help students manifest the four components of the ministry of education:  message, community, worship, and service in their daily lives.  Always, the teacher in a Catholic school must infuse content and process with Christian values.  The sacredness of all life, the establishment of peace in the world, the never-ending work for justice and the responsibility to be co-creators in the continuing progress of humanity are the primary goals of technology education in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

In a Catholic school, all goals are accomplished in the context of the Catholic philosophy of education.  Here technology is recognized as the Wisdom of God in creation and must be directed to the benefit of humankind for the fulfillment of God’s plan for the world.

Computer Curriculum Overview 
The current computer curriculum is built around a scope and sequence of 500 learning objectives in ten key technology areas that meet or exceed Pennsylvania and International Society for Technology (ISTE) NETS standards.  By design, each lesson builds upon the technology skills, the learning objectives, and the content knowledge taught in preceding lessons. When the curriculum is implemented sequentially, the students have opportunities to practice, and over time, to achieve mastery of the skills in all ten technology areas. 
· Operating Environments
· Spreadsheets
· Internet 
· Programming 
· Applied Technology 
· Databases 
· Graphics 
· Multimedia 
· Desktop Publishing   
· Word Processing
· Coding
 

Fine Arts is an important entity in contemporary society.  A Fine Arts program is vital so that students from kindergarten through twelfth grade can understand this important facet of their world.  It provides students with the opportunity to deepen their awareness of God's gift of creation and to respond creatively to the beauty and goodness of the world.  Through music, art, and the movement experiences, values and needs of individuals are revealed and savored.

Instruction in the Arts contributes to the development of the whole person; promotes individual expression; allows experimentation with diverse materials and elements; enables exploration and appreciation of the works of other students and major artists; develops an awareness and sensitivity toward the environment, and finally promotes a deeper understanding of heritage and culture.

The Fine Arts curriculum provides a holistic approach to education which incorporates many aspects of the core curriculum and can be integrated into the total educational experience.  
 

In a world that is growing closer daily because of technology and interdependence, knowledge and interest in other countries and their languages can bring people together and facilitate greater understanding.  Enhancement of communication, expanding career opportunities, and community building are some of the outcomes of a well-structured world language program.  Schools are encouraged to offer students the opportunity to study a world language to help meet the needs and demands of the 21st Century.  Because the Church is universal and embraces all peoples regardless of race, nationality and financial status, the Catholic school should provide leadership in the study of a second language.

The normal process of learning a language is through listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Where possible, the study of a second language should provide opportunities in all four of these language skills.
Once a language program has been introduced, every effort should be made to ensure its stabilization and continuity. 
 

The major purpose of the Catholic school is to educate the whole child in the relationship of a total family community.  Within the school community, kindergarten teachers must be prepared to create an atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, based on the wholeness of human knowledge and culture through the teachings of Christ.
A balanced Catholic kindergarten program must be a synthesis of all that is best in curriculum design.  It is within this setting that the child begins to develop as a unique person through schooling.  Provided with a variety of opportunities, the child interacts within his/her social and natural environment in order to build a foundation for later learning.  The whole process of educating the kindergarten child must be conceived not as a series of individual pieces, but as a whole, having its impact upon a total human being.  
While cognitive, affective and psychomotor growth are all part of the life of the five-year-old, care must be taken not to overemphasize mastery of subject matter, not to forget the personal social-emotional growth of the student.  Each child should experience success and gain a positive self-image.
Instruction in religious truths and values, opportunities for growth in prayer, and experiences of service, round out an academic program and environment conducive to the developmental stages of each child.
 

One of the most vital issues in the educational world is the instruction of young children.  The current emphasis upon early childhood education represents a logical response to the urgent needs within our society today.
The first years of life are of vital importance to a child's growth and development.  Foundations are laid which influence the ability of a child to accept herself/himself, relate to others and respond positively to the environment.  Family relationships provide a young child with the best model for developing attitudes, values and appropriate behavior.  Interactions with other adults and children are extremely important and promote ways for a child to relate to the world around him/her.

Early childhood education provides the transition from home to a school atmosphere.  Educational research indicates that these early years are crucial for learning and, in fact, form the basis for all future learning.

Because our children are our hope and our joy, the future of the Church and society, the Diocese of Pittsburgh engages in the religious formation of the young.  Through Catholic schools, the Church joins with parents, the primary educators, in placing the child at the center of the educational process.  Through activities appropriate to the developmental stages of three and four-year olds, these children will be drawn into the initial stage of fullness of life.  This process promotes academic excellence and moral values, and fosters lifelong service.  The integration of faith with all that is taught and experienced sets the Catholic pre-school apart from other forms of education.
Interaction with other children and adults, in an atmosphere of Christian love and concern, promotes the healthy development of each child.  Learning experiences and play activities encourage spiritual, intellectual, social and physical growth.